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1976
January 18 1976 Chief Ranger Dan Sholly enters on duty from Yosemite National Park (a Viet Nam Marine), thus begins a new and unique era for Crater Lake because of his dynamic and energetic leadership.
January 19 1976 Legislation introduced into Congress that would remove mining claims from most National Parks, including Crater Lake.
February 1976 Large Headquarter’s mantle photo (transparency) is installed, taken by John Davis and Superintendent Frank Betts from an elevation of 16,000 feet. Superintendent Betts was piloting the plane.
March 1 1976 Canteen Company of Oregon completes the purchase of Crater lake Lodge Company from the Peyton family.
The end of a 17-year Peyton era at Crater Lake (1959 – 1976)
An interview of Ken Peyton, by Susan Wehren of the News-Times – August 6, 2003
For Ken Peyton, Crater Lake is more than pretty pictures in a coffee table book. Crater Lake was home. Every year, Ken and his brother, Mike, return to Crater Lake to recall the summers they spent growing up there.
For Ken, they were his summers during high school and college and for Mike; they began as a youngster and continued for 17 years. Recently the memories come rushing back when the two learned that the four boats that used to take tourists on the lake are now stored at Riverbend Marine Service. The boats were put into service on the lake during the 1970s when their father, the late Ralph Peyton, owned the concession at the lake. The family’s connection with Crater Lake began in 1959 when the state paid Ralph for his land and business in Portland. The property was needed for a freeway expansion. With the money, Ralph looked for a new business, and found the concession available at Crater Lake. For the next 20 years, the entire lake became the summer hangout for the Peyton family.
“It was fabulous as a summer job,” says Ken. “I lived in a dorm and ate in the employee cafeteria, and we partied with 100 college students.” The concession came with the lodge, a gas station, boats, souvenir shop and other buildings that made up the national park. The winter office for the Peyton family was Portland, and then in May, Ralph would go to the lake to get things ready for the summer season. His family would join him when school was out. The family included Ralph’s wife, Katherine, and their three sons, Larry, Ken and Mike, and their daughter, Sally. The lodge was open June 15 to September 10. There were jobs for the entire family, though Ken recalls that at first Mike was too young to work and chased squirrels.
Ken started out in the storeroom receiving deliveries and dispersing them to the different departments. Other jobs for Ken included houseman, head of housekeeping and front desk clerk. While he was in college, Ken moved on to other national parks. He remembers long days and full weeks at the national park jobs.
Ralph sold the concession in 1976, and he and Katherine bought the gift shop at Otter Rock. Ralph died in 1987 and Katherine now lives in Portland, but continues to own the gift shop. Sally, with Goody Cable, is the owner of the Sylvia Beach Hotel. Larry is deceased. Mike is a lumber broker in Portland and Ken manages the Sylkiva Beach Hotel. Ken and Mike always find time for an annual visit to the lake to visit some of the places they remember from their youth. “It is so much fun. It is our brother-bonding experience. It is like going home for us. Those were fun times,” he says recalling the fires around which employees would gather to sing and play guitars. Crater Lake will always have a spot in Ken’s heart. He recalls the vistas and seeing the lake, especially in winter. It is so beautiful.
March 6 1976 Forced entry into the Rim Center discovered.
March 8 1976 Superintendent Betts issues orders to prohibit cattle grazing within the Park.
April 16 1976 Forced entry into the Lodge dorm by four men seeking shelter from the cold. The four had been warned that accommodations were not available during the winter.
June 1976 Ralph Peyton resigns as president/manager of Crater Lake Lodge Company after 17 years.
One-way road moved to Cleetwood Cove. It is felt that when the West Rim Drive was designated as a one-way drive, too many Park Visitors were being forced to drive around the East Rim against their will.
June 8 or 9 1976 George Morrison, Chief Park Naturalist, spots a “Big Foot” creature crossing the South Road at dusk, headed into Annie Creek Canyon. With four steps, the up-right creature crossed the road. Because of distance and tree shadows, a description is difficult. Morrison could not locate any footprints. George is an experienced ornithologist and experienced in nature observation. Morrison was shaken by his sighting.
From George Morrison, written on April 11,: Now for Crater Lake. You each know already my own experience there, the map on the wall at my office on which I put colored tacks for all the published and some unpublished events others had in dealing with Big Foot. I think each of you knew that I was collecting stories from anyone who would talk to me. In fact, I still marvel at how many folks came forward to share their experiences with the mysterious at Crater Lake. Glen Happle and Kelly Gross seemed almost relieved that someone was willing to hear their stories.
During my short 21 months at the CRLA, I tried to follow up on some stories which originated outside of the Park. I’ve shared some of those previously. I think I also shared my personal experience with the Masonic Grove and my rather interesting opportunity to talk briefly with assembled Mason’s at “their private place”. Larry had that same opportunity and perhaps Lloyd, I don’t know about Ron’s experience with that group. Tom McDonough had taken me there on my first ” show me trip” around the Rim Drive. After my chance to witness the place filled with people and seeing some of the trappings of their special annual gathering, I was even more surprised to see Frank Betts seated up close to the front of the gathering. Following the Saturday picnic, I passed by the place several days later and decided to get a couple of photos. The “altar stone” with its engraved compass and square insignia and the rectangular seating arrangement on the bare poles were very characteristic of other Masonic places I had visited. I wanted pictures.
