National Park Rangers Say "Take a Hike" and "Help a Trail" for National Trails Day

Release Date:  June 1, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Kevin Bacher, Volunteer Program Manager, 360-569-6567

 

JOIN PARK RANGERS FOR SPECIAL CENTENNIAL TRAILS DAY EVENTS

The National Park Service invites park lovers to visit Mount Rainier National Park this Saturday, June 4 to celebrate National Trails Day and participate in stewardship events that also honor the National Park Service’s centennial.

Winter snow accumulations have started melting out along lower elevation trails, but snow continues to cover high elevation areas of the park. For information about the park’s trails and a summary of current conditions, visit our wilderness camping and hiking page at www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/wilderness-camping-and-hiking.htm.

If you venture into the park’s backcountry this summer, be prepared for more difficult than usual conditions. As a result of winter storms, trail crews are finding that an exceptional number of trail bridges and foot logs have been washed away. Additionally, winter storms blew down a large number of trees over trails park-wide, with many root ends blocking entire trail widths. Conditions will improve as trail crews restore trails and bridges, but the work will require a considerable amount of time because of the extent of the damage. Visitors are cautioned to use good judgement in determining whether their planned route is safe under existing conditions. Of note: Due to winter damage the Grove of the Patriarchs Trail footbridge is unsafe for passage.

People can assist the park by volunteering in two ways:

·         On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 3-5, the Washington Trails Association (WTA) will lead trail maintenance work parties out of the White River Campground. Work crews will meet at 8:30 a.m., and those who wish to participate should sign up in advance by visiting www.wta.org and selecting the “Volunteer” tab. WTA will continue to lead volunteer trail maintenance parties every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through September. Sign up at wta.org. 

·         On Saturday June 4, volunteers will be doing restoration work in the Longmire Stewardship Campground. The work involves cleaning up and rehabilitating campsites damaged by a windstorm last November and is suitable for all ages. Participants should RSVP to Kevin Bacher at 360-569-6567 or Kevin_Bacher [at] nps.gov.

National Trails Day is a celebration of America’s extensive public trail system, and occurs annually on the first Saturday in June. National Trails Day is an opportunity to participate in trail-based events and activities that celebrate the importance of trails with friends, families, and communities.

To celebrate the centennial, the National Park Service is inviting all generations to discover or rediscover the special places that belong to all Americans. The National Park Service is challenging everyone to “Find Your Park” with creative events and activities throughout 2016. For more information visit: FindYourPark.com.

www.nps.gov 

Park information, announcements, and the Mount Rainier webcams are posted on the park’s official website, nps.gov/mora.

·         Get additional information and updates by joining the Mount Rainier community on Facebook: facebook.com/MountRainierNPS

·         Find out breaking news and road status updates through Mount Rainier’s Twitter feed:

twitter.com/MountRainierNPS

·         Explore the park and behind-the-scenes operations with our videos on YouTube:

youtube.com/MountRainierNPS

·         Share your own photos of Mount Rainier with other visitors in the Mount Rainier Flickr group:

flickr.com/groups/MountRainierNPS

About the National Park Service- More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 409 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.

WTA's Summer Projects Starting June 3rd!

The Washington Trails Association will once again be hosting weekend volunteer projects every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Mount Rainier National Park this summer.  For the first portion of the summer, the WTA will be staging their work out of the White River Campground.

 

If you are interested in joining the WTA on trail this summer, visit their website at https://www.wta.org/volunteer/schedule/?regions=Mount%20Rainier%20Area

 

As always, we are able to provide free camping for the duration of your volunteer service.  If you are in need of camping while volunteering at Mount Rainier, please contact Kevin Bacher at kevin_bacher@nps.gov

 

 

May 2016 Volunteer Newsletter

With the first Volunteer Newsletter of 2016 comes a new format!  Any feedback on the new design should be sent to Ian at his email.  Enjoy!

