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1979
1979 A suit seeking $8.6 million in damages is filed by Ralph Peyton and Crater Lake Lodge Company against the U.S. Government in Portland’s U.S. District Court. Peyton seeks $4,000,000 for alleged loss of business, physical damage to the property, medical expenses for his employees, loss of credit standing, and lost profits. The suit also seeks recovery from the government of $4,616,180 to cover pending claims against the Lodge. The suit claims that the national Park Service was responsible for sewage contamination in the water supply during the summer of 1975.
1979 Operator Engineer Steve Thomas EODs at Crater Lake. As of 2012 Steve has been plowing snow at Crater Lake National Park for 33 years. Steve was still plowing snow in 2020.
January 2 1979 Memo to Pat Smith, Chief of Interpretation, from Larry Smith: Summary of Holiday Activities
During the past two weeks I have conducted 12 snowshoe hikes, with 125 people. Contacted and talked with 285 park visitors.
Enforced park regulations 27 times, including dogs, sledding and bad driving. Painted door and window shutters of the VC/EB because of the low snow, spent 2 hours attempting to open Sinnott, but failed because of the block of ice frozen against the door. The rest of the trail is mostly clear of snow. One of the lowest snow-on-the-ground on record. Worked at Info Desk, compared weather record, brought down movie projector and films from Rim Center. Assembled 10 snowshoes, cleaned and cleared parts of Nat Hall, helped with broken arm, wrote reports, cleaned up doggy-do in the parking lot, stuffed insulation around the fireplace in the Community House to keep out the snow, shoveled walkways, cleaned up after warming fires and beer parties.
People on my hikes were from: Maine, Michigan, D.C., Mass., Central America, New Zealand, California, Washington, Oregon, France and England. I mounted all of the photos for the Hillman display.
February 1979 111 inches of snow falls during the last three weeks of February.
February 8 1979 Fire in the generator house causes minor damage.
March 18 1979 A seventeen-year-old operator drives his snowmobile over the Caldera Rim, north of Merriam Point, near North Junction. The snowmobile falls 400 feet before sticking its rear end into a soft snow bank and stopping. The driver is thrown another 10 feet before he is able to catch himself and is finally rescued. The snowmobile is secured with a safety rope and pulled out in the spring after the West Rim Drive is opened.
April 1979 Nancy Jarrell and ski party observe and photograph a mountain lion in the snow, near Sun Notch.
May 22 1979 A 28 foot U.S.G.S. research boat is lowered down a snow chute west of Rim Village. Because of its canvas sunshade, the boat is promptly christened the “Queen”.
May 27 1979 Jerry Civitts is killed and passenger Sandra Coeiz is injured near the West Park Boundary, when the motorcycle they are riding slides out of control on a corner and strikes a tree.
June 1979 In a period of 5 days, Rangers twice draw their weapons in order to disarm violators. One case involved threats to a Park maintenance employee at his quarters. The other involved two individuals hitchhiking in the Park and wanted for questioning in Indiana on murder charges.
June 20 1978 The Rim Road is plowed out and opened.
Summer 1979 Extensive geological study of the Lake, Caldera and the surrounding volcanic landscape by Dr. Charlie Bacon of the U.S.G.S. An exhaustive mapping of the Rim Wall is also planned. Bacon estimates the project will take ten years for him to update Mt. Mazama’s story and to produce new topographic maps. This will be the first major geological study of the Park since Howell Williams’ major study over 40 years ago.
June 1979 The name of the Exhibit Building’s (EB) (formerly the Kiser Photo Studio) is changed to the Visitor Center (VC). Previously in the 1940’s &1950’s the building was known as the Information Building (IB).
June 12 1979 Nancy Rohn, 21, from Chicago, becomes the first female law enforcement patrol ranger at Crater Lake.
June 12 1979 Baby boy born to Ken & Jeannie Newfield, YCC Director, of Ashland, Oregon. The baby boy was home delivered in Building 34 and is the first recorded birth at Crater Lake. Young Newfield is temporarily named, “Mazama Wizard”, but is eventually named “Austin”.
June 15 1979 Boat drivers, Clay Miller and Dan Sobel, pull the trail tractor-trailer, by hand, up Cleetwood Trail in 2.5 hours.
July 9 1979 Monday – Susie Stricker, seasonal ranger in fee collection, flies a 40 foot dragon kite from the top of Wizard Island. The kite was held aloft by winds ranging from 30 to 50 mph and reached a height of 500 feet, which was the total length of the line. Susie said, “I almost lost the kite due to the high winds.”
July 14 1979 An extremely bright light is seen by many streaking over Crater Lake. Witness claim it was bright enough to have taken a photo. Some claim the meteor could have been the size of a car. The flame trailing the meteor had some blue light, turning to green.
July 14 1979 Lakee-Looney wedding on the Rim.
July 20 1979 A Lodge girl is struck by a visitor’s car while jogging out near Discovery Point. A broken pelvis.
July 21 1979 The Wayne-Taylor wedding, from Madison, Wisconsin, is held at Grouse Hill Picnic Area.
July 23 1979 A 15 year-old boy falls on the Watchman while cutting trail. The boy slides the full distance, ending up with a concussion.