That cool afternoon under a light cloud cover which gave a very flat lighting to the place and as I started shooting the Olympus from various angles, I felt the hair rising on the back of my neck, I felt like I was being “observed/ watched” and I started looking all around me. I’ve experienced that feeling before and usually found a squirrel, deer or some other form of wildlife looking at me. That day – nothing that I could pick up on. Then the same foreboding that I felt on that beach in Hawaii seemed to settle over me and the “feeling, you have no business here” prompted me to leave right away. I never went back.
There are mysteries at CRLA as well as many other areas. Some are National Parks, some are just places.
Once again, I am personally convinced that there is another world/dimension -one or more -that are not
currently detectable to us in our daily lives. There are political, social, economic, religious and even scientific
implications to all of this.
May 11, 2016 – Hi Larry,
When my interest in Bigfoot and UFO’s got noised around, Glen Happle, Lodge Facility Manager, left a message that he would like to talk with me when I had a minute someday. An opportunity came up several days later on a slow afternoon following the Labor Day chaos.
We first talked on the second floor of the dining area where the neat view across the lake enthralled every one. After some small talk, Glen mentioned that he had heard of my interest in unusual events around the Park. In a very casual manner he suggested that we walk down to the front of building and sit on a bench near by the door. It almost seemed like he was expecting another visitor though he never said as much. He mentioned a bright fall afternoon several years earlier (In the early 1970s)when he was about to close things up for that day. About the same time Glen stepped out side, he notice a bright, shiny object straight across Crater Lake from where he was which appeared to be just above the tree line on the far side of the like. Glen pointed out about where he first noticed the object. (I couldn’t begin to spot that now).
As he watched, the object was obviously moving toward him at about the speed of a single engined airplane. Intently watching now, Glen could tell that this was a round object, no wings visible and no sound detected. The flight path was straight and level. At no time did the object dip below the Crater Rim from where Glen stood. Coming closer, Glen could detect a slight dome or rise toward the top of the object, but the underside didn’t have any protrusions that he remembered. The object’s speed appeared to increase somewhat as it drew close to the rim and from his perspective; the craft appeared to rise up slightly. As the object passed directly over head, Glen estimated it to be about 25 – 30 ft in diameter and it cleared the building about 100 – 150 feet in silent flight. The underside appeared to be metallic with no obvious rows of rivets. Glen hustled through the door to the backside of the kitchen to look out the windows and the object was gone. He strained in every direction he could and never saw anything in the sky.
Glen didn’t mentioned if he discussed his observation with anyone else. He simply completed his closing up chores and didn’t say anything to anyone. However, the story doesn’t end here. About 10 days or two weeks later, again about closeup time, Glen was outside the main door when he became aware of movement in the sky over his head. Looking up, Glen saw a round, shiny object which had just crossed overhead in the reverse direction of what he had witnessed earlier. This time the craft did appear to dip below the Crater Rim for part of the trip across the lake. In addition, the speed was faster as the object rose up to clear the far rim and disappeared above tree level until it was out of sight all in less than a minute. Once again, there was no sound and the object passed over the rim building at about 150 ft. The diameter of the object seemed to be about the same as in the first sighting.
I may not have this part right, but it seems to me that someone else also saw this particular craft as it flew across the lake. I think Glen may have mentioned having had corroboration of this event.
Naturally, if Glen Happle is still with us, he could verify or deny what ever he wishes to do.
George Morrison, former Crater Lake Chief of Interpretation.
Hi Larry, (May 11, 2016)
After we discussed some other “stories” from Crater Lake, I looked in vain for my original write up on the Freda Hayes’ experience. Consequently, I’ve tried to recollect as much as possible and have written some detail as near as I can remember it. This is probably the second or third time I’ve had to do this so I’ll keep looking for the original. Enjoy. George
Freda Hayes’ Story
(Recapped version 5/11/2016)
Freda Hayes and her younger brother, Justin ?, were at a campground not far from Medford (May have been near Butte Falls) on a Friday afternoon. They had gone to the campground to secure a site for a family get-to-gather later that day. I can’t remember if Freda had just given birth or was about to but she was approximately 20 years old and recently married. Her brother, Justin, may have been 12 or 13 at the time.
After finding a campsite and getting organized for the extended family evening, Freda and Justin decided to walk around the area. At one point, they had crossed a marshy/wet meadow area traversed by a boardwalk and had decided to sit down for a few minutes to just observe the place. The marshy meadow had a backdrop of Mt McLoughlin in the distance and a very lush foreground to the pine tree covered far edge of the meadow. As the folks were talking, they heard a “thud” of a small rock crashing into the trees and falling to the ground near by. Startled, they jumped up and began looking around for whoever had thrown a rock at them. A second rock whizzed through the trees and they hurried away from the spot to the boardwalk.
