The Old Man of Lake Minnetonka

This image is NOT of the log found in Minnetonka. Sourced from another “deadhead” log.

Today, we’re taking less historic look at something I tell friends about while cruising the lake. Folks love to learn of the existence and of the whereabouts of “The Old Man of Lake Minnetonka”.
Named in reference to The Old Man of Crater Lake, which is a log that has been floating upright in the lake since the late 1800’s, the Old Man of Lake Minnetonka draws some similarities to its namesake.

This log, unknown to almost all boaters and residents alike, is situated at the bottom of Saint Albans Bay. It’s a cut log, possibly a wooden dock piling, which may have broke loose and sank before embedding itself in the silty bottom of the bay. This piling measures in at a shocking 10 feet, 8 inches long by 1 foot, 4 inches wide. While this is quite tall, it’s in deep enough water to not pose any threat to boaters who unknowingly pass above it.

The Old Man was discovered in 2012 by nautical archeologists Ann Merriman & Christopher Olson while doing a detailed sonar scan of the lakebed. It’s unknown how old the Old Man truly is but one could surmise it couldn’t be much older than 1870, as this is when major logging began around Minnetonka and when a phenomenon like this would be likely to take hold. Though, it could have occurred at any time after that. As we all know, logs and dock pilings regularly get out into the lake each year and, if unattended, sink to the bottom. None, however, have the stature of the Old Man.

Regardless, the Old Man won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. The bottom of Lake Minnetonka is an ideal place for wood to remain in a state of near perfect preservation. There are even records of dugout canoes which date back 1000 years being found at the bottom of Minnetonka.

Note: The photo shown is NOT of the log in question. This is another example of this phenomenon, known as a “deadhead”. A deadhead is the more common name for a tree trunk, piling, etc. that sinks through a water column & lands upright once hitting the bottom.