July 24 1979 The Lodge’s garbage truck rolls across the parking area behind the Cafeteria and crashes into a sleeping cottage, opening up the whole front of the cabin. The family occupying the cottage had vacated only minutes before the accident.
August 1979
Rim Run Winners
Men: 6.7 John Powell Klamath Falls, Oregon 34.15 13.0
Glen Jobe Alturas, California
1:22.43 26.2
Martin Balding Altaloma, California
2:55.29
Women 6.7 Wendy Roberts Klamath Falls, Oregon 44.22 13.0
Shelly Briggs Eugene, Oregon
1:43.40 26.2
Jeanne Ottoman Klamath Falls, Oregon 3:52.41
August 10 1979 Carl Long, Official Court Reporter from The Dalles, Oregon reports reading a court report several years ago that described a trial for several men accused of murdering a victim at Crater Lake in the 1920’s.
August 21 1979 Though warned about the lateness of the hour to attempt such a feat, Mr. and Mrs. Noel Russ from Zepher Hill Lucor, Florida, decide to take a boat ride and climb Wizard Island. They were told several times to be on the dock by 3:30 p.m. to catch the last lake launch of the day. When the 3:30 launch arrived, the boat driver blew the boat’s horn repeatedly for nearly an hour, but the Russes never showed, so the launch left.
At 8:30 p.m. a small fire is spotted on Wizard Island. Within a half hour two fires appeared. By 9:00 p.m. rangers and boat operators decide a night rescue is out of the question because of the lack of lights on the boats and fog beginning to roll in on the West Rim. It was decided to make a rescue attempt at first light.
August 22 1979 At 0620 the boat left Cleetwood enroute to Wizard Island. At 0710 Ranger Lloyd Smith observed an older couple on the island sitting by a large fire. The following is a reconstruction of the events that occurred:
As RR approached the Russes, there was an immediate barrage of verbiage from Mrs. Russ about the Ranger, etc. For the next 45 minutes RR heard nothing abut threats about his job, Mrs. Russ’ going to Washington D.C., about how poor the Ranger staff was, and how they scraped the bottom of the barrel to hire RR. She said the parks were still nice but the staff had declined to such a poor level to sire such a staff. RR was called a liar five times, was ridiculed, was threatened with job loss, was personally humiliated and Mr. Russ even stated that Superintendent Jim Rouse is “expendable”. When RR attempted to interview the Russes to determine who they were, their address, events leading up to their spending the night on the Island, birth dates, and physical conditions, Mrs. Russ refused to answer and walked away toward the boat stating she had high blood pressure and needed to get off the Island. RR stated the boat was not going anywhere until the large fire was put out. When RR first observed the Russ couple, RR mentally tried to see if they were physically okay. RR observed the large fire, so know they were capable of being warm. Because of their quick movements and energy expressed and because they did not ask for any medical or physical help, and later refused any help, RR observed they seemed physically okay. RR then spent the 10 minutes needed to put out the large fire because it had been built in the duff in an uncleared area. Operators Sobel and Miller and RR carried water from the lake and put the fire out. Miller once asked Mrs. Russ a question and was told by Mrs. Russ to back off and it wasn’t any of his business since he did not work for the government.
One the trip back to Cleetwood RR heard nothing but verbal abuse and criticism about Rangers Cranson and Lucero for telling her one can hike to the top of Wizard Island in about an hour, and more verbal abuse of RR. RR finally received some information from Mr. Russ as to who they were, their addresses, etc. when Mr. Russ was not interrupting Mr. Russ. Mrs. Russ stated they did not have a watch, but later told the boat supervisors, Bob Kraus, that they appeared on the Wizard Island dock at 4:30 p.m. When RR asked Mr. Rush as to the times they left, reached the top of Wizard, etc, Mrs. Russ told Mr. Russ not to answer. RR tried to explain to the Russes that a person last week climbed to the top and back of Wizard Island in 18 minutes. Mrs. Russ called RR a liar. RR explained that his family can climb to the top and back in about an hour and again was called a liar. When the Russes wanted to know why an attempt was not made the evening before, RR tried to explain that there had been fog on the Rim and it was dark on the lake. It as not worth the risk to take a boat out on the lake without lights. Again Mrs. Russ called RR a liar and did not want to listen. Mrs. Russ claimed it was calm and clear all night. When RR tried to offer the Russes blankets and coats that were brought down, she refused, saying they were tough and didn’t need any help. When RR stated the crew started at 0500 to check out the fires, Mrs. Russ stated in a very condescending tone that that was really big of the crew. (The two boat operators were donating their time.)
RR did tell the verbose Mrs. Russ to please be quiet and to quit her threats so RR could talk to Mr. Russ. Once when RR returned to discuss some more of the facts with the Russes, Mrs. Russ stated in her condescending tone that it was nice of RR to lower himself to talk to them. RR stated that he did not want to argue and be the target of verbal abuse so that is why RR left them alone.
