So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good-bye!

Another beautiful summer has come to a close and it is time for me to leave the mountain for the winter.  Once again, Meadow Rovers have given their hearts, souls, aching feet, and 6709 hours to the visitors at Mount Rainier National Park.  You have deputized at least 50,000 young hikers as caretakers of the flowers, distributed thousands of flower brochures, answered a million questions, and carried out way too many bags of garbage.  All in all, your total contacts numbered 137,237 visitors.

Sunrise roving has ended with the closing of the White River WIC.  Paradise on the other hand will be open to rovers with the following guidelines:

Weekdays

1. Pick up radios at the Longmire museum which opens at 9:00.
2. Return radios before 4:30.
3. Be sure to sign out and sign back in.
4. Solo Rovers must remain below Glacier Vista, below the Skyline/Golden Gate junction, and below the Skyline/Mazama Ridge junction.
5. Weather pemitting, teams may do the complete Skyline.

Weekends

1. Sign out and radios will be in the Rover Office in the JVC opening at 10:00.
2. Return to JVC by 4:15 p.m.
3. Check with rangers on duty or designated supervisor  as to needed areas of coverage.

On Any Given Rove

1. Be sure that you are carrying the 10 Essentials at all times.  In an emergency situation, you may be out longer than anticipated.  
2. Check the weather forecast before going out on the trail.
3. Allow yourself enough time to return radios at the end of the day.  
4. Alert your supervisor or JVC (dispatch is last resort) of anything that might delay you.
5. Keep your radio on and listen for safety updates.
6. BE SAFE – you are most important to our program.

UNIFORMS

If you are not planning to return to meadow roving, would you kindly return your uniform shirt? They can be washed and re-issued.

ARM-BANDS

Please oh please, check your backpacks for the elastic/Velcro armbands used during the cold days of May and June.  We started with 15 and now have 3.  They are much needed by the winter Snow Rover Program.  They can be mailed to:

Meadow Rover Program
c/o Kevin Bacher
55210 238th Ave E
Ashford, WA 98304

I have enjoyed making new friends and welcoming the returning rovers.  I look forward to seeing all your bright and shiny faces next summer!  Be safe and enjoy the winter.

Maureen McLean
Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers

ROVING AFTER SUNRISE VISITOR CENTER CLOSES

Greetings to all the wonderful rovers.  It is hard to believe summer has ended and fall is here. Yesterday the Sunrise Visitor Center closed after I think its biggest summer ever! However, the road to Sunrise will remain open through possibly the end of October and rovers can still make a difference.  

While we truly appreciate your commitment to the preservation of Mount Rainier National Park, we are also concerned for your safety.  After the visitor center at Sunrise closes, there is a lack of back-up for our dedicated volunteers.  For that reason the following regulations will be in effect:

1.  SOLO rovers must remain within 1 mile of the parking lot/Visitor Center

2.  Those roving in pairs are limited to the following trails –

a.  Sunrise Nature Trail - .75 miles

b.  Silver Forest Trail – 1 mile

c.   Shadow Lake – 1.3 miles

d.  Frozen Lake – 1.5 miles

e.  Sourdough Ridge to Dege Peak – 2.1 miles

3.   When signing out, be specific about where you will be.

4.   Rovers must return radios and check-in at WIC before closing time – hours are 7:30 am to 5:00 pm daily until 10/10.

5.   If for some reason, there is no Law Enforcement Ranger or General Ranger available between White River and Sunrise, Rovers should return to the parking lot area and rove near by. 

These regulations will be in effect until the WIC closes on 10/10.  Roving after that will depend on the ability to provide back-up for our rovers.

Meadow Rovers Rock

Summer 2016 has forged new records in Meadow Rover hours and contacts.  Our volunteers have come from as far away as Florida, Colorado, and California, and as close as the concession employees in the park.  But we aren't done yet!  With warm sunny weather predicted for the next week or two, visitors will continue to hit the trails.  Even in the cold wet weather, rovers do tremendous work in preventing people from going forth unprepared.  So keep on roving until the road is closed at Sunrise or the snow flies at Paradise!!

My season as coordinator will wind down by mid-October. During this time, I would like to hear from you. Your observations as to issues with trails, crowd control, or anything you feel park management should know, are welcomed.  These will be included in the End-of-Season report that is prepared before I leave for winter.

Also, please let me know what you would like to see, hear, or do with training next June. I always want your needs met and to make training worthwhile. So send me your ideas.

And for those of you who just can't get enough....keep your eyes open for Snow Rover training!

Maureen McLean
Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers
Maureen_McLean@nps.gov

A big THANK YOU to Mount Rainier's awesome volunteers!

