Mount Rainier Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Climbing Mount təqʷuʔmaʔ For Representation

By Lauren Gallup September 22, 2022

Rachel Heaton holds up the Muckleshoot Tribe flag on top of Mount Rainier. Photo courtesy of Heaton.

Indigenous peoples have an enduring relationship with the mountain we call Rainier, but that history is often erased. Rachel Heaton, a member of the Muckleshoot Tribe and a descendant of the Duwamish people, wants that history to be told. NWPB’s Lauren Gallup spoke with Heaton about her efforts to engage more Native people in outdoor recreation. Read More

The Mysterious Return Of Glacier Ice Worms On Mount Rainier

By NPR News July 14, 2021

Photo of researchers on the icey mountain.

There are thread-like worms on Mount Rainier that reserachers are looking at live at 32 degrees or they die... called ice worms. Continue Reading The Mysterious Return Of Glacier Ice Worms On Mount RainierRead More

Outdoor Guides Look To Top Out On COVID Shutdowns And Get Clients Back To Northwest Summits

By Courtney Flatt June 7, 2020

Kaf Adventures leads guided climbs of Washington and Oregon peaks, like this one in the Washington Cascades. But the business was largely put on hold as coronavirus shutdowns required. Courtesy of Kaf Adventures via Facebook

It’s been a rough couple of months for outdoor recreation businesses – from mountaineering and rock climbing guides to river rafting, sea kayaking, mountain biking guides and private campgrounds. Outdoor recreation brings in big bucks to the Northwest — especially to many of the rural communities that act as gateways to the great outdoors. Read More

The Mountain Wildflowers Are Out (Earlier): How Climate Change May Affect Tourist Season At Rainier

By Courtney Flatt March 11, 2020

A subalpine meadow on Mount Rainier in the summer. CREDIT: Elli Theobald/courtesy of the research team

The wildflower season at Mount Rainier National Park was short in 2015. Some of the lupines stopped flowering and didn’t make seeds like they normally do. The shorter season also meant fewer people saw peak blooms. A new study looks at how winter changes may affect tourist season at Washington's iconic park. Read More

Scientists Are Getting New Tools To Monitor The Northwest’s Volcanoes

By Erin Ross March 22, 2019

File photo. Glacier Peak volcano Washington's central Cascades. CREDIT: Walter Siegmund/Wikimedia/Creative Commons BY-SA 3.

Eighteen volcanoes are classified as “very high threat” in the United States; eight of them are located in the Pacific Northwest. And right now only Mount St. Helens is considered well-monitored. The National Volcanic Early Warning and Monitoring Systems Act, passed in February, sets out to change that. Read More

Following Crater Lake, Mount Rainier National Park Shutters Entrances Due To Government Shutdown

By Tom Banse January 6, 2019

Deep snow surrounds the closed Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park in this webcam view Sunday, Jan. 6, 2019. CREDIT: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

When the government shutdown began on December 22, National Park Service higher-ups aspired to maintain access to Western parks—to the extent it was possible with a skeleton staff. But that quickly became untenable at Crater Lake National Park due to lack of snow plowing and sewer maintenance. Read More

Local Impacts From Partial Government Shutdown Shouldn’t Be Too Bad — For Now

By Tom Banse December 22, 2018

File photo. Mount Rainier National Park was closed for 16 days in October 2013 during a government shutdown. TOM BANSE / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

National parks would be affected. The contingency plan for the National Park Service says to stop plowing roads. Given the current wintry weather, that would close Crater Lake and Mount Rainier National Parks in short order. Fort Clatsop would be likely to close too. Read More

Climbing Mount təqʷuʔmaʔ For Representation

The Mysterious Return Of Glacier Ice Worms On Mount Rainier

Outdoor Guides Look To Top Out On COVID Shutdowns And Get Clients Back To Northwest Summits

The Mountain Wildflowers Are Out (Earlier): How Climate Change May Affect Tourist Season At Rainier

Scientists Are Getting New Tools To Monitor The Northwest’s Volcanoes

Following Crater Lake, Mount Rainier National Park Shutters Entrances Due To Government Shutdown

Local Impacts From Partial Government Shutdown Shouldn’t Be Too Bad — For Now

Paradise Lost? Cell Service Coming To Mount Rainier, Despite Pleas To Protect Solitude

National Park Service To ‘Modestly’ Raise Entrance Fees In Plan To Cut Repair Backlog

Interior Secretary Zinke Ties National Parks Fixes To Oil And Gas Profits On Public Lands

Homage To Mount Rainier Earns NEA Grant For Tacoma Symphony