Each panel is an image, so click a page to enlarge it.

 

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

We wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Valentine's Day today!

Photo credit: WTA's Jen Haas

Washington Trails Association Continues to Shine at Mount Rainier

Perhaps one of the best parts of the "make sure volunteer hours are entered" season is the ability to see how great of an impact our partners have had at the Park. 

The Washington Trails Association has been working on the trails at Mount Rainier throughout the last few decades, but on a very consistent basis since the Mount Rainier Recovery Corps work started in 2007.  Today, the WTA will hold weekend projects every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the summer months, going deep into September, as well as a variety of other projects throughout the warmest weather.  This year, the Washington Trails Association held Back Country Response Teams in the park, taking groups of volunteers deep into the backcountry to do some much needed trail work for a week at a time.  Additionally, they were also leading Youth Volunteer Vacations, which allowed high school aged children from across the country to come and experience our beautiful public lands.





 A grand total of 458 people volunteered through the Washington Trails Association this year, with 53 of them being youth under the age of 18.  This brought in 4,859 hours of trail work, done all over the park.  Based on 2015 figures, that equates to a value of $112,097.13!! 
Some areas of focus for this year's crews were the Wonderland Trail heading towards Summerland, the Glacier Basin Trail, the Wonderland Trail reroute along Emerald Ridge, and the Moraine Trail, among many others.

 

 

Although the WTA has packed up for the season at Mount Rainier, they will still be having volunteer opportunities throughout the state all year long!  If you are interested in the Washington Trails Association or continuing to volunteer with them throughout the cooler months, please visit www.wta.org !

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.

Washington Trail Association's Back Country Response Teams

Continuing the amazing partnership Mount Rainier National Park and the Washington Trails Association share, the WTA had two Back Country Response Teams share their trails maintenance experiencefor 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. 






For more information on the Washington Trails Association's projects and how you can participate, visit www.wta.org
 

Washington Trails Association's Youth Volunteer Vacations

Throughout the month of August, the Washington Trails Association has hosted two Volunteer Vacations for youth from all around the West Coast. 
 


The group, before a game following their lunch break.
 

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.

Volunteer Newsletter – August 2015

You’re invited to a picnic!

Before we get into the newsletter… this is just a reminder that the volunteer picnics are coming up very quickly at Mount Rainier, and you are invited!  This is the social semi-potluck to celebrate all of the hard work our volunteers put in throughout the year.  We will have two picnics, one on each side of the mountain.  The first will be on August 14^th at the Longmire Community Building while the second is August 15^th at the Sunrise Picnic Area.  Both events will start at 4:00pm and will go until 6:00pm, so come out and share some of your volunteer stories and a side dish or dessert with us!

Now, on with the newsletter:

July Highlights

The month of July was a hot one, yet we still had large numbers of volunteers coming through the entrance gates all over the park.  This just shows how dedicated all of our volunteers are!  Here is a recap of some of the projects that volunteers worked on throughout the month of July.

SCA Community Crew #1 – July 6^th to July 20^th

The first SCA community crew of the season came to Mount Rainier just after Independence Day this year, and spent half of their time in the park at the far end of the Westside Road at Klapatche Point.  Here they were doing some brushing and trail work on some of the backcountry trails in the area.  The remainder of their time was based out of the Longmire Stewardship Campground and traveling around the Longmire and Paradise areas, working on trails along the way.  Featuring two crew leaders from the Seattle area and 6 high school students (or recent graduates), the first community crew had an amazing experience while here at Mount Rainier.  The SCA has many opportunities for youth across the country, and even right here in the park!  For more information, visit www.thesca.org .

