Crater Lake: Relic of a Vanished Mountain — 1987

for years thousands of years long before there was a lake when there was still a mighty mountain man has been drawn to this place it is a place of power and of peace a place of savagery and sublimity it's story is told in the legends of its people the western coast of the North American continent is a land of movement and change a border zone between the Earth's crustal plates shifting against one another as our planet continues to evolve looming above this landscape from British Columbia to northern California is a range of mountains called the Cascades they are vivid expressions of the Earth's Restless movement and are the home of some of the world's largest volcanoes formations of their own lava and debris these volcanoes have influenced the landscape here for hundreds of thousands of years for modern civilization they are symbols of uncertainty an awesome power people living within their midst have learned to watch and listen and pay heed to their moods in Southern Oregon within an area now known as the Klamath Basin there lived a people whose coexistence with the volcanic landscape has encompassed many thousands of years they see the physical world and the spiritual world as one each Rock each plant each animal with whom they share their environment is an individual reflection of creation the forces of whether a geologic change are the embodiment of powerful spirits which influence their lives their ancestors called themselves maka lock the people of the marsh these ancient ones told of a great battle that took place nearly 7,000 years ago between mighty spirits named Skell and Lao skel was the spirit of the above world the region of light and beauty he lived in the marsh country his messengers included the most active and beautiful creatures of the marsh when they appeared in visible form deep within the mountains surrounding the marsh well our his was the domain of darkness and terror the below world the great volcanic mountain the towered over the western side of the marsh was Liao's passageway to the kingdom of light you in time the spirit of the below world became angry with the people of the marsh he emerged from the mountain as a dark cloud of smoke and vowed that he would destroy them hearing Liao's thundering voice skill came to the defense of the people and a furious battle began me the spirit of the below Ford forth as an avalanche burning ash like a river of flame he swept over the land devouring forests and covering valleys continuing on to the homes of the marsh people to appease the wrath of the angry spirit shannon's climbed the mountain and throw themselves into the pit of fire but Lao would not be appeased with a final burst of fury skel drove Wow underground collapsing the mountain upon him you when daylight returned to the land the high mountain was gone then came the spirits of the storms snow rain fell for many years upon the ravaged land in time the spirits of the trees and animals returned in their physical forms the waters brought by the snow rain covered Liao's entrance to the above world peace and quiet reigned over the earth the people of the narshe call this place the lake huh blue waters for them it was a place a great spiritual power a passageway to the inner world of divine vision you they came to the sacred lake to bathe in its waters seeking contact with the spirit beings who dwelt there to receive a vision was to experience a state of union with all creation body mind and spirit became one hunter lawyer and shaman could return to their people with great strength and wisdom by the middle of the 19th century a new people was making a last migration to the area surrounding the lake of blue waters these people embodied a world of different beliefs a world seemingly separated from the rhythms and flows of the living landscape they came to carve new lives from the raw material of the earth and to expand a growing Empire they called the United States over the next thirty years the people of the marsh would have to change their lives dramatically as the growing edge of this Empire encompassed their homeland the maca locks spiritual link with the living landscape would be weakened but not severed the lake over the battlefield of Lao and scale would remain for them a sacred and powerful place during these years of the great westward migration the lake of blue waters was discovered by gold prospectors and visited by soldiers hunters and thrill-seekers these newcomers would call it deep blue lake lake majesty hole in the ground crater lake in the summer of 1885 a man named William Steele made a journey to this Lake from the growing city of Portland years earlier as a schoolboy in Kansas Steele had been deeply moved by a short description of the lake that was printed in the newspaper wrapped around his lunch for William Steele seeing crater lake was the fulfillment of a dream the newspaper descriptions and fantasies of the past could not approach the reality now before him he looked over the lake in all and silence realizing that the lake and its surroundings were unclaimed and open for exploitation Steel became deeply inspired to protect the area from private development soon his vision prompted a movement to create a national park in 1886 William Steele returned with a scientific expedition to explore the lakes depths they