Sunrise Meadow Rover Picnic
Photo by Glenn Baldwin

Hello everyone! Ranger Kevin here with a story to share:

I spent last weekend (Friday and Saturday) out in the park, preparing and hosting the annual volunteer picnics; then hiked the Skyline Trail at Paradise with my family on Monday. As manager of Mount Rainier's volunteer program, my job has me in the office in front of a computer and telephone too much of the time, so I value these opportunities to actually get out in the field and see things happening. I encountered many volunteers on these three days, and want to take a moment to say how thoroughly impressed I am by the work you all are doing!

We're at peak season right now, and the park is overflowing with people. The pressures have never been greater, on our park and on the people who manage it. And yet, the volunteers I encountered invariably bore smiles and enthusiasm for their work.

At Longmire, I chatted with a campground host who was so excited about his job that he was already making plans to recruit students at his local college for volunteer work. At Sunrise, I found the parking lot so efficiently organized that it looked like the cars had been parked by a valet service, even in places where there were no painted lines marking the parking spaces, and two volunteers directing traffic in the hot sun. They were grateful for a cold diet soda from my cooler, but had no complaints about taking on duties that would tempt a paid employee to surliness, and dozens of visitors benefited from their efforts, whether they were aware of it or not. At Paradise, my family and I encountered several Meadow Rovers as we made the loop of the Skyline Trail, all of whom greeted us and the other visitors around us with big smiles and helpful information, in spite of all the other visitors they were dealing with who ignored the "stay on trails" signs to cross fragile meadows in search of snow or better wildflower pictures.

This weekend was not unique. Last week I served as the Public Information Officer for a search and rescue effort in the park, and took reports of Mountain Rescue volunteers who responded on short notice from Olympia, Seattle, and Everett to help with the (ultimately successful) search. I received a copy of a comment form filled out by a visitor who was grateful for the help provided by our Emergency Roadside Assistance volunteers. Another note expressed gratitude for the help provided by volunteers to an injured hiker on the Silver Forest Trail at Sunrise. A trail maintenance volunteer passed on to me how frequently passing visitors thanked her group for the work they were doing to keep the trails in good condition.

And these are only the higher profile ways that volunteers help out, the ones that generate visitor comments and feedback. Other volunteers work behind the scenes, less obvious but no less important in their contributions to the National Park Service: surveying plants and animals, curating the park's historical artifacts, removing invasive species, repairing erosion damage from winter floods, maintaining campgrounds and campsites, and dozens of other tasks that ensure that Mount Rainier remains as pristine as possible for future generations as well as our own.

When visitors' cars line up for more than a mile at the park's entrance station, and it seems like you've asked the 50th person in the past hour to stop trampling the meadows, it can be difficult not to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task. And yet, imagine what the park would be like without the help of our volunteers! The meadows would have little protection from well-meaning visitors who don't understand how sensitive they are to being trampled, and would go unrepaired by overworked revegetation crews. The trails would deteriorate faster than our paid crews could keep up with repairing them. Parking at Sunrise would be haphazard and dozens of families would not be able to find anywhere to park. Lost hikers would take critically long to find. Park managers would lack important data on the abundance and distribution of park species. Campers would have no one to talk to when they needed assistance in the middle of the night, and visitors who locked their keys in their cars or ran out of gas would go hours before patrol rangers could respond.

And on and on. No matter how busy the park seems, and how much there remains to do, we couldn't possibly keep the park looking as good as it does, nor assist our visitors as well as we do, without our volunteers. Volunteers make a difference!

And so, I want to recognize each and every one of you who makes some part of our mission your own, to preserve and protect Mount Rainier for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Whether you come up only once for a few hours, or return day after day for years on end, every one of you makes a difference. I, and my family hiking the trails with me, and my grandchildren and great grandchildren yet to come, are all grateful.

Thank you.

Kevin Bacher
Volunteer and Outreach Program Manager
Mount Rainier National Park

Thank You Sunrise Meadow Rovers

A Note for the Sunrise Meadow Rovers from Lynn Kittridge

As my month as the Sunrise Meadow Rover Coordinator concludes and Jodie Hollinger-Lant takes over, I have just two things to say:

First: THANK YOU-- for your time, effort, commitment, positive attitudes, smiles and the thousands of wonderful visitor contacts so far this summer.  I miss you already—but know you are in good hands with Jodie.

Second: your dedication is reflected in the numbers.  In July,  57 volunteers gave 1,242.5 hours of your time and made 23,356 visitor contacts.  Compared to July 2015, the number of volunteers increased 19%, the number of hours increased 40% and the number of contacts increased an amazing 69%!

