As I settle in for our much-needed rainy season, I reflect on a busy, rewarding, (and hot) summer/early fall. Highlights included leading trips and supervising the Evergreen interns at Tahoma, book talks, and an important family trip to our favorite mountain not named Rainier. Let me tell you all about it!
I’ve shared in prior blogs my work with the Carolyn Dobbs Mount Rainier Internships that benefit students at The Evergreen State College. Named for a former colleague who created the program, I’ve helped place nature-and-science-minded students in summer-long internships since 2011. This season, one intern worked with the park’s aquatics crew on its new Fisheries Management Plan that included fieldwork with native and introduced fish species and electrofishing (using electricity to shock and collect fish!); two interns anchored the revegetation team, controlling invasive plants and planting hundreds of native plants in the Paradise meadows; and, another split time between backcountry patrols and issuing permits at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center. These coveted internships often lead to employment with the National Park Service or other agencies; two alums from the program came to this year’s celebration dinner—they now work at Mount Rainier.
It was a special year not only because of the interns’ great work and the appreciation from park staff, but it also marks my last year with the program. For 2023 and beyond, I’ve handed the internships off to an Evergreen colleague who knows and loves the mountain, so things will be in steady hands going forward.
One of my favorite trips this summer/fall was with the University of Washington High Honors program, a group I’ve worked with for years. This year’s honors students were an eclectic mix from the sciences, engineering, and public health, all of whom were backpacking for the first time. Most had never been to Mount Rainier. They had all read Tahoma and Its People prior to their 3-day trip, though, and had lots of thoughtful questions. When I met them for a day hike at their Shadow Lake camp, a Cascade red fox paraded through camp. It was a grand omen for a wonderful day up and around Burroughs Mountain.
I led a trip in early October for Evergreen students and two faculty, one of whom had hiked the Wonderland Trail with me as part of an Evergreen Faculty Institute. We started at Paradise and explored the Nisqually watershed, making several stops as we drove down the mountain toward Longmire. The students were first years and like the UW group, most had never been to the mountain, but all had read Tahoma. The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny, and we repeatedly encouraged the students to acknowledge the unexpected gift of beautiful weather.
Two years after the publication of Tahoma and Its People by WSU Press, the book continues to draw the attention of mountain lovers. Book talks have gradually moved from Zoom to in-person and while I appreciate the convenience of giving presentations from home (in my sweats sometimes!), nothing beats being in a room full of eager nature lovers. At a recent Tahoma’s Biggest Stories talk for the Kirkland City Parks, I was greeted by a former student—from over 40 years ago! John and his mom Joni—who was once our landlord when we lived in Woodinville before moving to Enumclaw—surprised me, and we had a fabulous reunion.
But the highlight of 2022 surely was our family’s return to Lassen Volcanic National Park in September. East of Redding, Lassen is the southernmost of the Cascade Range and a transition zone to the Sierra Nevada mountains. I led trail crews there in the 80s and early 90s, and Valerie and the kids always accompanied me. We have fond memories of swimming daily in Summit Lake, climbing Cinder Cone, and camping on “the knoll,” our backcountry camp. The 2021 Dixie Fire left a huge mark in the eastern side of the park, lending an eerie mood to some of our hikes, but the trip was fantastic. Baked potato night (in the coals) with all the toppings was a favorite.
And here’s one from the “You’re-Making-That-Up Department:” As our daughter-in-law Victoria was receiving her Junior Ranger badge at Lassen (yes, she’s a full-grown adult but a national park/Junior Ranger geek), the visitor center ranger asked her about her favorite national park. As she paused, I gave her and Dimitri a pointed “tell her it’s Mount Rainier look.” Victoria motioned to Dimitri and said, “Well, he’s a little biased toward Mount Rainier,” and pointing to me, she said, “and he wrote a book about it.” At that point, the ranger said, “Hold on, are you serious?” And grabbing her phone, she showed us a photo of Tahoma’s cover. “It isn’t this book, is it,” she asked. “I just found this last night and can’t wait to read it!” It turns out that Mount Rainier is Ranger Chelsea’s dream job, and if she ever moves north, we promised we’d help her get oriented to the mountain.
We head into “The Big Dark” now, relishing summer’s sun and fun but (almost) glad to welcome the rain home. Valerie and I had a peek at Tahoma on a clear afternoon recently, and we marveled at how much “Ol’ Frosty” had reclaimed its snowy mantle. May your coming months be warm and cozy, with frequent trips out to enjoy the wonders of winter. Thanks for reading, and in the meantime, keep your boots dry and your spirits high.