Thank you.
Welcome to Mount Rainier, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 United States.
Mount Rainier dominates the landscape for 200 miles.
The mountain creates an image that you'll carry in your memory long after you've left Mount Rainier National Park behind.
A delicate balance of warring elements has created a wilderness of alpine meadows,
old growth forests,
and, of course, the headpiece, Mount Rainier.
We'll be exploring this land of contrasts and beauty as VideoTrips National Park Series takes us through Mount Rainier National Park.
We'll tour the quarter million acres set aside nearly a hundred years ago by President McKinley.
We'll take you on a journey through Rainier's extensive glacier system,
climb by foot or wind by car through trails and activities as you enjoy this segment in the National Park VideoTrip Series.
In our travel tip segment of the program, we'll show you how to get there and how to get around,
what to expect in the weather,
camping facilities and lodging,
backpacking and mountain climbing, and many more activities you'll want to take advantage of while touring the park.
We'll also tell you about some very important rules and regulations that'll make your stay safe and rewarding.
Well, we've got a lot of ground to cover, so let's get going.
Mount Rainier National Park is located in the extreme northwest of the United States.
The crowning glory of the Cascade Range, Mount Rainier is situated in west central Washington,
close to the densely populated area of Puget Sound in Seattle.
The best place to start our trip is at one of the park's visitor centers,
Longmire, Jackson Memorial, Ohanapecosh or Sunrise Visitor Centers, depending on which entrance you use.
Park rangers can answer questions and help you plan your time in the park to take full advantage of season and interests.
Inquire about naturalist talks and walks that take place in the summer, and the snowshoe walks that take place in the winter.
Each center has exhibits geared to a specific aspect of the park.
And don't forget to pick up free maps and brochures about the park while you're there.
Longmire is the park's oldest developed area, the site of the Mineral Spring Resort that James Longmire opened in 1899.
After the park was established, Longmire became park headquarters.
Today, the original administrative building houses a museum of the park's early days.
Ohanapecosh Visitor Center is the major approach to paradise and the high country for travelers coming from east of the Cascades.
Exhibits in the visitor center tell the story of the Northwest Forest.
Sunrise Visitor Center, in the rain shadow on Rainier's eastern slope, is located at the highest point in the park reached by road.
As you approach the sunrise area, you'll come upon three overlooks. From these vistas, you can view excellent examples of this alpine ecosystem.
Due to its elevation, unpredictable weather, and its remote location, sunrise is seldom open to visitors until mid to late June.
At the sunrise main complex, visitors will find limited services, which include dining and a gift shop.
The visitor center exhibits focus on the subalpine and the alpine environment.
From here, you can see Emmons Glacier, the largest on Mount Rainier. And on very clear days, you can also see some of the other volcanoes in the Cascade Range.
Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise is also high on the mountainside, but on the mountain's southern flank. The center is equipped with multimedia programs on geology, mountaineering, glaciology, winter storms, and alpine ecology.
From the enclosed observation deck, you can get a panoramic view of Mount Rainier and the southern Cascades, and you might even be lucky enough to spy on an expedition group on their way to the summit.
As you begin your exploration of the park's complex landscape, it's helpful to keep in mind the secret ingredients that set the whole beautiful system in motion, fire and water.
Draped in pristine snow year-round, it's crucial to remember that Mount Rainier is a dormant volcano.
The mountain was born of the repeated eruptions and successive flows of lava during its relatively young one-and-a-half-million-year lifetime. The indigenous people of the area called the mountain Tahoma, meaning the mountain that was God.
Mount Rainier looks down on the older peaks of the Cascades, which are at least 12 million years old.
Rainier's last volcanic outburst was about 2500 years ago, but scientists expect another eruption sometime in the next 500 years.
Even as volcanic forces built up the mountain, the glacial ice capping the 14,410-foot peak began to shape and form it.
Nothing in the human experience can mirror the slow inevitability of glacial scouring.
Mount Rainier carries the largest single-peak glacier system in the contiguous 48 states.
Deep valleys of sheer-sided ridges and lesser mountains radiate out from Rainier's summit.
Twenty-six named glaciers and 50 smaller ice patches rest across this uneasy sleeping giant.