Besides the mountain itself, you are what makes Sunrise the wonderful place it is!  Keep it up!  I hope to see you on the trails again soon.

Sunrise Meadow Rovers Rock!

HELP! Need Volunteers to Handout Annual Surveys

Calling all volunteers!  We were handed the annual surveys today to hand out on the following schedule.  We desperately need helpers especially this Sunday, July 10th!

7/10  Paradise 12:30-4:30

7/13 Sunrise    12:30 - 4:30

7/15 Ohana      12:30 - 4:30

7/17 Longmire   12:30 - 4:30

7/21 Ohana       9:00 - 1:00 

7/23 Sunrise     9:00 - 1:00

7/26 Longmire   9:00 - 1:00

7/30 Paradise    8:00 - 12:00

This survey is taken every year and helps us discover who our park visitors are and what they did while they were here.  We need one person to handle each shift, or two who would be willing to share half and half.  You will pick a single spot to stay and hand a survey to pre-selected number of visitors.  Full directions will be given to you when you arrive. 

If you are available please contact Kevin Bacher, Mark Loper, or Maureen McLean.  We truly appreciate your help.

Thank you

Maureen McLean

Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers

Regulations for Solo Travel

Rovers Rejoice!  We have been given permission to resume solo roving beyond the one mile limit. The following conditions have been added to the Meadow Rover Handbook.

GUIDE LINES FOR MEADOW ROVERS 

INCLUDING SOLO ROVING

• Sign-in before roving and sign-out after roving; record hours and contacts.  Meadow Rovers are only officially working if signed in. 

• Rover Manager or Visitor Center Lead will confirm all rovers have returned or make contact by radio before leaving at the end of the day.  An emergency response will be initiated if contact is not made.

• Be specific about where you will be roving.  

• Give an estimated time of return.

• Keep radio on at all times when on trail.

• If radio or battery dies, return directly to base.

• If conditions change significantly (e.g. violent weather), check in with Dispatch and report your location and intentions.

• If you see a need to change your itinerary, check in with your supervisor.  Make sure your supervisor knows where you are at all times, and approves any change of plans.

• A radio must be carried for any rove beyond 1/2 mile from a visitor center or trailhead. Only one radio per group is needed if not traveling solo.

• Solo rovers must remain within one mile radius of Visitor Center before Visitor Center opens and after it closes.

• After Visitor Center closing, radios will be checked in as per local established procedure.

• Supervisor may request that you check in at specific times or intervals.

• Make safety the highest priority in the conduct of all duties.

So keep on roving...and always keep your supervisor apprised of your where abouts!

Maureen McLean

Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers

Meadow Rover Review

Quick notes on a variety of topics!

Meadow Rover Training

Awesome success!  I enjoyed seeing all of you again and greeting the 50+ new rovers. We are going to have a terrific season.  Please check with the Sunrise or Paradise supervisors regarding the 1 Mile Solo restrictions...we are working on the waiver and should have details soon.

Left after training, the following items - let me know if they sound familiar!
   Ladies pull-over fleece L.L Bean
   Blue hard plastic coffee cup with lid
   Red neckerchief
   Spiral notebook with pen attached - lots of notes written but no name

Hike with a Purpose

Several rovers have inquired about combining Meadow Roving with "Hike with a Purpose".  This particular project involves back country trails and is not part of the Meadow Rovers duties.  However, it is another opportunity to help spread your love of this special place.  If you are interested, there is a previous blog on the topic or contact Shannon_Hagen@nps.gov. or myself.

Volunteer Agreements

If you were not at training, and have not as yet done so, you will need to complete a new volunteer agreement.  I can send you an electronic copy, or you may fill one out the first time you come to rove.

As always, keep on roving and thank you for all the help that is offered.

Maureen McLean
Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers

More Training Info

Currently, there are 37 volunteers signed up for the New Rover Training, and 39 for the Returning Rover Training - many of those doing both days.  We will have different speakers on both days including a geologist who has explored the ice cave on the summit and a wildflower specialist who has published a marvelous guide on the flora of Mt. Rainier.  Both of these will be speaking on Sunday along with our Law Enforcement and one of our biologists and more.  Saturday's group will hear from resource specialists and experienced rovers.  Come one, come all, but if you can please let me know so I will have enough printed materials!!  Last year I  was overwhelmed with the response!

Also, this year I reminded you of the tradition to bring food to share for Sunday's lunch.

See you on the 11th and/or 12th

Maureen McLean
Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers

Sad Note

The family of David Wynia have informed me of his passing on May 23 of this year. David was one of my first volunteers when I began this journey and gave many hours to the meadows and visitors of Mt.Rainier. His warm smile and cheerful countenance shall be remembered by all who have walked the trails with him. Happy trails to you, David.

