Mysterious ‘Old Man’ in Crater Lake Oregon Still Lives After 128 Years

Visitors to Crake Lake Oregon are puzzled about the' Old Man' of the Lake, just like hundreds of scientists over the years.

Who is the 'Old Man' of Crater Lake, Oregon?

The old man is A 30-foot, 450-year-old hemlock tree that has been floating vertically in the lake for over 128 years.

What's so mysterious about the 'Old Man' in Crater Lake?

Some speculate that air trapped inside the tree’s decaying wood keeps the Old Man (its nickname) afloat. According to the National Parks Service, the tree was first discovered and studied in the late 1800s.

40 years later, the government commissioned a study to track its movements and discovered he travels a little over 3 miles per day. The Old Man, also known as a King of the “deadheads”, never stays in one place – he just randomly floats wherever he wants.

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The Old Man also has a lot of mystery with some local folks believing it controls the weather. In other words, don’t mess with or try and tie up the Old Man, if you do, bad weather will occur upon the lake until the Old Man is released. Case in point from the National Parks Service website, “In 1988 when the park brought in a submersible to explore the lake bottom, researchers concerned about running into the tree (Old Man), tied him up…shortly there after storms blew in, making it impossible to launch the submersible. When this was quickly followed by snow in August, the scientists released the Old Man…restoring the weather and the Old Man’s freedom.”

To put it bluntly, don’t mess with the Old Man that floats in Crater Lake – he will retaliate if you try and coral his movements.

To this day, visitors to Crater Lake are drawn to the mystery of the Old Man and wonder at the seemingly impossible odds of how it has remained afloat for so many years. Many visitors schedule water excursions to view and take photos with the Old Man - if they can find him.

Regardless of what you believe, the Old Man is a symbol of the need to continue to preserve Crater Lake for future generations to come - and it appears the Old Man just might outlive all of us as he continues to bob up and down captivating all who encounter it…ah…him.  The YouTube channel AI captured the Old Man on a perfect sunny day and you can check that out here.