Mysterious 9m long log floating vertically for 120 years on the lake

A tree trunk has been floating in the middle of Crater Lake, Oregon for hundreds of years but has not rotted and is always vertical, instead of horizontal as usual, making many people surprised.

That's why this tree is also known as The Old Man of the Lake and has become the highlight that makes Crater Lake famous around the world.

The tree trunk is about 61 cm in diameter and 9 m long. The tree trunk floating above the water is about 1.2m high. Due to the impact of the environment for more than a century, the tree's bark turned white.

 It is capable of helping a person stand up. Photo: National Parks Conservation Association.

In 1902, author Joseph S. Diller mentioned a large tree trunk he found six years earlier in the first geology book about Crater Lake. Therefore, it is said that this strange and mysterious tree trunk has been floating on the water for more than 120 years.

Scientists determined the age of this tree trunk using carbon positioning, and as a result, the tree trunk is at least 450 years old.

But why does this tree trunk float vertically, not horizontally like regular tree logs? Until now, scientists still cannot explain this phenomenon.

In addition to its verticality, this log also surprised scientists because despite being soaked in water for hundreds of years, it did not rot. Some people believe that the wood is well preserved because the water in the lake is quite cold. However, many people do not agree with this hypothesis.

This mysterious log also has the ability to move on its own without any push. An investigation conducted from July 1 to September 30, 1938, showed that this log could move one kilometer per day despite lacking thrust.

Local people even believe that the tree stump has the ability to regulate the weather. Because the log could be moved to any location in the lake, in 1980 scientists decided to tie it to the side of an island to avoid possible maritime accidents. But according to local people, at that time, the beautiful weather suddenly turned to rain and snow. When the log was released and floated freely, the weather returned to normal.

Micah Soto

Update 14 October 2023