Maureen McLean
Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers

Meadow Rover Training Info

Wow!  There are already 25 people signed up for the New Meadow Rover Training on June 11th.  Training for that day will begin at 12:00 p.m. at the Community Building in the Longmire Volunteer Campground.  We should be finished by 5:30. 

Returning Rovers will start with coffee, sign-in, and meeting fellow rovers at 9:00 a.m. also at the Community Building.  Plan to finish by 3:30 or so.  We have new speakers with lots of new information for you to use out on the trails.

Returning Rovers should bring their camp plate/bowl, spork, and cup and something to share for lunch - a tradition of long standing.  We will provide drinks.  New Rovers are also welcome to join us on Sunday if they choose as topics will vary from the Saturday sessions.

Please send me a quick e-mail if you are planning to attend so that I have sufficient supplies available.  If you need a campsite, send me that information also.  Please include whether you have a tent or RV and if an RV, how big it is. I look forward to seeing all of you again and to get ready for a great summer.

Maureen McLean
Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers
mora_meadow_rovers@nps.gov

The Case of the Missing Armbands

Armbands to wear over warm coats and jackets were made over the winter.  However, it appears that our faithful snow rovers were so tired at the end of the day, they forgot to leave them in the Meadow Rover Office.  If you are one of those, you are forgiven as we truly appreciate your help, but would you please return them to the Meadow Rover Office or bring them to the training sessions on June 12.  

Thank you for all you do!

Maureen McLean

Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers

A Peculiar Sight and an All Too Common Sight at Sunrise

Today we are featuring photos from VIP Meadow Rover Mike Mauch.  Throughout October, Mike was hiking the trails at Sunrise, educating visitors about the area and being one of the few on patrol in the area after the Visitor's Center and Ranger Station both closed.  While roving, Mike had a few encounters and was lucky enough to have his camera with him.



Photograph by Michael Mauch, 2015

While hiking towards Shadow Lake in the early afternoon in the first weeks of October, Mike felt as though something was following him.  Having much experience hiking in grizzly country, Mike was constantly glancing over his shoulder.  Just a short ways down the trail, when he looked over his shoulder, he was being stalked.  Only twenty yards behind him was a Cascade Red Fox, tracing Mike's steps.  Since his camera was handy, Mike stopped to snap a few pictures.  As he was doing this, the fox calmly trotted the opposite direction, back up the trail.  Mike, cautiously and stealthly, followed.  Around the next corner, the fox had walked uphill offtrail and bedded itself only about 20 feet away from the footpath.  With great patience came great photographs.  While the fox was basking in the sun just offtrail, two visitors were able to share this experience with Mike as we was sharing his knowledge of the fox with them.

Later in the month, Mike had experienced something that is far too common in the subalpine meadows of Paradise and Sunrise, and something that nearly every Meadow Rover has had to deal with while out on the trails.  While in the area of First Burroughs, Mike had seen a family of mountain goats in the middle of the meadow.  Close behind that family was a visitor, well off trail, trying to snap some pictures of the family (possibly without bothering using his zoom?).  Mike had began to approach him about this, but the rule breaking photographer quickly packed up and was off, before Mike was able to get to him.  This continued to happen again and again, when finally Mike was able to set up his camera on an established and marked trail, and get this beautiful picture of some of the mountain goats grazng with the photographer in the image as well.  It just goes to show that you can capture some really amazing moments happening in the meadows, from right on the trail.

 

Photograph by Michael Mauch, 2015

 

Thank you, Mike, for sharing these pictures with us and for your Roving this year!  Do you have any pictures or stories to share from your time volunteering?  If so, send them to Ian at ian_harvey@partner.nps.gov and you may be featured on our blog!

NEWSFLASH! MEADOW ROVERS NEEDED UNTIL THE SNOW FLIES!

Steve Cart, VIP Meadow Rover at Sunrise

With the lack of snow predicted in the near future, the Sunrise Road will remain open until the 31st of October. Superintendent Randy King has asked that Meadow Rovers continue their expert services throughout the remainder of October at Sunrise and possibly even later at Paradise. However, there will be some changes from the normal summer Meadow Rover operations. As always we have your safety as our top priority along with the safety and enjoyment of visitors and the protection of our magnificent natural and cultural resources.