From the boardwalk, they both saw a “figure” standing at the edge of marshy meadow right at the tree line. The dark figure, human like, was looking at them as they looked at it. As Freda and Justin watched, the figure appeared to crouch down in the vegetation in an attempt to hide. However, the cover wasn’t thick enough for complete concealment and the folks could still see the head and shoulders of the figure through the willows and other marsh plants. Freda and Justin then crouched down themselves to watch and the figure stood upright for a better view of the people. After a few minutes of staring, the figure again crouched down so the humans stood up straight, all the while eying each other. Judging from the small trees and other vegetation, Freda estimated that the figure must have been seven to eight feet tall as the willows came to about the midsection. The stout figure sported an evenly dark colored, hairy body but didn’t have much of a neck as the head appeared to be right on its shoulders. Freda guessed the figure to be 30 – 40 yards away.
Then an interesting game developed in which when Freda and Justin crouched, the figure stood up right, and visa verse. This up and down game went on for several repetitions when the figured stood up and didn’t move, the people moved on across the marsh using the board walk. When they reached the end of the boardwalk, the creature was just barely visible but still standing looking in their direction.
When the men folks, Freda’s husband, her father- in -law and at least one more male, arrived, they all heard the story and proceeded to the location on the boardwalk where the sighting occurred. With Freda staying on the boardwalk, the men worked their way around the wet meadow to the far side and following Freda’s signals for movement, an area of matted vegetation was soon located. Since there was no open muddy spots, no tracks were left and scouting out further, it was possible to see roughly where the creature may have gone, but no distinct tracks could be found.
Back at the camp, the party hustled and bustled through food preparation making further discussion impossible, however, when the meal was complete, etc. serious talk again reviewed the whole event, and a second group walked to the matted vegetation area and even more effort went into hunting tracks as the sun began to sink. Nothing was found.
At some point, the local News Paper sent someone to interview Freda and her story appeared in the Sunday issue, I think it was. That’s where I got wind of the story on a tip from someone. I called Freda, explained why I wished to talk with her and got an appointment on Wednesday. In her living room, I then took down all the notes I could after having her repeat the story once straight through and then step-by-step. Freda was gracious and patient with me until the baby awoke and needing it’s mother. I requested a quick snap shot of Freda on her front porch and bade her good by.
During the conversation, Freda speculated that the creature might have been asleep near where she and her brother stopped to rest and their talking may have awakened the humanoid who retaliated by throwing the rocks in their direction. While Freda never called what she saw either “Bigfoot” or “Sasquatch” it was obvious to me that she felt she was indeed witnessing the local creature they all talked about to some degree. Freda had never seen anything like it before but by this time, she was very much at ease in telling the story. I never saw Freda again as I left that area in April 1977
I never met Freda’s brother, Justin, as he lived in another part of the city.
Following the interview with Freda, I followed some very precise directions she gave me and I found the campground (Name forgotten for now), even the site number Freda mentioned. Nearby, I ran right into the boardwalk across the marshy/wet meadow area and soon determined about where across the meadow the creature may have stood. However, when I decided to move in that direction, it was obvious that dozens of people also made the trek and by then a wide path of matted vegetation circled that side of the meadow. I didn’t attempt to go any further.
At this point, the slides I took are not locatable. If these photos appear before I depart this life, I’ll get you copies.
George Morrison, former Chief of Interpretation, Crater Lake National Park,
June 28 1976 Mrs. Aline Smith slips and falls on Garfield Peak trail, breaking her hip. Dr. Lloyd Smith assists his mother during the emergency carryout.
July 4 1976 The Park’s Bicential Celebration written by George Morrison, Chief of Interpretation, July 4, 2017: 41 years ago at 6:30 AM Park people stood in a “Ranger” formation, Park Superintendent Frank Betts and I stood near the flagpole in front of the Heaquarters Building. A dozen or so cars with campers were lined up in the parking area. Anyway, a motley group of six Cub Scouts managed to get the flag to the top of the staff (I was their Cubmaster), one Cub led us all in the Pledge of Allegiance followed by John Appanidas playing “To the Colors” on his horn. Frank Betts welcomed the crowd that assembled for this 200 Anniversary Flag Raising. I had the privileged to offer a prayer of Thanksgiving for our Nation and plead for another century as a free Nation under God. Then the small crowd dissipated for their July 4th festivities.
July 17 1976 Mr. Jack Jackman becomes separated from his son while hiking along the Pacific Crest Tail and ends up walking 15 miles north to Highway 130. The Park mounts an extensive search for Jackman.
July 18 1976 $209 in tips stolen from the Lodge wine cooler and $50 stolen from a flight bag left behind the Lodge desk.
July 19 1976 $80 stolen from Lodge dorm.
July 1976 It has now been a year since the closing of the Park because of water contamination. Lawsuits and tort claims continue to be filed against the government and Lodge Company. Over 1500 people have been affected by the water contamination. Costs and claims mount into the millions of dollars.
July 20 1976 Self-service gas pumps at the service station at the Headquarters road junction, are damaged as vandals pull off covers.
August 1976 Wettest August on record – 5.94 inches. Superintendent Frank Betts sights a wolf in the vicinity of Mt. Scott and Anderson Meadow. Betts, having been assigned to parks in Alaska was well trained in wolf sighting.
New Headquarters area sewer lines are installed connecting every building and residence.
First Annual Crater Lake Rim Run marathon. The event attracts 37/49 runners. This may be the highest elevation marathon in America. A cool, foggy day.