REI Sumner working with the Washington Trails Association – July 10^th

We were visited by the Logistics Team at the REI Distribution Center in Sumner early in the month, and they were excited to get out of the office and get their hands dirty.  They worked on a section of the Wonderland Trail heading towards Summerland in the northeastern corner of the park.  After clearing many of the drainages and making a few new ones along the trail, the crew then went on a hike led by Ranger Kevin around Sunrise and by the end of the day, their green REI Co-op t-shirts were filthy, sweaty, and covered in dust, but the group couldn’t have been any happier.  REI is a premier partner of the National Park Foundation’s “Find Your Park” campaign.  For more information, visit http://findyourpark.com/partners#rei.

Mount Rainier National Park Associates “Deveg” – July 11^th

The brave volunteers of MRNPA answered a panicked call for help and began their assault on the alien species found around the new Carbon River Ranger Station in the Northwest corner of the park.  The day was spent pulling a variety of non-native species including stinky bob and foxglove destroying the alien invaders.  Are you interested in saving the world?  Then sign up for the next work party with the Mount Rainier National Park Associates at www.mrnpa.org .

Washington’s National Park Fund – July 18^th

Nine representatives from Washington’s National Park Fund joined us for a day of trail work in Paradise (literally) in mid-July.  Their project involved widening a portion of trail immediately behind the Jackson Visitor Center to its original width.  This work was crucial because this trail will be repaved later in the season, and the group was excited to help.  Following a hot day in the sun, the group retreated to their campground to clean up before going on a hike.  That night, some members of the group joined our astro-volunteers for a detailed view of the cosmos in a way they may have never seen before.  “The Fund” is the official nonprofit partner of Mount Rainier National Park, as well as North Cascades and Olympic National Parks.  For more information on how you can help with “The Fund” visit www.wnpf.org .

Citizen Science Projects throughout the Park – All Summer Long

Hundreds of volunteers spend their time in the park working on a variety of Citizen Science Projects offered throughout the 230,000+ acres of Mount Rainier National Park.  Some of these include MeadoWatch, which studies the wide range of stages of development for many subalpine flowers and where they are found on the mountain.  With this data gathered by many volunteers, scientists at the University of Washington will be able to compare it to previous years’ data to help determine the role of global climate change in the Mount Rainier area.  Other projects around the mountain include the Cascades Butterfly Project, the Amphibian Survey, and the Cascades Carnivore Survey (a survey that tracks some of the carnivores throughout the park through careful examination of their scat).  All of these projects will be continuing throughout the summer months.

RAVENS – Around Paradise All Summer Long

If you have had any issues with your car or maybe a fall on the trail in Paradise, chances are you have met one of our RAVENS (Roadside Assistance Volunteers).  Gary and Les have been working long hours all summer to provide the safest environment possible at Paradise, and if you see them around, feel free to thank them and even give them a high five!

Meadow Rovers – All Summer Long at Paradise and Sunrise

The Meadow Rovers have been out in full force this summer, as both Paradise and Sunrise have been swamped with visitors all summer long.  Recently, Maureen had the largest group of Rovers out on the trails she has ever had, and that was lucky, because on the same day there were seemingly countless tour busses and large groups all along the trails.  Sunrise has also been quite busy, having some of their highest amounts of visitors to date, and at both locations, some Rovers have been reporting over 500 contacts in one shift.  That is amazing everyone!  It seems as though the crowds will continue to grow as long as this beautiful weather sticks around, so keep up the amazing attitudes and know that you are always welcome to come and Meadow Rove, and even bring a friend if you’d like!  Lynn and Maureen have been having new Rover orientations all summer long, and don’t want to stop!

We also want to give a special shout out to Puget Sound Energy, whose donation through Washington’s National Park Fund allowed us to purchase additional radios for our volunteers to use this summer, enhancing their effectiveness and helping to keep both them and visitors safer on the trails!

