I am a current high school senior who immigrated to the U.S. six years ago. During the past three years, I have had really amazing experiences in the national parks that have changed my life. One of these experiences happened at Mount Rainier.
In April, Rainier is still cloaked with deep patches of snow. No flowers, no songbirds. I was part of a seven-person team, professing mountaineering skills to prepare for a Denali endeavor.
Although I have previously submitted a 24,000 feet mountain, this course offered a new challenge: hauling sleds. The first two days, I had fun trying to keep the sled from sliding away on the snowy slopes, and we kept warm by having the right equipment. One of the benefits of visiting the park in April was that there were no other tourists. The silence was tranquil.
Sincerely,
Mount Rainier National Park
Majestic Mount Rainier is the highest peak in the Cascade Range and an active volcano with more glaciers than any other mountain in the United States. Just an hour's drive from Seattle, the park's wild landscape feels much further from civilization. The forests, parkland, wetlands, lakes and rivers offer 260 miles of trails and varied habitat to dozens of plant and animal species.
State(s): Washington
Established: 1899
“They are pristine places where people can reconnect with nature.”
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