Rim Run Winners:
Men: 6.5 miles, Dave Ellison, Klamath Falls, Oregon
37.28 13.0 miles,
Bruce Manboyl, Crater Lake, Oregon
1:21.25 26.2 miles,
Frank Shields, Chiloquin, Oregon
3:28.21
Women: 6.5 miles,
Nancy Kurth, Klamath Fall, Oregon
52.46
Writen July 21, 2014 from Compeitor.com – Dan Sholly, a 30-year veteran of the National Park Service, actually started the Crater Lake Rim Runs and Marathon in 1976, which still continues today, when he was chief ranger at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. “It was a way to encourage my staff to be more physically fit and to enhance visitor experience at the park. It was a win-win situation”, Sholly said. “Parks should be respected and preserved, but they need to be enjoyed as well.”
August 3 1976 Verbal threat of rape reported by YCC enrollee while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
Seasonal Ranger, Phil Hixson rides the first horse over 5 miles of the new PCT Trail near the South
Park boundary.
(Written by Phil Hison – July 9, 2016) One of the privileges I had as a National Park Ranger was that I had horse patrol at Crater Lake National Park once or twice a week during the summer season. Best job I ever had during those years of 1974, 1975 and 1976.
My boss, seasonal supervisory ranger Marion Jack, owned a couple of fairly well matched Appaloosa geldings, Duke and Dale, that were used for horse patrols in the park. We focused most of our patrols around the Rim Village and Crater Lake Lodge areas where most people congregated. Duke was my favorite. Being on a horse in an NPS ranger’s uniform really made you stand out. People flocked to you to have their kids’/girlfriend’s pictures taken with you- and the horse, of course.
An incident occurred one day, during the summer of 1976, involving a young lady working with the YACC crew that was developing a stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) on the north side of Crater Lake. I was told to get the horses and another ranger and head out to the worksite in hopes of finding a person who may have tried to attack the young lady. I loaded the horses, grabbed Ranger Pat Toops, and we headed north. I took Duke and Pat took Dale. Our objective was to try to find the possible perpetrator. While Pat rode toward the lake, I headed five miles north along the newly constructed portion of the trail. It turns out I was the first person to ever ride that five mile stretch of the PCT on horseback, August 3, 1976. Later, after other rangers interviewed the young lady it was determined she had made up the story. She knew her boss failed to take a radio out to the trail that day, so they would have to knock off work for the rest of the day while they took the hour long drive back to park headquarters to report the incident. By then it would be too late to return to the site.
On another occasion I saw a two-seater sports convertible heading toward the Crater Lake Lodge with a young lady sitting on the back of the car above the two seats. The road only went to the lodge, then it came back to where I was then sitting on Duke in the middle of their lane. Duke probably weighed almost as much as the tiny car so I was able to persuade the driver to stop. I advised the driver that the female passenger would have to sit inside the car, not on the trunk. He wasn’t too happy and informed me the only place for her to sit was on his male passenger’s lap. The passenger broke out into a broad grin and was obviously only too happy to accommodate the young lady.
One slow day in the park during the summer of 1976, I rode Duke all the way to the top of Garfield Peak which forms part of the rim around the lake. I decided to give Duke some exercise rather than have him stand around all day. Don’t know why it was such a slow day as I remember it to be a sunny, fairly warm day. Wish I had had my camera with me! I was a little nervous at one point where the trail was no more than eight feet wide and right on top of the ridge. It was over a thousand feet to the lake on the left side and at least six hundred feet to the rim road on the right. I needn’t have worried as Duke went forward oblivious to the danger! (Summer 1917- The Lake Trail (Sparrow Trail), located between the Lodge and Garfield, and the Garfield Peak Trail were extensively rebuilt during the summer season. Superintendent Sparrow rode his horse, Imp, to the top of and the bottom of both trails. (Imp – Imperitor – German for “emperor”)
Back to 40 years ago today. Marion knew how much I enjoyed working with the horses, so as the July 4, 1976 Bicentennial of our Independence Day approached, he asked if I would ride Duke while he rode Dale in the Klamath Falls, Oregon parade on the 4th. I was extremely happy and honored to do so. Marion carried the Dept. of Interior Flag while I carried Old Glory.
Now Klamath Falls has manhole covers in the middle of every intersection on Main St. That posed a problem for Duke who had never encounter such a thing. At each intersection he would keep his eyes on the manhole cover and walk sideways around it until he felt he was safely past it. No amount of encouragement from me could distract him and keep him walking straight. Dale, on the other hand just kept walking straight.
Shirley and our 1 1/2 year old son, Matthew, were watching the parade go by. When Marion and I rode past them, Matthew pointed his finger at me and yelled out, “DAD-DY!” (emphasis on the second syllable), loud enough that it attracted the attention of the other parade watchers along the street. I think they even applauded him.
A few weeks later, Marian and I rode in the Chiloquin, OR parade. Since their Grand Marshall didn’t arrive, we were asked to lead the parade. A lady from Chiloquin was impressed with our snappy looking horses and our NPS saddle blankets and park ranger uniforms. She approached us at the end of the parade and asked if we would like to be the flag bearers for the grand entry to the Chiloquin Rodeo which was scheduled several weeks after the parade. We said we would be honored to do so. We asked her to make her request in writing to Park Superintendent Frank Betts at Crater Lake to make everything official.