The glaciers are formed when unmelted snow accumulates deeper and deeper. New snowfall can amount to over 90 feet a year.
The weight of the snow presses the air out and packs the snow down tight, compressing it into ice.
Gravity pulls it down the mountainside, scouring and smoothing the bedrock as it goes.
Below the tree line, the volcano and glaciers continue to impact the ecosystem.
Ash and pumice layers, rich in nutrients deposited by volcanic eruptions over the last eons, support the forests and alpine biospheres of the park.
Rainier has alpine meadows accessible by car from Paradise and Sunrise centers.
The wildflowers could be called the blooming treasure of the short summer season.
The combination of rich soil and heavy snowfall is conducive to the growth of the 100 species of wildflowers for which the park is famous.
And while you can enjoy looking at them on the more than 300 miles of trails through the backcountry, don't touch.
Picking flowers is prohibited. That way everyone can enjoy their shy beauty and their continuation is assured in this fragile environment.
Ninety-seven percent of the park was designated wilderness in 1988.
To keep the wilderness wild, special respect must be extended to the land.
Because of the tremendous snowfalls, many trails are not clear until mid-July, so be prepared for some snow-covered slopes.
Because Mount Rainier is the tallest mountain in the area, it is the weathermaker.
Storms can come up suddenly, even in summer, so you should always carry rain gear.
The seasons and elevations also play a large role in wildlife sightings.
Small mammals, birds, and deer are commonly seen, but elk, black bear, and mountain goats are more elusive.
Most likely, you won't see all of the dozens of species of mammals or 150 species of birds indigenous to the park in one stay.
But if you're alert and find out where and when to look, your perseverance will be rewarded.
Each season has its own pageant of natural beauty and science, and the park rangers and personnel at the visitor centers are your best sources for what's playing during your stay.
The park offers an opportunity to see part of the 1% of America's original old-growth forest, which hasn't been clear-cut.
The Douglas Fir is the giant of the Northwest Forest, but crinkle-barked spruce and hemlock and thick, bold cedar can just about match the fir's towering size.
In the Grove of Patriarchs, one of the park's special sites, the trees have been protected from fire by nearby rivers.
There, among trees thought to be more than a thousand years old, a different ecological environment can be enjoyed.
The shadows are home to six-inch banana slugs, mushrooms, ferns and mosses.
The Grove of Patriarchs is located in the southeast corner of the park and can be viewed by car or on foot.
We've given a short overview of the park's three types of landscape.
Above the timberline in the Glacier Zone, the Alpine Meadow area, and the old-growth forest.
Now, let's put these areas together into scenic tours.
One narrow winding road leads to Rainier's main attractions.
In July and August, this can mean a slow journey.
The roads in the park are narrow and engineered to make the least possible impact on the landscape.
A major road system leads from the southwest entrance through the southern and eastern parts of the park, with a spur to sunrise on the northeast side of the mountain.
The road from the Carbon River entrance in the northwest corner of the park is unpaved and leads to Moich Lake Campground and Ipset Creek Campground.
Carbon River is named for the coal deposits found in the area.
Of all the park areas, it has the heaviest rainfall and most luxuriant forest.
Some botanists suggest that rather than a lowland forest, what you find here is an example of a temperate rainforest.
The rest of the park is accessible by foot, horseback, cross-country skis, or snowshoe.
Remember, 97% of the park is wilderness.
It is possible to visit Longmire, the Grove of Patriarchs, Sunrise, and one other major park attraction, which we haven't mentioned until now, in one day by road.
The last major attraction in the park is Paradise.
Paradise was named when L.K. Longmire's wife first saw this subalpine meadow.
From Paradise, you can see Mount Rainier in the distance, the meadows and forests in the foreground, and breathe clear, clean mountain air.
It's easy to understand why this area is a must when touring the park.
In this one place, you have a mini-view of all three types of climate.
Paradise is also a must in the wintertime.
The best time to visit Rainier, if you want the park mostly to yourself, is from late September through the first week in October.
While the wildflowers may be gone, the park is still fully open, and the berries and autumn colors can be inspiring.
Snow is serious business here, and can make much of the park inaccessible in winter. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing enthusiasts will find unparalleled vistas to glide through.
Many trails radiate from here because of the nearby access to the Wonderland Hiking Trail.
