When I turned 70 I set a goal of riding my bicycle in as many National Parks as possible. This year, age 74, I rode through park #7, Big Bend National Park in Texas. My “home” park is Mount Rainier. During good weather I try to ride up once a week to keep in shape for my National Park goal.
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
“My dad was a geologist. I "grew up" on Mount Rainier, climbed it for the first time in 1960 when I was 15. Dad did photographic glacier studies and talked about climate change even then in those early years. He taught me to love and protect our parks, and especially the alpine wildflowers. Now I'm a National Park Service Volunteer. My service is picking up litter from the road sides. I do this every 3rd bike ride into the park.”
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Greetings from Mount Rainier National Park
Being a kid from East Texas, I'd never been to a real mountain. The first time I did visit would be with my future wife. We enjoyed hiking, exploring, and seeing sites that didn't seem real to me. I've rhen, since been many times, but that first visit will forever…
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Greetings from Mount Rainier National Park
Mt. Rainier National Park had a big role in my coming into this world. My future Dad, Russ Fryburg, managed cabins there in 1942. He'd hangout at Paradise Inn, girl watching. One June night, he locked-in on a stunning redhead, playing that big pinewood piano in the lobby. Even though…
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Greetings from Mount Rainier National Park
This summer three friends and I had the amazingly good fortune to score a permit to backpack the 93 mile Wonderland Trail around the base of Mt Rainier. We had gorgeous weather and views all ten days and it was the experience of a lifetime. It felt like a rite…
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