In the meantime, we needed to practice our entry. The two of us would have our horses at full tilt as we approached the grand stands, then bring them to a sliding stop just short of crashing into the stands. We thought it would be a good idea to practice this move since neither of us had ever tried this before. One day when the Supt. was out of his office, we snuck in and borrowed his office flags. We made some holders out of pieces of fire hose and attached them to our saddles. We loaded up the horses and headed down to a softball field at the park’s gravel pit. In order to be sure the horses would make a quick, sliding stop, we decided to start them running from centerfield, cross second base and the pitcher’s mound, then slam on the brakes right when we hit home plate. There was a chainlink backstop about fifteen feet behind home plate, so we were fairly certain the horses would accommodate our order to “ HOA”! They did just like they were supposed to. I’m sure we looked great as we slid to a stop! However, Marian and I did not anticipate the need to hold the flag poles against our shoulders as we came to a skidding stop. Therefore, the two flagpoles left our hands and went flying right into the backstop! If someone had been standing there we would have impaled them.
Fortunately the eagles on top of the flagpoles were not sufficient damaged for anyone to notice. So, our next move was to discretely return the flags to the Superintendent’s office without anyone knowing what had happened.
Unfortunately, either the lady from Chiloquin didn’t contact the Supt. or he chose not to sanction our participation in the rodeo grand entry. At any rate, Marian and I had fun preparing for it and we learned how important holding onto the pole would have been as we skidded to a halt in front of the grand stand.
Phil Hixson
Blanchard, Idaho
Retired Corps of Army Engineers Resource Manager
Written: July 11, 2016 – Phil Hixson worked as a patrol ranger at Crater Lake from 1974 – 1976 when he then began working full-time for the NPS. The horses, particularly Duke, were a magnet for park visitors. They loved seeing a ranger on a horse. You could drive through the Rim Village parking lot all day and only a handful of people would flag you down to talk to you. But get on the horse and you couldn’t ride across the parking lot without attracting a crowd. I enjoyed horse patrol so much I seldom even got off the horse for a lunch break.
Marion may have told you about the time one of the employees at the Village Store came running out and yelled at Marion – he was on horse patrol at the time – that a person had just stolen something from the store. Marion saw the guy running and took off in pursuit. The thief zigzagged through parked cars and road traffic with Marion in hot pursuit on Duke. The person finally made it to the Crater Lake Lodge and ran inside. As Marion got to the front steps of the lodge, someone he knew came out of the lodge. Marion jumped off the horse and told the guy coming down the steps to hang on to his horse while he proceeded inside. The thief ran to the back of the lodge and jumped over a short wall down to a walkway just below. He was about to jump over the next wall when he realized he was several hundred feet above the lake and it was going to be a rough ride all the way down. Marion nabbed his man and took him back to the store. That’s when he learned the guy had stolen a tube of toothpaste! I don’t remember if he even wrote the guy a citation or not, but it at least made for an interesting day on the Rim.
It was about a half hour ride to Rim village from the Sleepy Hollow housing area where the horses were corralled. One day I let my year and a half old son, Matthew ride up the trail with me to the main road near Rim village. My wife, Shirley, would meet us there and take him home. It was his first time ever horseback ride. He was even wearing his little blue-suede cowboy boots. When we arrived at the meeting point Shirley asked where his other boot was since he only had one on. He hadn’t bothered to let me know he had lost the boot. So I headed back down the trail and retrieved the boot; fortunately he had lost it near the top of the trail.
People were always wanting to have their kids, wife, or girlfriend photographed with the ranger on the horse. They would usually stand near Duke’s head for the shot. I had to turn down a number of requests to have the photographer’s girlfriend sit on the horse with me! One day a lady had a couple young boys with her and she was trying to get them to get closer to the horse. I was conversing with someone beside me at the time and wasn’t really paying close attention to the lady and her boys. Duke would stand absolutely still all day with people milling all around him. I did here the lady tell the boys a couple of times, “Get closer. Get closer.” The next thing she said was, “Get your hand out of there!” in a rather excited voice. The boy had inadvertently stuck his hand in Duke’s mouth while trying to reach up and touch him. Fortunately, Duke delivered a gentle message to have the boy remove the hand from his mouth – he merely bit down gently and the hand was retracted. The mother identified herself as a nurse. She and I (an EMT) checked her son’s hand and discovered Duke had not even broken the boy’s skin. Unfortunately some of the maintenance crew observed the incident and word got around to other park employees that day that, “Hixson let his horse bite a kid today!”
One more story and I’ll call it quits for the night.
