Then and Now.I grew up with Mt. Rainier Replica Tag Heuer watches National Park as my backyard. My first memories are of riding up the seasonal Poma lift at Paradise and skiing down. Or of hiking out to the Ice Caves at the Paradise Glacier; and swimming in Reflection Lake nestled at the base of the Tatoosh Range. I was eight years old when I first hiked up the snowfields to Camp Muir (10,080). It was four years later, at the age of 12, when I stood on the summit for the first time. Since then I’ve climbed Rainier several hundred times and experienced firsthand the changes that have occurred on this great mountain. My kids still have Rainier as their backyard. But it’s changed. There’s no lift-service skiing anymore.
The Paradise Glacier is gone, which means no more ice caves. Replica Bell&Ross watches Swimming in Reflection Lake is no longer allowed. Sometimes, I feel a bit sorry for them. I wish that my kids could have the same experiences that I had growing up. But I shouldn’t. They play at the base of—and on—Mt. Rainier. They’re creating their own memories. Change happens, of course, with or without human influence. Receding glaciers are an example of that. Of Rainier’s 26 glaciers, more than two-thirds are receding. Human influence? Don’t know. But the effects of global warming are undeniable. I’ve watched the Nisqually Glacier recede over a quarter of a mile, and the Paradise Glacier completely disappear. Are we directly responsible for this? Not for me to determine. But I do believe we can all become more responsible, environmentally.
Though melting glaciers are at the top of the list for me in terms of visible changes on Rainier, let me point out a few positive changes that I’ve watched over the years. The National Park Service has a difficult job balancing resource management and Replica Rolex watches recreation. As a concessionaire at Rainier, obviously I’m pro-recreation. I make my living guiding climbers on the mountain. As one of the largest users of the resource, it’s our responsibility to reduce the impact on the mountain. Several examples: 1) “Turds on Top.” I first summitted in 1971. It was a hard climb, and I have many great memories of my first ascent. But what I still recall to this day is the amazing amount of freeze-dried turds on the crater rim. Fortunately, that’s a different story today. About 15 years ago, climbers were encouraged to crap in blue plastic bags and carry them down off the mountain.