First, reservations must be made in advance through the mora_meadow_rovers@nps.gov e-mail. While we enjoy your drop-in presence in the summer, we need to coordinate with the Law Enforcement Rangers’ schedules. Most days, they will be your closest back-up. If for some reason no Law Enforcement Rangers are available on a given day, rovers will not be scheduled. Ian Harvey will be organizing your schedules with rangers after October 17 as Maureen will be on furlough. When you are scheduling a day, we highly encourage you to rove in pairs.


While you may feel as though you are the sole protector of the resource, your sole task during this extended season is to educate visitors. You are not Law Enforcement. If you are confronted with any situation involving a law enforcement issue, you are to immediately contact a Law Enforcement Ranger via Dispatch. You should never engage a visitor on a law enforcement issue.


Due to more limited back-up, we are asking our rovers to limit their roves to areas around the visitor centers and parking areas. Specific guidelines will be given below.


Sunrise Specifics


As you may know, the Sunrise Visitor Center has closed along with the Day Use Building. Utilities including water have also been turned off for the winter. Until October 12, the radios will be available at the White River Wilderness Information Center. After October 12, a lock box will be set up with a key for retrieving and returning radios. More information will be available as you schedule your roves.


In the Sunrise area, rovers are to limit their coverage to the Sourdough Ridge - Frozen Lake - Sunrise Campground – Visitor Center Parking Lot area. If, at any time, Law Enforcement is called beyond the Sunrise/White River Entrance, rovers should return to the Sunrise Parking Lot.


Note that potable water is no longer available at Sunrise. Please bring plenty of water with you as you rove.

Gwen Remmen, VIP Meadow Rover at Paradise
Photo by Ed Hunds

Paradise Specifics


Rovers are asked to limit their roves to within the Skyline Trail and Nisqually Vista Loops. If at any time Law Enforcement becomes unavailable, you need to return to base.


Limited housing will be available at Tahoma Woods if requests are made well in advance of the desired day. These requests must be made through the mora_meadow_rovers@nps.gov e-mail.


Weekdays after October 12:


Radios will be housed at the Longmire Museum which is open from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily. Radios will need to be returned to Longmire before the museum closes. As the sun begins to set earlier each day, this should not be a problem! If you wish to rove later than 4:30, please make arrangements well in advance and, if staff is available, we will arrange for someone on a later shift to receive your radio.


Weekends after October 12:


The Jackson Visitor Center will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Normal radio checkout will follow the summer procedures. Radios must be back in the Rover Room before the 5:00 closing.


Again to all of you who have given your time this past year a giant thank you. For those of you able to continue, please remember your safety is our first priority. Be sure to keep your radio on at all times so you can hear Dispatch call you for any reason. Be wise, be careful, and have a wonderful day.

A HUGE Thank you from Sunrise!

Hi Awesome Sunrise Volunteers--

Thank You:  Today is closing day at Sunrise, so I wanted to say one more time-- THANK YOU-- for your time, effort, commitment, positive attitudes, smiles and the thousands of wonderful visitor contacts this summer.  I have heard such positive comments about our awesome volunteers-- YOU!  Besides that big mountain out there, you are  what makes Sunrise the wonderful place it is!  You are why I love this volunteer coordinator job!

Fall Volunteering: It is still possible to volunteer at Sunrise for a few more weeks.  After today, the radios will move down to the White River WIC (right behind the entrance fee station at the beginning of the road to Sunrise).  The clipboard and binder will be there too.  You simply sign out and pick up a radio from there-- and return it there when you are done roving.  Don't forget to record your hours and contacts in the binder!  They are open 7:30- 5pm until October 11.  This e-mail address shuts down with the Visitor Center-- so if you have questions, direct them to Maureen McLean: NPS MORA Meadow Rovers <mora_meadow_rovers@nps.gov>

Looking Forward to Next Year:  I am starting now to advocate for a separate Sunrise-specific Meadow Rover Training for returning Sunrise Volunteers at the beginning of the 2016 season.  Watch the Volunteer newsletter and the Volunteer Blog for info.  If we can pull it together, this would be a separate orientation, apart from the Paradise orientations, that would take place (hopefully) somewhere on the Sunrise side of the mountain.  Geoff Walker and the backcountry rangers are on-board-- it will be a chance for all of us to get some good training on issues important to Roving on this side of the mountain.  I have included my own e-mail in this message-- kittridge.l@gmail.com--  If I can, I will contact you directly from that address with additional information as it becomes available.

Again-- thanks for a wonderful summer at Sunrise!  Sunrise Volunteers ROCK!  Have a terrific winter and see you in 2016!

Lynn Kittridge

Coordinator Sunrise Meadow Rovers

I would like to add a BIG thank you to Lynn for all her hard work and organization at Sunrise.  Mt. Rainier National Park is lucky to have this volunteer.  She has done a terrific job these past two summers.

