The Old Man of the Lake is a 30-foot (9 m) tall tree stump, most likely a hemlock, that has been bobbing vertically in Oregon's Crater Lake since at least 1896.
The stump is about 2 feet (61 cm) in diameter at the waterline and stands approximately 4 feet (1.2 m) above the water. Its surface has been bleached white due to photodegradation. The exposed end of the floating tree is splintered and worn but wide and buoyant enough to support a person's weight.[1]
Fontinalis, a moss present in the waters of Crater Lake at a depth of 394 feet (120 m), also grows on the Old Man of the Lake, the only place the moss is found near the surface.[2]
- ^ Salinas, J. "The Old Man of the Lake". Nature Notes from Crater Lake National Park, vol. XXVII (1996). Archived from the original on November 15, 2010. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
- ^ Fairbanks, C.W. "The Crater Lake Community". Nature Notes from Crater Lake National Park, vol. XIX (1953). Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. Retrieved 2007-05-05.