Lloyd began working as a seasonal ranger at Crater Lake in 1959 on maintenance. Since then, he has worked every summer but one, 1964, when he was at Rocky Mountain National Park. He returned to Crater Lake partly because his brother was a Crater Lake summer seasonal, too. Larry started at Crater Lake in 1961, missed the summer of 1963, and has been back every summer except 1976 since then.
Over the years the brothers have held virtually every job possible – trail maintenance, campground ranger, north entrance ranger, firewood cutter, pit poilet digger-cleaner, dispatcher, seasonal supervisor, patrol ranger, interpreter.
(Cursor over photos for captions (some of which are very tasty)
Our first encounter with Crater Lake. Fell in love. It was a mysterious place. 1947. Walked the Old Lake Trail in front of the cafeteria, 1.6 miles. I was on the last crew that shoveled it out and opened it in 1959. On the snow bank in front of the cafeteria, 1949.
Bottom of Lake Trail, 1947 with mom, and cousin and aunt.
“Crater Lake 1947 Lloyd Larry Bonnie Rose Elmer” This was our first trip to Crater Lake and we walked the 1.6 mile trail. I still remember it well.
Park visitors aren’t the only ones victimized by the look alikes. At times Larry and Lloyd have swapped name tags and traded work assignments, “but I never tell anyone about that,” deadpans Lloyd. People who look closely find the Smiths are highly similar but not identical. Larry is slightly taller and thinner. Larry parts his hair on right to left; Lloyd from left to right. Confustion exists. Lloyd, who lives in Grants Pass was recently in Jacksonville, Larry’s home city. The principal from Larry’s elementary school saw Lloyd, assumed it was Larry, and began talking about how life at Crater Lake must agree with him because “Larry” had put on some weight and looked much healthier. It works both ways. Lloyd, who is also a teacher, was greeted by some of Larry’s former students wanting to chat. “It took me 10 minutes to convince them who I was,” remembers Lloyd. The confusion began when the Smiths were born in 1940 in Los Angeles.
The confusion began when the Smiths were born in 1940 in Los Angeles and continued while they were raised and schooled in the Rogue River Valley.
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