MEADOW ROVER INFO

The last day for Meadow Roving at Sunrise will be October 11th...unless a snow storm closes the road before then!  At Paradise, the last day will be the 12th of October.  It is important to note that the JVC is closing at 5 p.m. now so plan to be back in the office before then.  Leaving radios at Paradise Inn will not be possible after Oct. 1. 

If you have any volunteer shirts you are no longer using, would you please return them.  Also, we are missing most of the Volunteer Patches with arm-bands...if you have one stashed away would you send it back also.  Address:  Kevin Bacher, Mt. Rainier National Park, 55210 238th Ave E, Ashford, WA 98304

Thanks again to Lynn Kittridge and all the Meadow Rovers both at Sunrise and Paradise.  Your contacts have sung your praises to me, and your efforts have recruited many new rovers.

Maureen McLean

Coordinator MORA Meadow Rovers

360-569-6582

Volunteer Newsletter: September, 2015

Looking Ahead to September

September is already off to a cooler start, though there is still hope for a last few rays of warm sunshine between these chilly and rainy days.  Even though the summer is starting to wind down, there are still plenty of opportunities to volunteer at Mount Rainier in the month of September.

MRNPA’s Annual “Reveg” – September 12

The annual Mount Rainier National Park Associates meadow revegetation work party will be Saturday, September 12th. MRNPA volunteers will again be assisting the Mount Rainier ecological restoration crew in planting wildflower seedlings, working to convert a historic campground area near Sunrise back into subalpine meadows.  Be prepared for almost any fall weather. In the past we have experienced everything from warm and sunny days to a driving blizzard. In addition to your sun hat, sunscreen, and your rain gear, bring a lunch, plenty of fluids to drink, gardening gloves, and a hand digging tool you like to use. If you have no gardening tools, the NPS will provide small hand tools. Most of the day you will be working on your hands and knees to do the planting, so you should bring some kind of protection for your knees. The pads available at your local gardening retailer work for most people. The work site is about a mile hike from the Sunrise parking lot, so plan on carrying everything you need to and from the work site.  If you plan to join the MRNPA volunteers on Saturday, September 12th, for this meadow revegetation work party, please reply to volunteer@mrnpa.org confirming that you are coming and indicating the number of volunteers that you will bringing with you.

The Washington State Fair – September 11 – 27

The largest fair in the State of Washington is just around the corner!  Volunteers are still needed on a few shifts either working the informational booth or (especially) by assisting on our indoor snowshoe track!  Volunteering for this event also gives you a free pass to the Fair as well as free parking, which is a $25 value.  If you are interested in volunteering during the fair, please contact Jim Ross at Jim_Ross@nps.gov for more information.

National Public Lands Day – September 26

Join us for one of our largest events of the year on National Public Lands Day!  This year, the event will be based in the Sunrise area with a variety of projects available for all ages, ranging from revegetation of native plants in the Sunrise subalpine meadows (suitable for all ages) to working on trail projects in the area.  Registration begins at 9:00am in the White River Campground.  As always, those planning on volunteering are able to stay in the campground free of charge for the time of their service.  For more information on reserving a campsite, please contact Ian Harvey at ian_harvey@partner.nps.gov by September 20 with the number of people staying in the campsite, as well as the number of tents being used.

WTA’s White River Trail Projects – Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until 9/27

Do you love volunteering your time to do trails work, but the Backcountry Response Team trips seem a little much for you?  Well, don’t you worry anymore, because the Washington Trails Association offers weekend and single day trail projects right here at Mount Rainier National Park.  Sign up for a day or the full weekend, and you will spend your time with likeminded individuals, determined to work.  Visit www.wta.org for more information on the projects offered at Mount Rainier for the rest of the month.

Paradise Trail Projects – Every Friday and Saturday until 9/27

Maybe the WTA’s White River trail project sounds like something you’d like to do, but it’s on the complete other side of the mountain, and you don’t want to drive all the way over there.  You’re in luck!  There is an option on the west side of the mountain for you!  Kevin Watson of the Paradise Trail crew will meet people at the stairway immediately behind the Jackson Visitor Center every Friday and Saturday at 9:00am for a walk-up trail work opportunity.  He is flexible with everyone’s ability levels, though this will be work done above 5,500 feet, so it is inherently more difficult.  If you have any questions about the projects, or want to bring a group out for a few hours of trail work, contact Kevin Watson at Kevin_J_Watson@nps.gov

Meadow Rovers – Until the Snow Flies

Just because it is getting a little bit cooler outside doesn’t mean we are done with the Meadow Rover program!  We still need volunteers to come out and protect the meadows at Paradise and Sunrise.  The meadows have been cloaked in their autumnal colors already, and they are absolutely beautiful.  This means there will still be hundreds of people hiking the trails through these meadows, and we still need the Meadow Rovers out there to help educate the public!

