Volume XIX - 1953
Crater Lake Discovery Centennial

At elevations from 6000 to 8000 feet, like those near the Rim of Crater Lake, winter weather exists during a major portion of the year. Records kept in the Chief Ranger's office show snow on the ground from October until June with snow often recorded in September and sometimes remaining until July. Compared with the season of 1951 - 52, when snowfall was almost a record, the total reaching 835 inches, (Hallock, 1952) only 571 inches were recorded for the year of 1952 - 53. Of this amount, 6.8 inches fell in June and approximately 108 inches remained on the ground at the Rim Campground July 1st. Hence the late season. The Rim road around the Lake was not completely opened until July 30th and the trail to the Lake, August 1st.

On the bank bordering the Sinnott Memorial walk, snow disappeared July 10th. Twenty days later, prickly currant, Ribes lacustre Poir, had put on new leaves and a profusion of greenish pendulous flowers.

The smooth wood rush, Luzula glabrata Hoppe, cannot wait for the snow to melt but sends up bright green, grass-like leaves through the thinning snow, often while it is three inches deep. This plant is a perennial, the stoloniferous stems staying alive underground during the long winter months.

The western windflower, Anemone occidentalis Watson, is not-able for it's quick appearance when the snow melts. In less than a week the finely divided leaves appear, and two weeks later the flower stem is crowned with a white flower, the center filled with canary yellow stamens. This in turn is short lived, and the attractive greyish seed head, resembling a wind blown cloud, takes its place. Like so many members of the buttercup family, the flower has no petals - - the showy sepals taking their place.

For speed in completing its annual cycle, one must mention one of the commonest of Crater Lake flowers, Newberry's knotweed, Polygonum Newberryi Small. The history of several recorded plants on the Garfield Peak trail was as follows: Two days after the snow melted back, bright red stems pushed through the drying soil. A week later green leaves were in appearance, and the plant was about three inches tall. Seven days later, short spikes of greenish flowers were showing, and the plant had attained the apex of its flowering season just 24 days after the bright red stems pushed through the earth. Very quickly the green chlorophyll in the leaf disappears, and the hillsides are brightened by the red and orange tints of this fast growing little knotweed. This is just another of the many plants which take advantage of the brief hours of summer sunshine to complete their short yearly cycle before autumn frost and snow terminates activity for another year.

Reference

Hallock, Louis W. 1952. The big snow of 1951-52. Crater Lake Nature Notes 18:3-5.