Floating trees are nothing new. They can often be seen in bodies of water, floating where the current takes them, as they lie on their side, horizontally.
The Old Man Of The Lake is a tree that is both confusing and completely spectacular. That’s because for the past 120 years, this tree trunk has been floating vertically in Crater Lake, sticking out about four feet from the water, with it’s stump going down about 30 feet underwater.
People first believed the tree must have ended up in the lake after a landslide carried it out to the lake. It was believed that rocks, stuck in its root system, allowed it to stay balanced. Unfortunately, once it was discovered the tree had not root system, people were left with more questions than answers.
An ancient hemlock that is said to have first appeared in 1896, the Old Man is one of the most famous sightings Crater Lake has, as it has become a celebrity over the years.
Though it’s been floating in the lake for 120 years, the tree is suggested to be at least 450 years old. The Old Man can be found in a number of spots on the lake, depending on where the wind and waves move it.