August Highlights

August came in like a lion and left…also like a lion, but a wet lion.  This extreme and sudden shift in weather hasn’t stopped hundreds of volunteers from coming out and sharing their knowledge and expertise with the thousands of visitors who entered through the gates surrounding the park.  Heat?  No problem.  Smoke-filled air?  Don’t worry about it.  Glacial outburst floods?  Easy.  All in a day’s work.  Here are some of the things our amazing volunteers have been working on over the month of August.

SCA Community Crew #2 & #3 – July 27 to August 10; August 17 to August 31

The second and third SCA community crews of the season arrived and went straight to work, assisting trails crew efforts all over the park.  Sometimes they were spiked out to Klapatche Park, other times they were able to call the Longmire Stewardship Campground their home.  No matter where they spent their evenings, the crews were always out working hard, improving the trails we all know and love.  The SCA has many opportunities for youth across the country, ranging from summer-long internships to year-long stays in some of America’s most beautiful locations!  For more information on how you can get involved, visit www.thesca.org

Starbucks – August 8 and 9

Fueled by their world-famous brew, over thirty volunteers from Starbucks locations all over the state joined the Paradise Trails crew for a weekend of stewardship.  With such an energetic and eager group, the project had two trail crew leads, and the group was divided into two different projects.  One group helped prepare a section of trail that will be repaved in the near future by brushing the edges and widening the trail to its original width (which, in some places, doubled the width of the trail!), while the second group spend most of their day moving large boulders and edging a section of the Skyline Trail, which was recently repaved, to help prevent the trail from crumbling under the feet of thousands of people each day.  Starbucks has been visiting the park in this capacity for many years and will also match donations to a variety of charitable organizations.  For more information on some projects Starbucks is working on, visit www.community.starbucks.com/en_us/home

Washington Trails Association’s Youth Volunteer Vacations – August 9 to 14; August 23 to 28

Throughout the month of August, the Washington Trails Association hosted two Volunteer Vacations for youth from all around the West Coast.  Through this program, the WTA provides an amazing experience for high school students aged 14-18 including camping and trails projects. This year, both groups have been based out of the White River Campground and have been primarily focused on the Glacier Basin Trail, with other projects mixed in.  For some, this was their first time ever stepping foot in Mount Rainier National Park, while for others, they grew up under the gaze of the mountain. But, for all, they now have a special connection to the park through their hard work and determination while volunteering through the WTA.  The WTA has many opportunities for all ages, with some programs specifically designed for youth.  Read more about them here: www.wta.org/volunteer/youth

Mount Rainier National Park Associates’ Trail Day – August 15

The Mount Rainier National Park Associates were at it again, this time doing some trail work high up on the Skyline Trail.  In fact, they were so far up the Skyline Trail that the entire day was spent working in a cloud!  The weather had shifted slightly in the middle of the month, and instead of the 90 degree days from the previous week, the group experienced mist and temperatures in the mid-40s.  Much of the work done on this day was resetting some stone steps that were in desperate need of attention, and now you can effortlessly climb your way to Panorama Point!  The MRNPA takes on an array of projects, ranging from trail work to revegetation to devegetation and removal of invasive species.  To learn how you can become a part of this amazing team, visit www.mrnpa.org today.

Volunteer Picnics – August 14 and 15 

The volunteer picnics have come and gone, and we would like to extend a big THANK YOU to all who participated in these events. We saw something falling from the sky for the Longmire Volunteer Picnic (our best guess is that it was... rain) and we were able to shift everything inside next to the roaring fire within the Community Building. As for the Sunrise Volunteer Picnic, we were much dryer, though it was much colder, with temperatures in the mid 40s for most of the day. We had great turn-outs at both events, and we thank all of the volunteers that could make it and those of you who could not.