I was on horse patrol one day when a thunderstorm moved in. I’m not particularly fond of being one of the highest things around when lightning is popping every where, so I thought it was best to head Duke down to his corral. Just as we entered the meadow behind Rim Village, lightning struck a tree close behind us. Duke decided on his own that we might ought to speed up the trip to the corral. Since I was equally ready to hightail it out of there, I gave him his head and went for a rapid trip across the meadow. Just before you get to the road there is a bit of a ditch. I was ready for Duke to run down through the ditch then up on to the road. Duke had a better idea that was a little faster; he decided to jump the ditch! I hung on for dear life since I wasn’t used to riding a jumping horse. Unfortunately by now the road surface was wet from the rain. When Duke hit the wet surface he skidded a bit before he could get all four legs back under him. Still in a hurry, he decided to jump the ditch on the other side of the road. Fortunately we had only another hundred yards or so before we got to the trail. I let him continue his fast pace until we got to the trees. Not being the tallest thing around any more, I brought him down to a rapid walk the rest of the way to the corral. I’m not sure if Duke was more afraid of the lightning than I was of jumping the ditches, but we both survived to serve another day.
Phil Hixson
106 Hanaford Rd.
Blanchard, ID 83804
208-437-0108
August 8 1976 Arrest of James MacGregor for the burglary of $30 from a cold water cabin and for larceny of a car for $225.
August 9 1976 Six inches of snow closes the Rim Drive for two days.
August 15 1976 Eight inches of snow closes the Rim Drive for three more days.
Story from Phil Hixson, seasonal patrol ranger from 1974 – 1976: One summer while I was at Crater Lake, it snowed 36 hours straight on 14-15 AUGI remember having to drive the patrol car (a Pontiac station wagon that also served as an ambulance! – one lousy patrol car even when there wasn’t any snow on the road) out to the north entrance to close the road. When snow falls at Crater Lake on the pumice flats on the west side of the lake, the predominant winds blow the snow up toward the caldera rim. As it blows, the flakes get ground into something akin to flour. By the time I tried to drive back to the housing area the snow was already piled on the road as high as the hood of the car. I didn’t dare stop because I didn’t think I could get it going again. Fortunately in areas where there were gullies, the road was raised and straight as an arrow. If I had not known that in advance I would never have made it home that night. That was one of the worst drives I ever made at the lake.
Summer 1976 The YCC (Youth Conservation Corps) becomes the direct responsibility of the Park Service, rather than being handled on a contract basis.
Major rerouting of Pacific Crest Trial at Pumice Desert. The trail was moved east into the trees so as to cut down on plant damage in the desert and to line up with a rerouting of the trail around Mt. Thielsen.
Chief Ranger Sholly establishes physical standards and testing for all employees.
24-hour operations are moved from the Headquarters building to the Annie Spring Entrance Station.
Seasonal Ranger Phil Hixson’s only arrest when he takes in an 18 year-old man for trying to sell marijuana to a younger person in the Headquarter’s comfort station.
Horse patrols begin for paroling the backcountry and Rim Village.
The old Stone Pump House at Munson Springs is torn down. The spring was too contaminated from the Lodge’s sewer to be of further service as the Park’s water source after nearly 80 years.
Summer 1976 Filming continues on the Park’s new film, “The Crater Lake Story”, written and directed by award winning filmmaker, Kevin Peer.
September 1976 Seasonal Ranger John White runs from Park Headquarters through Rim Village, to the top of Garfield Peak and back again to Headquarters without stopping. John eventually becomes a high school science teacher in northern Oregon.
September 2 1976 $300 worth of vandalism done to a MG convertible top.
September 4 1976 Rescue of two hikers from below the Watchman. The hikers had been attempting to reach the Lake.
September 5 1976 A Jacksonville man claims that he was offered $1,000 to go over the Rim Wall and retrieve a wallet containing $2,000 that had dropped from the owner’s coat as he leaned over the tone parapet to look at the Lake. (Oral story to the author.)
September 6 – 7 1976 NPS Director, Gary Everhart and Deputy NPS Director visit Crater Lake. Director Everhart holds a press conference to discuss President Ford’s announcement of a $1.5 billion proposal for additions to and up grading of the country’s National Parks.
September 10 1976 Brian Thomas, 26, a Viet Nam veteran suffering from a severe case of post battle shock, arrives at Crater Lake, along with his wife, hoping that the peaceful mountain surroundings will calm his troubled spirit. Brian had been threatening suicide while battling bouts of depression. Thomas spent much of the night, sitting in the Lodge lobby, wrapped in a sheet, talking and praying. Mrs. Thomas keeps an all night vigil, hoping to be able to intervene in case her husband becomes violent or dangerous to himself.
September 11 1976 At about 11:00 a.m., Brian Thomas suddenly jumps up, announcing that he is going to kill himself, and runs out of the Lodge. Mrs. Thomas screams for help, and is quickly joined in the chase by the boat crew and several other Lodge employees. Thomas leads his pursuers along the Rim Promenade toward the Visitor Center and the Sinnott Overlook. Running down the long stone stairway, with the boat crew yelling for him to stop, Thomas, without missing a step, jumps to his death.
From Chief of Interpretation, George Morrison, written May 28, 2014:
Yes, I remember some detail of that morning. Linda Appanaitis called me to report that someone had just jumped from the Sinnott Memorial building right while she was talking to visitors. She had ushered the people away from looking down the slope and urged them to all leave as she would have to shut the door. As I left the Headquarters building for my truck, I stopped at the dispatch clerk and she had already heard. As I arrived at the Rim Exhibit Building, Chris Olson, a seasonal Naturalist, approached with her story that a customer had gotten into an argument with one of Peyton’s sons and that she had followed the guy picking up various things he scattered as he ran – keys, coins, wallet, drivers license, etc.
