Old Man of the Lake facts for kids
The Old Man of the Lake is a very old tree trunk that floats upright in Crater Lake in Oregon, United States. It is about 30-foot (9 m) tall, which is like a three-story building! This mysterious log has been floating in the lake for at least 130 years, since 1896.
Contents
The Mysterious Old Man of Crater Lake
What is the Old Man of the Lake?
This amazing tree trunk is likely a hemlock tree. It measures about 2 feet (61 cm) across at the water's surface. About 4 feet (1.2 m) of the trunk sticks out above the water. The part that is exposed to the sun has turned white, almost like it's been bleached. Even though it looks worn, the top of the log is wide and strong enough to hold a person's weight!
A special type of moss called Fontinalis grows on the Old Man. This moss usually lives deep underwater in Crater Lake. But it's found near the surface only on this floating log.
A Long History of Floating
The first person to write about the Old Man of the Lake was Joseph S. Diller. He was a geologist who studied Crater Lake. In 1896, he saw the trunk and wrote about it. Six years later, in 1902, Crater Lake became a national park.
Scientists have used a method called carbon dating to guess the age of the tree itself. They believe the tree was at least 450 years old before it became a floating log! Diller also noticed that the Old Man moved around. He even tied a wire to it and pulled it a short distance to see if it could travel. Five years later, he saw it had moved about 1⁄4 mile (400 m) from where he first noted it. The oldest known photo of the Old Man was taken around this time.
Traveling Across the Lake
People became very interested in how much the Old Man moved. From July to September in 1938, scientists carefully watched and recorded its location every day. They found that it traveled a lot, sometimes surprisingly fast! During those three months, the Old Man moved at least 62.1 miles (99.9 km) across the lake. It moved the most on windy days when the waves were big.
Because it could be anywhere, boat captains used to tell each other where the Old Man was. This helped them avoid hitting it, keeping everyone safe. Today, private boats are not allowed on Crater Lake.
The Legend and Its Release
In 1988, scientists were exploring the lake with submarines. They decided to tie the Old Man to the eastern side of Wizard Island to keep it out of their way. But something strange happened! The weather, which had been clear, suddenly turned stormy. It even started snowing in August!
The scientists then decided to untie the Old Man. Soon after, the weather cleared up. This event made people believe that the Old Man has a special power over the lake's weather.
Seeing the Old Man Today
Today, if you take a tour boat on Crater Lake, you will likely see the Old Man of the Lake. The water in Crater Lake is incredibly clear. This means you can often see the entire submerged part of the tree trunk below the surface, even though it's very deep! It continues to float and drift, a unique and ancient part of the lake's story.
See also
- List of individual trees
