Eatonville, Washington, in Pierce County near Mount Rainier

CLIMBING RANGER FALLS, RESCUED ON MOUNT RAINIER

Ashford, WA—Mount Rainier National Park climbing ranger Sam Wick, 27, was descending the Emmons Glacier on skis Wednesday morning when he punched through the surface of the snow and fell 40 feet into a crevasse. Wick had left a group of rangers and other friends about half way to the summit to descend with a friend back to Camp Schurman, a high camp for climbers.

Wick radioed for assistance and climbing ranger Cooper Self responded from his own summit attempt to the accident site at Emmons Flats, about 400 feet above Camp Schurman. Self was able to extricate Wick from the crevasse with the assistance of commercial guides who were also on the route. The fine weather permitted a quick response by Aerostar helicopter, and the climbers were flown off the mountain to Harborview Medical Center Wednesday afternoon where Wick was treated for injuries sustained in the fall.

Wick is in his second season as a climbing ranger at Mount Rainier after volunteering in that role for two years. Self is in his third summer on the climbing staff. They were completing climbing patrols to check route conditions and contact climbers at the time of the accident.

“Hidden crevasses are a hazard this time of year. They get bridged over with snow over the winter and can be hard to detect,” said Stefan Lofgren, the park’s Climbing Program Manager. I’m just glad Sam’s OK and we were able to get him off the mountain quickly.”

NPS

Hundreds of teachers’ jobs hang in the balance
DEBBY ABE; The News Tribune
05/17/09
Historic state budget cuts are pummelling scores of South Sound teachers who were notified by Friday’s statewide deadline that they could lose their jobs next school year. READ MORE

Spring Storytelling Series Begins Saturday April 18 at Mount Rainer National Park

Families and individuals of all ages are invited to attend the first annual Paradise Spring Storytelling Series at Mount Rainier National Park. On four consecutive Saturdays (April 18, April 25, May 2, May 9), park rangers or professional storytellers will relate stories about the human and natural history of the park. All presentations are free and open to the public. Each program begins at 1:30 PM in the theater of the new Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise. Seating is first-come, first-served.

Four Different Programs

Saturday April 18, 1:30 PM
Join legendary park ranger Jim Ross for Mountain Fever: an exciting and often humorous story of the first climbs of Mount Rainier. This traditional storytelling program is approximately 40 minutes in length. Ranger Jim Ross has delighted Mount Rainier visitors with his storytelling abilities for more than 40 years.

Saturday April 25, 1:30 PM
P.B. Van Trump was a part of the first recorded summiting of Mount Rainier in 1853. He later became one of the most influential figures in establishing Mount Rainier as a national park. Ranger Kevin Bacher portrays P.B. Van Trump during this 40 minute living history presentation.

Saturday May 2, 1:30 PM
In the 1890’s, James Longmire established the first settlement on the southwest side of Mount Rainier and brought early visitors to his Longmire Springs Resort. Fay Fuller stayed at Longmire’s resort in 1890 and accomplished the first successful summit of the mountain by a woman. Fuller later went on to become influential in establishing the area as a national park. Ranger Julia Pinnix portrays Fuller and ranger Curt Jacquot portrays Longmire during this 45 minute living history presentation.

Saturday May 9, 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM
The Fireside Storytelling League of Tacoma-Olympia
(firesidestoryleague.org) will do traditional storytelling for children of all ages. Eileen Beckowitz and Penny Tennison will tell stories on a variety of topics relating to Mount Rainer history and wildlife. Each presentation will be 30 minutes.

General park information is available at www.nps.gov/mora or by calling
360-569-2211

Eatonville
Bird Watching/Nature Walks

Wednesdays -10am
Saturdays – 10am
(starting Feb.14th)

Join residents and visitors alike in a bird watching/nature walk here in the town of Eatonville. The walk will go to Smallwood and Mill Pond Parks on Wed. mornings at 10am, and starting Feb. 14th Saturday mornings as well. Total distance is roughly 1.5 miles, most of the walk will be sidewalks, some will be on unpaved trail through the woods of Smallwood Park.

Winter and early spring are good times to see waterfowl in the old millpond, and who knows what you might see at Smallwood Park, a variety of wildlife, maybe even our part-time resident eagles will be in town.

Plan to meet at Eatonville Outdoor at 101 Mashell Ave. S. on Wednesdays at 10am. Bring your own equipment such as binoculars, field guides to birds and plants. If you do not have them, group members will share. Remember to dress for the weather.

Eatonville Wellness Center~the prefect way for a healthy new you and new year!

Mount Rainier National Park News Release

Snowshoe Walks

Join a Park Ranger to learn the art of snowshoeing and discover how the plants and animals of Mount Rainier adapt to world record snowfalls. If there is not enough snow for snowshoeing, interpretive programs will still be offered at the scheduled times and dates. During the Christmas-New Year's break, the guided walks will be offered daily beginning December 20 through January 4. From January 10 through March 29 the walks will be conducted on weekends and holidays. The walks are offered at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up at the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise beginning one hour before the start time.

Organized groups of 13-25 people may reserve
a snowshoe walk in advance. Group snowshoe
walks begin at 10:30 a.m. For more information
or to make a reservation, call (360) 569-2211, ext. 3314.

Snowshoe walks cover approximately 1.5 miles and
last up to 2 hours. Snowshoes are provided, or visitors may use their own. A donation of $1 per person is asked to help defray the cost of snowshoe maintenance. Snowshoeing is a moderately strenuous activity, and participants must be at least 8 years old. Remember to wear sturdy boots and dress in layers.

"These walks are a fun way to try out a new skill
while enjoying the beautiful landscape of Mount
Rainier," said park superintendent Dave Uberuaga.

Curriculum-based snowshoe education walks are
available at no charge to school groups on weekdays
through the park's Education Program. These programs are tailored to meet the teacher's identified learning objectives. Contact Fawn Bauer at

MORE
(360) 569-6037 for more information or to schedule
your field trip. The park is also offering a
Winter Workshop for teachers on January 16-18.

Please check the Mount Rainier National Park
website at
http://www.nps.gov/mora/forteachers/index.htm
for more information about field trips and teacher workshops.

Please remember that roads in the park may be closed at any time due to hazardous conditions. General park information is available at:
www.nps.gov/mora or by calling 360-569-2211.

-NPS-

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