I had no sooner started walking down the Sinnott trail when Ralph Peyton, the Lodge owner, showed up and almost ran over me trying to get inside to look down. He said something about “the guy must have been on some sort of drug”. I tried to verify that he had argued with the man when someone from the Ranger staff arrived and he walked up the trail with Peyton. I remember that it was before noon because I missed my lunch with Betty and the kids.
Written: June 29, 2019 – Yes indeed, Linda called me telling of the guy jumping “swan dive” she called it. So we all remember that whole incident, like how could anyone forget that. Sholly figured I needed to be part “of the rescue team” and he had me “dress up” with a hard hat and yellow shirt. All the way to the trailhead down to the boat dock, the “team” had to eat high energy food – peanuts, raisins, M&M’s, etc. except George as he was already too heavy. He didn’t need peanuts. We had the body on the boat and were halfway across the lake when Sholly suggested that I radio and have the Sinnott observation building reopened. That was one of the most grueling days I ever had at Crater Lake National Park getting that carrier up that trail with all the downward bound people wondering what was in the tightly packed, black, body bag.
From: Christina Reagan [mailto:christinareagan04@yahoo.com] September 14, 2009
To: Lloyd Smith
Cc: Olivia Schmidt
Subject: Re: A follow up on your uncle’s death
Dear Both Mr. Smiths,
Please do send any information that you have of Brian Thomas. I am deeply in debt to you for your kindness and taking the time to look into this for me. My mother and grandmother have a difficult time discussing this incident but my siblings and I are in need of some answers and help in understanding why he did this.
Christina Reagan
3902 Reynosa Drive
Austin, TX 78739
I am 32 and will be 33 in Jan. My mom and her brother (Brian) were best friends. My mom was 6 months pregnant with me when he committed suicide. At that time, my mom and Brian had not been speaking because of a family disagreement. I also have a brother who would have been 2 around that time.
Brian has another sister who is about 20 years younger than him. She is currently in her 40’s and has been hospitalized several times for Bi-polar, schizophrenia (she hears many voices at times). Her mental illness didn’t surface until her early 30’s.
So, we never had the privilege to know Brian. My mom, I can tell, is still devastated by it and I’m sure carries guilt about being in an argument with him. No one in the family knew he was sick. I think that is part of the reason they don’t talk about it. I think they just don’t understand how they couldn’t have known that he was that disturbed and depressed.
My sister (who is two years younger than me) and I just want to be able to understand our family history and to not let someone be forgotten. Even though we never knew him, we still love him.
Thank you for helping us with the search for some answers. We didn’t know that he hit the mountain and not the water. We had no idea all of his bones had been broken. What we are looking for now is maybe an incident report that could possibly describe the chain of events from when he arrived at Crater Lake until he jumped off the cliff. I wish we could express our appreciation more than just a thank you.
September 19 1976 Four airmen, stationed at Kingsley field in Klamath Falls, are arrested for stealing nine interpretive and informational signs valued at $650. The four men spend six days in jail and each are assigned to 40 hours of community work in the Park.
September 25 1976 A prescribed burn of 250 acres takes five weeks to burn itself out among the Ponderosa Pines of the south Panhandle.
October 13 1976 Two hikers, from Texas, turn in to Park Headquarters a ripped and torn backpack they found while walking along a little used trail in the Sphagnum Bog area of the Park. The two Texans had been hiking the Pacific Crest Trail when they mistakenly took the abandoned spur trail into the bog.
October 14 1976 While inventorying the contents of a nearly empty, dirty, ripped and torn backpack, Rangers Larry Smith and Marion Jack discover a Volkswagen key in a zippered side pocket. A suggestion is made to compare the VW key with a Xerox copy of a VW key from the
McCullar file, who was thought to have disappeared somewhere in the Park a year and half earlier. An “electric charge” went through the two rangers as the overlaid key made a perfect fit! A horse patrol, lead by Marion and Dave Lange set out immediately to search the area where the backpack had been found. At 1:30 p.m. the radio call came that McCullar’s remains had been found, scattered over and down a steep bank of the Bybee Creek drainage, four miles from Lightning Springs. The FBI is called in to complete the investigation. Radio call: “We have found him.”
McCullar’s cause of death is ruled by natural causes, but the mystery remains how it was possible for McCullar to have walked from the North Entrance, on top of 105 inches of new snow, 14 miles into Bybee Creek, especially considering that the young man was not prepared for winter survival. One theory is that McCullar may have followed snowmobile tracks, but the machines are not allowed into remote areas of the Park and secondly, the new snow was so fresh and deep, it would have been impossible for snowmobiles to have traveled the distance. Besides why would he have wanted to do such a thing? Back tracking would have put him back on to the North Entrance Road and civilization.
So, just how McCullar was able to get into the Bybee Creek drainage remains conjecture, as does his exact cause of death. The boy’s father remains convinced that his son was the victim of foul play because none of McCullar’s expensive camera equipment was ever found.
