Jeff Antonelis-Lapp

When I left Indiana in 1975 to study at the Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University (as they’re now known), I had a vague idea that I wanted to learn more about biological and physical science. My B.S. in Environmental Education led me to teaching, where my favorite jobs included leading outdoor programs and teaching science. Seasonal work at Mount Rainier with the Youth Conservation Corps in the late 1970s ignited my connection to the mountain that endures today.

Valerie and I settled in Enumclaw, providing easy access to the park’s north side. Our children Dimitri and Beau grew up birding, hiking and camping. The four of us through-hiked the Wonderland Trail before they headed off to college.

Of Mount Fuji, the Japanese say, “The wise man climbs Fuji-san once; the fool climbs it twice.” I followed the wise man’s lead, making Mount Rainier’s summit in 2007. I didn’t follow the proverb’s advice regarding the Wonderland Trail, however. I’ve hiked it six times, four solo. While hiking it and the rest of the park’s mapped trails, my binoculars and notebook were always standard equipment.

My best (and last) teaching position was at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. I taught on Indian reservations in western Washington for 10 years before moving onto campus to teach environmental education. While planning a course on Mount Rainier, I couldn’t find an up-to-date natural history to read with my students. Reluctant to take on such a daunting task, my colleagues eventually convinced me to undertake my first book project. Their steady mentorship and an invitation from park scientists to enter their research worlds catapulted a hazy, unformed idea into a spare outline and finally, a rough draft. Some days I wrote the book; some days the book wrote me. Washington State University Press now plans to publish Tahoma: The Place and Its People, a natural history of Mount Rainier National Park, in spring, 2020. I’ve found the book I was searching for, and I believe you’ll be glad to find it, too.