Fifty years ago old Mr. Miller arrived at our community swim club, slipped into the shallow end of the pool, swam a few yards to the deep end and turned over on his back. He closed his eyes, rested his hands on his belly and floated. And floated. And floated some more.
And so we kids, being kids, did everything in our power to disturb his repose. We dove in next to him, swam under him, and splashed beside him. And still old Mr. Miller floated, peaceful and calm as could be. "Dead Man's Float" we called it.
An hour later—and still very much alive—old Mr. Miller turned onto his tummy, swam to the shallow end and climbed out. He toweled off, walked through the gate and drove away, never acknowledging us youngsters and our attempts to rattle him as he drifted about the pool. How does he do it?, we wondered.
The Old Man of Crater Lake is also a floating phenom. And, how does he do it? is a question that has long baffled scientists and observers. This old man is not human—he's a Hemlock log first spotted in 1886. He floats upright and traverses Crater Lake from side to side and end to end; every day finds The Old Man in a different spot than the day before.
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| "The Old Man" Crater Lake is 6 miles in diameter from east to west and 4.5 miles from north to south. The Old Man of Crater Lake has covered more distance than old Mr. Miller could ever have dreamed. |
Many questions surround The Old Man. Where did he come from? Why hasn't he decayed? Why does he float upright instead of turning on his side as logs are prone to do? Mysterious indeed.
At one point scientists wished to remove the Old Man to study him. But after taking a core sample to determine his age—a miraculous 400 years old—they decided to return him to the lake and leave him in peace.
The above questions may never be answered and I find that somehow thrilling in this age of instant information.
Old Mr. Miller is probably long gone; may he rest in peace. Meanwhile The Old Man of Crater Lake floats on, traversing Crater Lake day-in and day-out as he has done for at least 133 years. And the enigma of The Old Man of Crater Lake endures.
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| Magnificent Crater Lake. Our tour group saw the Old Man on a boat trip to Wizard Island. (Center) |
Have you seen the Old Man? Crater Lake National Park offers guided boat tours of the lake, staffed by park service volunteers. You'll learn all about the volcanic eruption which created the lake. And, if you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of the Old Man.