If you're visiting the park from late May through early October, and want to explore the park in depth, you'll need 10 days to two weeks.
This length of time will allow you to hike the 93-mile circuit of Mount Rainier.
Most visitors desire a combination of driving and hiking, and don't have nearly as much time.
So let's consider your options.
You might consider a one-day guided bus tour.
These tours highlight the major attractions in the park, and they give you the opportunity to learn more about this fragile environment.
On foot, you have several prime hiking trails. The Trail of Shadows hike begins at Longmire. This half-mile loop is excellent for viewing meadowland.
Along this trail, you'll come upon Longmire's Medical Springs and the original site of Longmire Springs Hill.
As you make your way down the trail, you'll find Longmire's Cabin, the oldest structure in the park.
A one-and-a-third-mile loop takes hikers to the Grove of the Patriarchs.
The trail begins at Stevens Canyon and leads over a bridge to the Island of Ancient Trees.
The half-mile loop at Box Canyon affords the visitor excellent examples of glacial scouring and the lush beauty of the Great Northwest.
The Nisqually Vista Trail from the Jackson Visitor Center passes through subalpine meadows to an overlook point of the Nisqually Glacier.
And not far from here is Narada Falls, where the Paradise River careens off an old lava flow of andesite rock and plunges 168 feet to the valley floor.
Of course, for the veteran hiker, there's nothing to compare with the Wonderland Trail, 93 miles, which completely encircles the mountain.
The Wonderland passes through all the major life zones of the park.
If you don't have the time for the whole trail, or don't feel up to the rugged gains and losses in elevation, your alternative is an 18-mile section of the trail.
This trip usually takes about three to four days of hiking, and leaves Stevens Canyon Road to run northward along the east flank of the mountain.
The five-mile Skyline Trail is aptly named and is the highest in the park.
At Panorama Point, altitude 6,800 feet, the Cascade Range seems to lie at our feet.
The Cascade Range is one of the highest in the park.
We've seen how Mount Rainier was born and shaped.
We've explored trails leading all around the mountain and viewed what influence the mountain has on wildlife, flora, and the weather.
It remains to mention one of the obvious activities enjoyed in Mount Rainier National Park.
The mountain is there, so there are always going to be those who want to climb it.
But climbing this mountain is a hazardous adventure not recommended for the inexperienced.
All climbers must register with a park ranger.
This means those who intend to make a short climb and those who intend to try for the summit.
Climbers are strongly urged to wear hard hats as protection against the hazards of falling rock and ice.
Climbers are encouraged to use the Rainier Mountaineering Incorporated Guiding Services.
This concession was founded by the Himalayan adventurer Lou Whittaker.
The company teaches the fundamentals of mountaineering for those who have the will to climb, if not the expertise.
Welcome to Mount Rainier and welcome to the second installment of Climb a Mount Rainier.
Remember, it's not just a hike, it's an adventure.
And our goal today is to get to camp here.
And I want you to know that teamwork is real important.
There's a certain amount of safety in numbers.
For a team, we go out of here together, we come back in together.
The better we can work together as a team, the better it will go for us for the next couple of days.
And in that direction, we've got a team of really good alpine guides going up with us today.
And these guys are your resource people.
They don't just walk along in front of you.
They can help you a lot with things if you watch them and listen to them.
Participants in these classes are rated for their fitness for the climb.
This is a 16-mile round trip up 9,000 feet.
If you meet the fitness requirements, you can choose between a two- or a four-day climb.
Experienced climbers can fill out a climbing card at Paradise, White River, or Carbon River Ranger stations.
Mount Rainier is located in West Central Washington within an easy drive of Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland.
Interstate Highway Number 5 leads to highway access from Highway 410 on the northeast,
Highway 12 from east, and Highway 7 for the Nisqually entrance.
Airports are located in Portland and Seattle, Tacoma,
with scheduled flights by the major national and regional carriers.
Rental cars are available at both locations.
Amtrak provides rail service on both north-south stops at Centralia, Tacoma, and Seattle,
and east-west route stops are Yakima, Ellensburg, East Auburn, and Seattle.
Greyhound provides bus service to the major towns and cities.
Most people visit the parks by car.
And in the summer season, the narrow roads are crowded.