found it to be nearly 2,000 feet deep one of the deepest lakes in the world during the years that followed Steele wrote numerous books and hundreds of newspaper articles describing the dramatic features of the lake and the deeply spiritual feelings he experienced there the lake of blue waters became known to people throughout the country in 1902 Congress spoke for the hopes of an entire nation by preserving Crater Lake as a National Park in the tradition of the Mokka Locke it was recognized as a sanctuary of the spirit for all people you the geologists of our modern civilization consider this mountain as the site of one of the most violent volcanic eruptions that this continent has ever known the upper 5,000 feet of the mountain was destroyed fallout from the eruption blanketed hundreds of thousands of square miles with a layer of fine gray ash this layer remains today as the signature of an awesome event and a reference point in geologic time the lake which formed in the cavity of this volcano is among the most transparent bodies of fresh water on earth it's clarity has long inspired the curiosity of scientists the knowledge they gained here contributes to the research of other lakes around the world for hundreds of years humankind has been coming to this lake seeking power and vision and knowledge seeking a sense of completeness within the universe that we all share the lake of blue waters will remain for us a sacred place until Lao and Skell rise to do battle again The Legend of crater lake and descriptions of its circle of subtly tinted glyphs punctuated with tall fir hemlock and pine reflected in waters of vivid blue can never prepare observers for their first view from the rim of the huge caldera in this Pacific Northwest region of volcanic wonders crater lake commands overwhelming law as few other places on earth due Mount Mazama was the name posthumously conferred upon the great 12,000 foot peak which once stood here six thousand eight hundred years ago the climactic eruptions which consumed of mountain occurred the Mazama magma chamber empty and the mountain collapsed it is not difficult to imagine that a mountain similar to other cascade volcanoes stood here the specter of that vanished mountain captures the imagination for it is impossible to admire the lake without reconstructing its creation the waters of the lake are as clean and deep and blue as the stratosphere above it it's diamond bridge ins is a feast for the eyes the recreation of the cataclysmic event which made it an exercise for the mind this relic of an ancient volcanic explosion is rimmed by 15 miles of sheer cliffs 2,000 feet high the story of a mountains growth and destruction is contained within these walls Mount Mazama began to form over half a million years ago during the Ice Age long periods of quiet were interrupted with massive eruptions which built up the mountain layer by layer lava flows filled cracks and air vents since the destruction of the mountain softer materials are eroding away from the remaining walls leaving erosion resisted lavas aspires and dikes on the cliffs the horizontal lava flows of hillman peak are interrupted by jagged inclusions of magma filling the vent area of the volcano the collapse of the mountain exposed its internal structure after the volcanic activity had subsided the void into which the mountain collapsed was four thousand feet deep and over six miles wide Springs rain and snow began to fill the caldera from its great depth and purity of water comes the color for which the lake is known white is absorbed colored by color as it passes through clear water first the Reds go then orange yellow and green the last color to be absorbed is blue only the deepest blue is reflected back to the surface no stream runs into or out of the lake it is considered a closed ecological system seepage and evaporation balance the incoming flow and the depth varies less than 3 feet annually crater lake at 1930 2 feet is the deepest lake in the United States and the seventh deepest in the world a veneer of ash and crystals was the last deposit from the explosions before the great eruptions ceased forests had been swept away or buried the slopes were lifeless wastes of ash and pumice vents formed and hot gases escaped from the cemented pipes of these ancient fumaroles erosion has removed the softer materials around the pinnacles at the rim village the crater lake lodge completed in 1928 blends harmoniously with its natural surroundings operated by the crater lake lodge company a concessionaire operation established in 1915 through the instrumental efforts of William steel it offers accommodations and breathtaking views of rolling mountains volcanic peaks and the evergreen forests which surround the scenic wonder at the south entrance eight mile south of rim village Mazama campground opens when the snow melts in early summer it offers 198 wooden sites camping in the serenity of the forest amid tall and sturdy mountain hemlocks one can hear the sounds of nature as primal man must have heard them you black bears are also present in the park but are seldom seen they are weary and are rarely glimpsed even in backcountry the many creatures inhabiting the park share complex tires to the plant communities and to the natural forces whose influence the park is committed to protecting plants have recovered slopes devastated