At 0805 the Russes were delivered to Cleetwood amidst a series of threats to Washington, D.C. RR offered a meeting with Superintendent Rouse and Mrs. Russ stated they wanted to meet with him, but at their own good time and not at anybody else’s. At approximately 1000 the Russes had been refunded $11.00 for the boat trip by Crater Lake Lodge and had received a complimentary lunch and were met by Crater Lake Lodge Manager Happel.
At 1230 the Russes met with Superintendent Rouse for approximately 2.5 hours.
RR – Reporting Ranger – Lloyd Smith
August 24 1979 Seasonal Ranger Susie Stecker experiences an armed robbery while on duty at the North Entrance. Robbery is aborted by choice when the assailant discovers only $35 in the till. The criminal sped away in a white Ford Pinto.
Report of holdup by Ranger Susie Stecker – written August 25, 1979 – North Entrance Station
On Friday August 24, 1979, Reporting Ranger Susie Stecker (R/R) was working in solitary confinement at the North Entrance box (station) on the 1000 to 1800 hrs. Shift. At 1050 a white Ford Pinto approached the station from the north. After stopping suspiciously about 50 yard in front of the station for approximately one minute, the vehicle creeped forward to the station. As the vehicle proceeded forward to the station, R/R was busy, as always, catching up on paperwork, so R/R did not see the vehicle clearly as it approached the station. When R/R turned around to greet the incoming tourists, R/R was confronted by a menacing male adult (subject was at least three times bigger than R/R, or so it seemed at the time) pointing what appeared to be a small cannon directly at R/R. As the calm and cool R/R tried to cover expressions of total shock, the menacing robber charged into the station and order R/R to give up all of the money and the R/R “Smokey Bear” hat that means so much to R/R. R/R then opened the cash drawer as ordered, but decided faithfully not to relinquish the prized hat, which of course is a symbol of the Park Service and its ever ready ranger. The menacing robber had a look of total disgust when he found only $35.00 to be in the cash drawer, but when R/R refused to give up the hat, he started sobbing violently and stomping his feet. Dejected, the subject (robber) left the station, tripping over his untied shoelaces as he stepped down onto the asphalt outside of the station. The subject then hobbled back to his vehicle and proceeded to make a hasty U-turn around the station, laying down rubber all of the way. After this show of reckless driving, the subject vehicle proceeded north out of the park boundary at the speed limit. R/R was unable to observe the vehicle or the subject fully at any time because R/R’s hat had fallen down over R/R’s eyes; the hat was a little too large. R/R was able to observe the subject’s lower body. From this observation R/R found the subject to be wearing faded blue denim jean pants, white tennis shoes that appeared to be of the Addidas brand due the presence o the characteristic three black stripes on the shoe, The subject was also wearing clean white socks that matched his apparel quite well. Don’t ask how R/R ever noticed the socks. Dispatch was notified at 10:53 and Ranger Danger Lloyd Smith arrived at 11:05 just in time to catch the R/R as she fainted.
August 26 1979 Wayne Ruedz of Minnesota rides his bike through the Park on a 23,000-mile trip to the tip of South America. Ruedz has traveled 8,000 miles so far, starting in Alaska on May 2. Averaging $7.00 per day, Wayne estimates the bike trip will take 18 to 24 months.
Summer 1979 Oregon’s only Peregrine falcon nest located on a ledge below a cliff overhang, inside the Caldera eastern rim. Two fledglings are successfully raised. A third egg was found in the nest, but it failed to hatch. Tests show a 15% reduction in shell thickness due to DDT. Hopes are high.
Water year: 66.79 inches of precipitation
Years 1979 – 1983 Dr. Doug Larson and Dr. Stan Geiger spend four years identifying Crater Lake algae.
“When Doug Larson approached me in 1979 to assist him with the identification of algae in samples from Crater Lake that he had gotten himself on his own time during the summers of 1978, 1979 and 1980, I knew that I was in for a very unique experience. was ready for this work. The idea of characterizing the algae within 200 meters of the lake surface in water that was so different from the Columbia River was very appealing. People who have never had the pleasure of observing these very small but very important organisms to us will have difficulty understanding this source of satisfaction for me. It is truly exotic work.”
September 1 1979 22 elk (3 bulls and 19 cows and calves) are observed at 5:30 a.m. on Pumice Flat, below Rim Village. Latter in the day, 16 elk are spotted at Vidae Falls.
September 2 1979 Vern Sumner, 34 Irving Road, Eugene, Oregon, copyrights a disaster movie scrip about Crater lake’s west wall collapsing and destroying Diamond Lake and Roseburg.
October 2 1979 Bear killed by injection by Ranger Mark Forbes in Mazama Campground. The bear had been trapped 8 times, once in Union Creek, since 1972 and had been picked up many (for a bear) bad habits.
October 8 1979 After first being spotted by Ranger Larry Smith while leading a hike, two would be canoeists are fined $25 for launching two canoes on the Lake and camping on Wizard Island. Ranger Jim Donovan made contact with the two at 9:00 p.m. after kayaking to the island in his own kayak. The first midnight Crater Lake kayak operation on record.
Fiscal Year 1979 For the first time the Park’s operating budget tops one million dollars. ($1.04 million)
Season 1979 Visitation: 445,397 (Online says: 410,749)
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