From the Mail Tribune: Man’s remains found in remote park area; officials puzzled
A pack sack, keys, and the sketal remains believed to be those of a young Virginia hiker missing since January 1975 have been located in Crater lake National Park.
The Oregon State Police were notified Monday by park officials that the items belong to Charles Wood McCullar, 19, Alexandria, Va. McCullar was hitchhiking throughout the country and disappeared after leaving a girl friend in Eugene on Jan. 29, 1975. He was enroute to Crater Lake and had expected to return to Eugene on Feb. 3.
Relatives, park officials, and State Police searched the area, primarily by plane, because of deep snow in the park area, but nothing was found until Friday when visitors brought the pack and keys to rangers from a remote area in the western part of the park. The visitors thought the items were simply lost by a careless hiker, but when park rangers checked the keys with photocopies made of keys, thought to be carried by McCullar, they matched. Rangers were then dispatched to the area and the skeletal remains were discovered beside Bybee Creek.
The remains had been scattered by weather and wild animals, but Chief Ranger Dan Sholly said, “there is no doubt” that the remains are those of McCullar.
Sholly said the young man’s dental chart had been on file at the park and that the teeth in the skull found match the dental chart exactly. Additional checking will be done in Klamath Falls by dentists, he said.
An FBI agent, State Police, and park officials were to return today to the place where the remains were discovered seeking more clues to the mystery of how McCullar ended up in an area more than three miles from the nearest road and then covered with 3 – 4 feet of snow. He was not thought to have been equipped with snowshoes or skis, Sholly said.
The Virginian, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. McCullar, left home in mid-January last year, visiting friends in Michigan, Arizona, and California, before arriving in Oregon. His father flew to Oregon twice in efforts to find the boy. Several uncashed traveler’s checks were never cashed, police said, and $100 sent by the father to the young man was never picked up in Yuma, Ariz.
The hiker was reportedly last seen at the Dray Creek Store near Diamond Lake after he had been given a ride there. Shortly after his arrival at the park 34 inches of snow fell, hampering any search efforts.
The remains were found about 5 or 6 miles by trail from Rim Drive, about 1,000 feet below the outer rim of Crater Lake. They were located on the opposite bank from a steep embankment which Sholly said drops off about 200 yards at a 60 percent slope.
The closest road to the area is a Forest Service logging road some 4 miles away. The North Entrance approach to the park was closed at the time of McCullar’s disappearance and the Rim Road was closed except in the immediate vicinity of Rim Village.
McCullar’s wallet and camera have not yet been found. Sholly said it was a “mystery” how the young man could have reached the remote area in rugged country without skis or snowshoes. There was about 140 inches of snow on the ground at Rim Village at the time. (Mail Tribune report)
This is part of a script that was read on the radio broadcast: Coast to Coast on March 10, 2014 . Apparently their writer got this information from Ranger Marion Jack. His name is mentioned in the broadcast.
To add more weirdness to this already ghastly scene, Charles’ jeans were unbuttoned and his belt undone. No shirt or coat was ever found, and most perplexing of all the rangers couldn’t find his boots. Rangers say they always find the boots! They are essential for traveling in the woods, animals don’t take them, and they can last for a century. Posted on: “What they found was so surreal that one thirty-year ranger described it as the strangest thing he had ever seen. It appeared as though Charles had “melted” right into his jeans while sitting on a log. His pants hadn’t been disturbed by animals or removed before his death. There were socks in his jeans and there were toe bones in the socks, but these ended with a bit of broken tibia. The rest of Charles was mysteriously absent from the site of his demise. A thorough search of the lonesome canyon turned up tiny bone fragments and the crown of his skull about twelve feet away. That was all they ever found of Charles McCullar.
So the mystery is this: how did Charles manage to traverse twelve miles in eight and a half feet of fresh snow without clothes or equipment? Why did he undress himself? And, most importantly, where were his remains?“
http://beforeitsnews.com/strange/2013/04/the-mysteries-of-crater-lake-oregon-2448208.html
The Mysteries of Crater Lake, Oregon Sunday, April 7, 2013 18:48
October 1976 to June 1977 – The Lake level drops 2.16 feet, the greatest winter decline on record.
November 25 Both the Silers and the Morrisons (rangers) with their families drive around the Crater Rim Drive on Thanksgiving Day with no snow anywhere.
December 9 1976 The second latest measurable fall snowfall on record. October 1 is normal for the beginning of the winter snow season. 50% of the time, the Rim Road is closed for the season by the third week of October.
December 31 1976 Supervisory Park Ranger Bruce Wadlington and family drive completely around the Lake on the Rim Drive. This is the latest seasonal Rim drive on record.
December 31 976 Ranger Larry Smith paints the front door of the Rim Visitor Center. The extremely low snow level allowed the door to remain exposed, along with tufts of dry grass. Normally by Christmas the visitor center would be covered with 6 – 8 feet of snow.
Season 1976 Snowfall for the past 60 years averages 650.66 inches (54 feet) or 16.53 meters. The average yearly precipitation averages 65.99 inches or 1.676 meters.
Visitation 1976 Visitation: 606,636, the second highest on record. This is an increase of 179,384 over 1976 and an increase of 81,606 over the visitation in 1974. Good summer weather and a dry fall contributed to the increase. (Online says: 532,700)
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