Washington Trails Association’s Backcountry Response Team, #2 –

August 26 – August 30

Continuing the amazing partnership Mount Rainier National Park and the Washington Trails Association share, the WTA fielded two Backcountry Response Teams to share their trail maintenance experience for a week at a time while hiking deep into the wilderness of Mount Rainier and setting up camp in a cross-country zone on Emerald Ridge. In addition to having some pretty amazing views of Mount Rainier and some grand sunsets in the western sky, both crews completed a much needed reroute of the Wonderland Trail that will be used for years to come.  The WTA does some amazing work all over the state.  To learn more about some of the projects they are working on for the rest of the year, and how you can be a part of a great backcountry crew, visit http://www.wta.org/volunteer/volunteering/bcrt 

REI – August 24 to 26

The Longmire Stewardship Campground was jam-packed early in the afternoon on August 24, as just fewer than 150 people from every level of employment at REI joined us for three days of stewardship activities.  We offered a wide range of options for all ages, including trail projects on the Snow Lake Trail, landscaping within the Longmire Historical District, participating in Junior Ranger and Citizen Ranger activities, joining in on a variety of Ranger led programs in Longmire and Paradise, or exploring the trails on a self-led hike to help each person make their own special connection with the park.  The event was capped off with a catered meal and words of thanks from the Park Superintendent and the CEO of REI.  REI is dedicated to preserving the amazing landscapes across the country.  As a Premier Level partner with the National Park Foundation’s #FindYourPark campaign, REI is showing this level of commitment through more than just signing a check.  These people are passionate about what they do, and it can be seen through the work that nearly 150 volunteers did throughout the park.  For more information on how REI is working with the National Park Foundation to help celebrate the NPS Centennial next year, visit www.rei.com/h/national-parks

Urban Wilderness Works – August 28 to September 8

North Cascades National Park’s loss was our gain, as a group of enthusiastic volunteers from Seattle were rerouted to Mount Rainier due to the fires up north. Thanks to the flexibility of the park’s trail crew, this group has been hard at work on the Snow Lake, Nisqually Vista, and Skyline Trail, while camping out in the Longmire Stewardship Campground. Even the cool rain of early September hasn’t dampened their spirits! To learn more about this great organization, visit http://www.urbanwildernessproject.org/works-w.htm

RAVENS – All Summer Long

Our Roadside Assistance Volunteers (better known as the “RAVENS”) have been absolutely amazing this summer.  We cannot begin to show our gratitude for Les and Gary and the work they have done throughout the summer.  These two have seen it all while out on the trails and roadways of Paradise, ranging from rescuing keys locked inside a vehicle to performing life-giving CPR for over an hour.  From collecting trash thrown by careless hikers to being the first on the scene for the rescue of an individual who had fallen off a cliff, the RAVENS have provided a service that has greatly impacted the lives of countless visitors, whether directly or indirectly, and we cannot thank them enough.  But, we will try.  Thank you.

Meadow Rovers – All Summer Long

With the early start of the summer this year, there has been a great need for protection of the beautiful resources that are the meadows around Paradise and Sunrise.  Luckily, the Meadow Rovers responded, and in greater numbers than ever.  Both Lynn and Maureen were training larger and larger groups as the summer went on, with record numbers of contacts being made each day.  Even though the summer is starting to wind down, we can always use Meadow Rovers out on the trails. Don’t forget to come help in September and October!

And More

These are only a few of the many things volunteers have been up to this summer. MeadoWatch, Amphibian Survey, and Cascades Butterfly Survey volunteers have gathered valuable data as Citizen Scientists. Backcountry patrol volunteers have kept the wilderness trails in good shape. Historic Landscape Architecture interns have inventoried, stabilized, and restored important parts of the park’s history. Costumed volunteers portrayed historical characters from the park’s past in the annual Shadows of the Past program. Campground hosts made visitors and volunteers welcome. Astronomy volunteers delighted visitors with views of the heavens through their telescopes at Paradise and Sunrise. Volunteers are everywhere, and we could not protect Mount Rainier National Park for the enjoyment of present and future generations without them.

Photos from many of the volunteer projects listed here are posted on the park's Flickr page at http://flickr.com/MountRainierNPS. Check it out -- you might find someone you know!

Looking Further into the Future...

It may seem like summer has come and gone quickly for some, but just because it isn’t over 80 degrees every day, doesn’t mean the park is shutting down.  Snow will soon be on the forecast, and many of our summer volunteers and interns will be migrating back to their homes across the country and across the world.  At the Volunteer and Outreach office, we just want to thank you for all you have done to help make this an absolutely amazing summer at Mount Rainier.  With the elongated summer, we were expecting a higher number of visitors hiking our trails, exploring our visitor’s centers, and experiencing all that is Mount Rainier.  Without your crucial help, this summer would not have been nearly as great as you have made it.  Thank you so much for all you have done and we look forward to working with you again very soon.

If you have any special stories you’d like to share about your time volunteering, please send them to Kevin_Bacher@nps.gov.  Throughout the winter months, we plan on featuring different stories from volunteers all over the park, and we would love to hear you input.  Send us a story, a letter, some pictures, or anything that made your time volunteering special for you. 

And again, THANK YOU.