by the eruption of Mount Mazama conifers have adapted to much of the parks landscape the lush plant mosaic of nearly 600 species found today is the result of the regrowth s how banks melt wildflowers explode into bloom in a dramatic floral display along most cliffs and meadows you the park offers more than 140 miles of trail through its many thousands of acres there is much to enjoy along the trails for hikers of all ages and physical abilities wildflowers waterfalls forests and Lake pistols you narrated both tours are offered by crater lake lodge company and the National Park Service the to our launch trip circles the inside of the caldera and enhances appreciation of this beautiful national park Devil's Backbone is the largest Dyke exposed in the caldera wall the width of the base next to the water is 50 feet it's jagged spires rise to 500 feet many of the most striking views of the calderas features are from the boat where the full effect of height and width can be most appreciated you national park rangers interpret the many fascinating geologic features of the caldera Lao wok is one of the most prominent lava flows on the rim it is the remains of a 1200 foot thick flow from an earlier eruption wizard island was so named for its resemblance to the shape of a medieval wizard's hat after the collapse of mountains oma while the caldera was still too hot to hold water is a cinder cone built upon the floor of a caldera a volcano it is surrounded by basal lava flows which support a major growth of trees tree growth rings indicate that the oldest tree is growing here are about 800 years old it is estimated that wizard Island's cinder cone was formed only approximately 1,000 years ago the tour stops at the island for hiking or relaxation until the mid afternoon return trip the old man of the lake is a hemlock log floating vertically in the water it was first noted in 1929 vadym ship appears to float on the surface of the lake it is over 300 feet long and rises more than 100 feet from the water the oldest visible lava came from a vent on the south wall close to phantom ship fissures radiated from this area and as lava hardened in the cracks it formed upright slabs or dikes the ship is a composite of dikes the sails were formed from an intrusion of magma which resists weathering better than the lavas composing the base of the ship a shallow u-shaped glacial Valley in the eastern wall is filled with lava Mount Mazama was eroded by glaciers throughout much of its growth the long smooth sandy looking slopes are called a talus they have developed from loose debris sliding down the caldera walls evergreen forests and mountain meadows are a mosaic in the meadow sunshine a midsummer but on the horizon clouds are condensing in brooding silence promising that although there is comfort for the moment the storms of winter will soon reclaim the mountains with snow you you we you The Silence of the snowbound landscape sharp as a bullet cut fast in the passage of time may be felt when cross-country skiing snow bends trees working they're encrusted branches into intricate designs a preternatural quiet seems to cover the forest everything is fresh and clean and the air is crystal pure on the earth clock natural forces only recently constructed this landscape lava flows first formed a high plateau base on which explosive eruptions then built the cascade volcanoes this mountain barrier forces moisture-laden pacific winds to rise and drop heavy precipitation wind water and ice continue to sculpt the landscape and snow usually blankets the higher elevations from October to July snowfall provides most of the parks annual sixty nine inches of precipitation heat from the Summer Sun stored in this immense body of water retards ice formation throughout the winter the lake surface has iced over only a few times this century most recently in 1949 and in 1985 the mountain barrier that extracts moisture from the Maritimes southwest winds also retards arctic air movement from the Northeast forest species have adapted to much of the parks landscape at higher elevations the snowpack precludes fire and insulates the roots of the mountain hemlocks which grow to massive sizes despite the short growing season limbs of subalpine and Shasta red firs flex under the heavy snows at higher elevations wind shaped whitebark pines struggle in exposed places lodgepole plans pioneer disturbed areas on the mountain flanks and ponderosa pines prosper at lower elevations the great Mount Mazama volcano is now geologically extinct its energy expended the craggy terrain around the lake is covered by deep drifts of snow the dazzling white enriching the sapphire blue of its water the reflection blurred here and there by soft breezes seems unreal Crater Lake remains beautiful and eternally silent a reminder of a holocaust that consumed mountain you you

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Keywords: Crater Lake National Park (Protected Site), Mountain (Geographical Feature Category), Oregon (US State), Crater Lake (Lake), Cascade Range (Mountain Range), Volcano (Geographical Feature Category), Mountaineering (Sport), Climbing, Documentary (TV Genre), Wizard Island (Mountain), Mount Mazama (Mountain), 1980s (Event), Nature Documentary (TV Genre)

Id: chArwgAR0Ms

Length: 42min 57sec (2577 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 15 2015