Washington Trails Association – Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the Summer

The WTA has been working hard on a section of the Wonderland Trail in the northeastern corner of the park, leading to Summerland.  Every weekend, many volunteers come for a day or the entire weekend to work alongside the coordinators on projects to improve sections of the trails that have been washed out.  Much of the work has involved putting in new check steps and clearing drainages, and the trail looks beautiful now!  Additionally, the WTA has just completed their first Back Country Response Team trip to Emerald Ridge.  This small group of four volunteers spent five days in the backcountry, miles away from the Westside Road, and a two hour roundtrip walk away from the closest water source to begin work on a new section of the Wonderland Trail that was slowly falling over the edge of a cliff.  The WTA will continue work throughout the summer.  Do you want to get your hands dirty?  Then sign up for a single day, or a full weekend of trails work at www.wta.org .

And more…

These are just some of the volunteers working all over the park this summer. Interns are helping out in the visitor centers and surveying our streams and glaciers. Youth crews are repairing trails at Paradise and above Reflection Lake. Volunteer campground hosts assist visitors to our campgrounds, and other volunteers patrol backcountry trails and assist with park maintenance. If you come across our volunteers, or if you’re a volunteer yourself, send us your pictures and stories and we’ll publish them on our blog or Facebook page. Look for the volunteer patch wherever you go, and say thanks!

Looking Ahead to August

The weather is showing no signs of letting up anytime soon, which means there will be plenty of opportunities to volunteer throughout the month of August!  Here is a glimpse of some of the projects that will be going on all month and some of the groups coming in to join us.

Volunteer Picnics – August 14^th and 15^th, at Longmire and Sunrise, respectively

I think it is worth mentioning again that our volunteer picnics are just around the corner!  See the details at the top of this newsletter, and please join us!

Mount Rainier National Park Associates – August 15^th

The MRNPA will be back in action on August 15^th to help with the trail crew on a project around the Paradise area.  Following their day of hard work, they will be having their annual potluck in the Longmire Campground, and all participants in the work party that morning are invited.  Free camping will also be provided at the Longmire Stewardship Campground for anyone interested in joining for the night.  For more information, visit www.mrnpa.org .

Back Country Crews Hard at Work – Throughout the Month

The second SCA Community Crew has been in the field for a week now, and their third Crew will be coming later in the month.  In addition to the SCA, the Washington Trails Association’s Back Country Response Team number two will be out in the field at the end of the month, so if you see any of these groups deep in the woods, make sure to thank them for their great work!

Washington Trails Association – Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the Summer

The WTA is a longstanding partner of Mount Rainier National Park, and every weekend they are having volunteer work parties that are designed to improve sections of trail that are commonly traveled.  For information on where their next work part is in the park and how YOU can join them, visit www.wta.org.

Starbucks Trail Crew – August 8th

Over fifty members of the Starbucks crew will be coming this weekend and will be working alongside the trails crew at Paradise for the weekend. Follow the smell of coffee and sweat!

Shadows of the Past – August 22^nd

The annual Shadows of the Past living history program will commence at dusk on the night of August 22^nd. Join us at Longmire for a one-of-a-kind tour of the Trail of the Shadows by lantern light, and meet James and Virinda Longmire, John Muir, Fay Fuller, and many other real-life characters from Mount Rainier’s past!

REI – August 24^th to 26^th

Quite possibly the largest volunteer group ever to stay in the Longmire Stewardship Campground, over 150 people representing all of REI within 250 miles of the mountain will be here for three days of stewardship. Volunteers take note, if you need camping during these three days, we will be assigning you to overflow sites in the Cougar Rock Campground.

JVIPA (Japan Volunteers-in-Parks Association) – August 22^nd through September 5^th  

Our international volunteers will be back again later this month, working on a wide array of projects throughout the park.  In recent history they have built many of the picnic tables you have eaten lunch on and worked on a section of the boardwalk at the Kautz Creek trail.  Make sure you say hello and konichiwa to this group of volunteers that keep coming back year after year!

Looking ahead to September

Mark your calendars! September will include a public revegetation day at Sunrise on September 12, and National Public Lands Day on September 26. Watch our volunteer blog and this newsletter for more details!