January
A new weather record is set for January with only 9 inches of snow being recorded. “It was truly a delightful winter month, almost like summer.”
Crater Lake freezes over during the month because of a combination between cold temperatures and the lack of storms. There seems to be more correlation between ice forming on the Lake because of the lack of wind than because of cold temperature. Any ice that has historically formed on the Lake is usually broken up by the wind before the total surface has a chance to freeze over.
Some claim the Lake totally iced over for a few days. When the first snow came, after the ice formed in January, 90% for the Lake was confirmed to be frozen. After a few days of snowy weather, only 25% for the surface was iced over. The Lake initially froze because of the stillness of the water. The January temperatures were not unusually cold. The thin skim of ice melted back because of the new snow’s weight forced the ice down and water crept up over the ice and melted it.
January 8
Ron Warfield, Chief of Park Interpretation, reports that the Lake has completely frozen over. R.J Michael of the Lodge Company disagreed. “Spotting the open water areas has been easier since Sunday night’s snowfall. Until Monday morning it was difficult to determine if the covering was skim ice. Now, however, obvious open areas can be seen around Wizard Island and elsewhere on the Lake.”
February 19
The Park Service attempts to move the date of the Crater Lake Rim Run to September. Congressman Bob Smith intervenes with Interior Secretary Hodel and the date is reestablished on August 10th. In an editorial blasting the idea of moving the Rim Run, the Herald and News says, “The Park Service should look hard at a management system which allows arbitrary and unjustified decisions on such long-standing events.”
February 19
The AP reports that the Park has installed a $30,000 satellite dish and cable system linking 26 homes and a giant screen T.V. in the Community Center. A preschool playroom with playground toys is set up on the second floor of the Community Building. Discussions continue about classifying Crater Lake as a hardship post.
April
John Lund, 52, P.O. Box 2126, Klamath Falls, becomes the oldest person to ski around Crater Lake, unaided, in seven hours. (John Day had a snow mobile running ahead laying track for his group.)
May
Marion Jack, a science teacher from Medford, “retires” after a record-setting 24 continuous summers as a road patrol ranger and supervisor. Marion also supplied the Park’s horse patrols for over 10 years.
Summer
Construction begins on a new parking lot and Lake viewpoint center at the North Junction. The 18 foot, 1934 vintage North Junction road is widened to 28 feet. The new Rim parking lot will cover 1/3 of an acre and hold 30 cars. The North Entrance Station is moved 0.8 miles north of it’s present to better line up with the 1980 boundary addition. Solar collectors are installed on the roof of the station to generation electricity for the station’s radios.
June
Twelve year-old Dana Jack, of Klamath Falls, falls into the Rogue River at Natural Bridge near Union Creek and survives with only minor injuries after being sucked through the quarter mile lava tube.
A clogged sewer line near Park Headquarters spill sewage into Annie Creek. People living along Annie Creek are warned to boil their water. (Oh no, not 1975 all over again!)
July 17
The Portland architectural firm of BOOR-A heads up a team of structural, electrical and mechanical engineers to determine if the 75 year old Crater Lake Lodge is worth saving. This $144,000 study will “be the final and definitive study that will help determine the Lodge’s fate.“ Congressman Jim Weaver says that all previous studies contained errors and biases and that the previous studies called for turning the Lodge into a building with “contemporary standards”. The new study will redefine “rustic standards”.
August
John Salinas, Lake researcher, finds that the Lake clarity has returned to 40 meters, almost equaling the 1969 record of 44 meters. Speculation continues as to why the Lake has clarity cycles. The nutrient rich spring flowing from an old sewer leach field beneath Rim Village remains suspect.
August 3
Ranger John Salinas discovers human ashes “not 20 feet from the Mt. Scott Trail, on saddle”. The plastic bag was removed. The label was posted into the Mt. Scott Lookout Log Book. “Cheri Mari Peterson, age 32, Place of death: El Centro, CA. Date of cremation: July 22, 1982. Mortician: Hems Brothers Mortuary, Frye Chapel and Mortuary Crematory, Brawley, CA 92227