The warm weather also allows for road repairs in the park, so expect to take some extra time.
After all, you're here to enjoy the sights.
Watch out for sudden stops, and keep an eye out for hikers and bicyclists.
The narrow roads are not ideal for biking,
and there are no bike rental services available for biking in the park.
Mount Rainier National Park's close proximity to Seattle is the primary reason
for the park's dearth of overnight quality lodging.
Within the park, overnight rooms are available at the Paradise Inn at Paradise during the summer only.
The National Park Inn at Longmire is the only lodging that remains open the entire year in the park.
The old rustic building was fully renovated in 1990.
The old-fashioned grandeur of stone fireplaces remained in a setting of new paint and carpets.
It's wise to arrange for reservations well in advance.
Other services available at Longmire include a general store, a gas station,
and a post office for sending those picturesque postcards.
Camping, on the other hand, offers the most beautiful room nature can provide, and a lot of it.
Cougar Rock is a little over two miles from Longmire,
and provides private, heavily wooded sites for single and group camping.
A little closer to the Nisqually entrance is a small drive-thru only campsite called Sunshine.
Three other campsites are located throughout the park.
In the southeast corner is Ohanapecash.
This campsite has a visitor center and a self-guided trail.
White River Campground in the northeastern corner is the highest and least wooded campground in the park.
This campsite includes self-guided trails and a view of Mount Rainier.
As we mentioned before, Isput Creek is in the northwestern corner of the park.
This site is out of the way and difficult to reach.
Five miles of twisting, unpaved road will bring you to a green, wet, and rugged campsite.
This is often a starting point for hiking the Wonderland Trail.
These five auto campgrounds are open on a first-come, first-served basis.
Group campers may reserve spaces.
Wilderness permits are required for overnight stays in the backcountry wilderness.
The permits are free and are available at hiker information centers, ranger stations,
and visitor centers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Lodging and food service is available in the nearby communities of Ashford, Packwood, and Enumclaw.
Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, and Yakima also offer lodging and food services.
The park restaurants are located at the historic Longmire National Park Inn and in the old, beautiful Paradise Inn.
The park chefs offer a healthy, regional cuisine, and the views can be inspiring.
Paradise and Sunrise visitor complexes have snack bars for the public,
but nothing can offer more inspiration for dining than a picnic in the summer at Sunrise or Paradise.
And you never know who's coming to dinner.
Remember, even these little guests are wild animals.
If you see these animals, view them from a distance and never feed them.
While camping, hiking, picnicking, or at any time, the crystal clear and icy cold water
found in the mountain streams in many national parks may seem inviting to drink, don't do it.
You'll see animals drinking the water, but humans must take several precautions.
Drinking untreated natural water can result in a severe intestinal disorder called Giardiasis.
It can infect your dog or cat if you're traveling with house pets.
Carried by both humans and animals, Giardia contamination is common in surface water supplies like lakes, streams, and rivers.
Here are three basic ways to protect yourself from Giardiasis.
The most effective protection is to carry your own water from a known safe drinking water supply.
The next most effective method is to boil water obtained locally for at least a minute in low altitudes
and three to five minutes at high altitudes.
And the least effective method is to filter the water with a high quality filter that can remove particles as small as one micron.
Mount Rainier creates its own weather.
And you should take a hint from its local nickname when determining your wardrobe, Mount Rainiest.
The mountain reaches into the atmosphere and interrupts the flow of the moist maritime air masses from the Pacific Ocean.
This results in great amounts of rain and snowfall.
The heavier rainfalls occur between October and early May.
Summer temperatures average in the mid 70s to upper 40s at Longmire and in the mid 60s to the lower 40s at Paradise.
Dress with a weather eye, but always include rainwear.
Casual dress is appropriate in the lodges.
Hypothermia is really a severe case of overexposure and it can be fatal.
It's surprising to note that most hypothermia cases develop in air temperatures between plus 30 and 50 degrees.
But most people underestimate the danger of being wet at such temperatures.
In the Northwest, and especially in the region of Mount Rainier, also known as the weathermaker, the weather can change dramatically in a very short time.
Seasoned climbers are aware of this, as well as the effects of hypothermia, and are usually prepared for changing weather conditions.
