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1973
January 19 1973 Daft Memo from Jim Rouse, regional office, recommending that the East Entrance be closed. The Old East Entrance had been reopened September 1, 1971 because of the new one-way designation for the Rim Drive. It was felt that rather than forcing visitors to drive completely around the full Rim Drive, the reopened East Entrance would give them more choices to enter and exit the Park. Snow closed the East Entrance after only one month. The road was reopened July 8, 1972. Despite “wide publicity” given the re-opening of the old East Entrance, only 2.5 percent of visitors used it out of a total of 594,343 total. The East Road was permanently closed and the pavement torn up on September 18, 1972. Jim Rouse’s memo recommending permanent closure of the road was sent to John Rutter, regional director. What also helped to kill the old entrance was the USFS possibly being burdened with having to improve their side of the road along Sand Creek from one lane with turnouts to standard width for two lanes. By June 8, 1973 Ernie Borgman told the local Oregon Department of Transportation that the park had no plans to reopen the East Entrance for the summer season.
More detail about what Jim Rouse was doing before becoming Superintendent of Crater Lake National Park and why he wrote about the closing of the Old East Entrance.
Written: Dec. 2009.
Pacific Northwest Reg. Dir. Rutter had me serving as Chief of Environmental Compliance & Planning and as Wilderness Coordinator for the Region. The planning team from the Western Office and Planning, Design & Construction had completed most of the master plan for Crater Lake at about that time. This was when the Rim Village redesign, the new concessionaire Employee Dorm was proposed, and the idea to move some of the Concession functions off the Rim. The plan also included a Circulation Plan that fostered the one-way Rim Drive from Cleetwood Cove around to the southeast part of the park, and the idea for 2 different one-way motor nature roads (as they called them). That was a push from Dir. Hartzog, I believe. Also that alternate entrance coming in from the east of Hwy 97 was not popular with the State Hwy Dept. And the NPS also was questioning the cost to operate this entrance. So, as part of my assignment the Regional Director requested me to try to pick up and complete that plan started by WODC team, and to develop our Wilderness proposal for Crater Lake. I don’t recall much Park staff, or the K.Falls (Ernie B) opposing the idea of discontinuing that East Entrance And ODOT was very much in favor of closing it. I did support the Greyback motor nature road, partly to go along with the NPS move at that time, and the benefits of offering the visitors another scenic and interpretive activity.
I did not support one they had proposed out towards Union Peak, and so advised the Reg. Dir.
So, at that time, I was busy trying to get this master plan in form that we could take to the public for review and comment. John Henneberger from WODC was on that team, but most were off on other projects and moving to Denver. Then, I did the same with the unfinished plan for Oregon Caves National Monument.
June 1973 Seven environmental groups make a “cause celebre” of the Lodge’s $350,000 employee dorm on the Rim. F.O.E., The Sierra Club and Wilderness Society all feel that the dorm should be built at Denton Park, the Lodge Company’s private resort, one mile outside the south Park boundary. The dorm is eventually constructed, but as a compromise the Park drops for motel units located on the rim and at Park Headquarters.
Construction begins on widening of 2.4 miles of the West Entrance road from the Pacific Crest Trail to White Horse Creek. The cost is estimated at $716,000.
Roger Theison, seasonal ranger, establishes a new Cleetwood Assent record by walking up the trail in 16.5 minutes with a walking cast on his left foot, following a day of skin diving in the Lake.
July 8 1973 The first major car clout of the season in Mazama Campground. Twelve cars are opened with the total loss estimated at $3,800. Cameras were the favorite targets.
July 12 1973 1200 acres of sagebrush and Juniper Trees burn at Lava Beds National Monument. 400 fire fighters battle the blazes. Many trees were lost in the headquarters area, but the buildings were saved along with the campground. The monument is closed for three days.
August 1 1973 All user fees in Federal Campgrounds are abandoned because of Congressional error. The daily $2.00 entrance fee is changed to a flat 14-day entrance permit.
August 18 1973 Giant rockslide defaces the surface of Llao Rock. Approximately 100 cubic yards of rock fall into the Lake around noon.
August 19 1973 Lodge trail tractor, loaded with 350 pounds of scuba diving equipment and two Lodge employees, loses it brakes, and rolls 50 feet into the caldera. Two members of the boat crew receive leg injuries.
August 26 1973 Third Mazama Campground car clout. Thieves net $1200 in cash, travelers checks and cameras.
Summer 1973 The NPS reprimands the Lodge Company when they discover plastic marijuana plants being sold in the Cafeteria. Several of the fake plants had been “planted” around the Park in public areas.
September 1973 Richard Sims appointed Crater Lake’s 19th Superintendent, transferring in from Oregon Caves National Monument.
November 1973 A record month’s snowfall is recorded at 154.4 inches. The previous snowfall record for November had been set in 1934 with 128 inches falling during the month.
A new precipitation record for the month is also established at 24.15 inches.
November 30 1973 Friday: 5 p.m.- A record breaking snowfall and a fuel shortage combines to force the winter closure of the West Entrance road from Union Creek to Annie Spring. This will be the first such road closure since World War II. The seven-mile closure saves 7,000 to 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel.
December 1973 Following the closure of the West Road a motor home becomes stuck in a snow bank for two days. Rescue was made because of being able to make a CB radio contact with a radio operator in Roseburg who then phoned the Park.
December 7 1973 Plans for motel units to be constructed at Rim Village or in Munson Valley are dropped after conservation groups oppose the construction of the employee dorm. This is done to stop what Senator Packwood calls, “the desecration of Crater Lake National Park by unnecessary buildings.” A revised master plan for Rim Village is ordered by the Assistant Secretary, Nathanial Reed.
Visitation 1973 539,708 visitors (Online says: 505,300)
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