Things I Learned This Summer (2010)
(and hope will be used to develop problems for math classes) by David Pleacher
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S. at 1,943 feet and the 7th deepest in the world.
The Cleetwood Cove Trail at Crater Lake is the only trail from the rim down to the surface of the water, 1000 feet below. Climbing
back up the trail is equivalent to climbing 150 flights of stairs or climbing up the stairs in a 75 story building.
Whiskeytown Lake in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area has a 36-mile shoreline and a surface area of 3,200 acres.
Lightning bolts can travel at speeds of 130,000 mph, and can reach temperatures approaching 30,000°C (54,000°F).
Shasta Dam in California is the second largest dam in the U.S., second only to Grand Coulee Dam in Washington in concrete volume at
6.5 million cubic yards. Hoover Dam is taller but used less concrete.
Shasta Lake in California has a shoreline of 365 miles and has a depth of 517 feet when full.
The Big Tree in Redwood National and State Parks is 287 feet tall, has a diameter of 23.7 feet, and is approximately 1,500 years old.
The Redwoods grow to nearly 380 feet tall and to 22 feet in diameter at their base. The Seqouias grow
to 311 feet in height and to 40 feet in diameter at their base.
45% of all deaths in automobile accidents in the U.S. are attributed to alcohol. 60% of all homicides are attributed to alcohol.
In the year 2000, Tobacco was the leading cause of death with 435,000 deaths, and Alcohol was third with 85,000 deaths.