Day climbers and hikers, on the other hand, often treat things such as hypothermia a little lightly, not expecting anything to happen to them on short jaunts or day climbs.
The key factor to getting hypothermia is getting wet, regardless of the air temperature.
Falling into a stream or simply getting caught in a passing rainstorm can spell disaster if the conditions are right.
Hypothermia can come about in minutes after your rate of body heat production drops, which can happen if you sweat while hiking or climbing hard, and then the wind blows across your damp clothes.
It's important to know the symptoms of hypothermia.
Uncontrollable shivering, vague, slow, slurred speech, memory lapses, incoherence, immobile, fumbling hands, drowsiness, sleeping at this point is fatal, apparent exhaustion, inability to get up after a rest.
Hypothermia victims may deny they're in trouble, believe the symptoms, not the patient.
Even mild symptoms demand immediate treatment.
If you suspect someone is suffering from hypothermia, A. Get the victim out of the wind, rain, or snow.
B. Take off all wet clothes.
C. If the patient is only mildly impaired, give warm drinks, and get the person into warm clothes and a warm sleeping bag.
If the patient is semi-conscious or worse,
1. Leave the patient stripped, and if you have a double bag, put the victim between two warm donors. Skin-to-skin contact is the most effective treatment next to warm oxygen.
2. Concentrate the heat on the trunk of the body first, that is the chest, shoulders, and stomach.
Keep the head low and the feet up. Keep the person quiet. Do not jostle, massage, or rub.
3. Never give the person alcohol, sedatives, tranquilizers, or pain relievers.
Hypothermia is just one of the many good reasons why those traveling in the outdoors should not go it alone.
Travel with a friend. It could save your life, or theirs.
Boating and Fishing
Boating and fishing are permitted within the park, and no licenses are required.
Non-motorized boats only are permitted on park lakes.
Fishing regulations for the park are in accordance with those of the surrounding area waters of the state of Washington.
Be familiar with specific regulations for boating and fishing.
Pets may be kept at drive-in campgrounds only, and must be kept on a leash.
Pets are not permitted in the backcountry, on trails, in public buildings or amphitheaters.
Horses are permitted on nearly 100 miles of the 300 miles of park trails.
Trails are most accessible from mid-July through September.
Neither saddle nor pack animals are permitted in auto campgrounds, picnic grounds,
or within 100 yards of trail shelters, backcountry campsites, or above such sites and waterways,
except where facilities are provided. A horse trail map is available.
Snowmobiles are permitted on designated roadways only, but only when these roads are closed by snow to traffic.
The modest fee for automobiles and motorcycles entering Mount Rainier National Park is good for seven days.
Persons entering on foot, bicycle, or by bus are each charged the same fee for a seven-day entrance permit.
For travelers who may be visiting one or more parks or other federal recreational facilities, there are five special passes available.
The Golden Eagle Pass is an annual entrance pass to all national parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas, and wildlife refuges.
The Golden Age Passport is a lifetime entrance pass to all of the same facilities for people who are 62 years of age or older.
The passport also provides a 50% discount on federal use fees inside the facilities.
It does not cover fees charged by private concessionaires.
The Golden Access Passport is a lifetime entrance pass for persons who are blind or disabled.
This passport also provides for the 50% discount on federal use fees, but does not cover fees charged by private concessionaires.
The annual pass and lifetime passports can be purchased by mail or in person from most National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offices or facilities.
Individual national parks, monuments, historic sites, and recreation areas sell an annual parks pass,
which permits unlimited entry at the specific National Park Service facility in which you are interested.
Our tour of this beautiful wilderness area is complete.
If you plan on visiting, you may obtain further information from the Mount Rainier National Park.
Mount Rainier National Park is a place where the modern world has scarcely intruded.
Perhaps the stately majesty of Mount Rainier's snow-capped peaks, or the fragility of a perfectly balanced ecosystem,
or the mind-numbing patience of nature building and remolding herself over eons and eons has held us back and kept us in our place.
Where else can you glimpse paradise?
Walk under trees hundreds of years old and surround yourself with the songs of birds and whispering branches.
Get away from the world and savor a taste of nature.
This video trip is part of Kodak's America's Park series, which includes this park and others.
Thank you for watching!