Author Archive

Losing Paradise: Climate change is changing Mount Rainier

Olympian: If the scientists are right, the end is near for a Northwest treasure — at least as we know it. Climate change is melting Mount Rainier’s glaciers at six times the historic rate. For years now, the melting has sent floods of water and rock pounding down the mountain, filling up rivers, killing old-growth forests and endangering historic national park buildings. The glacial outbursts also are tearing up the roads that provide access to the park’s wonders, testing the National Park Service...

Park both protected and burdened

Olympian: If you’ve ever driven into Mount Rainier National Park through the Nisqually entrance, you might know the feeling. As you pass beneath the massive log arch and begin easing your car through tree-lined curves, there’s a sense of entering another reality. Susan Dolan says she always feels it. “Every time I drive through that entrance, I feel touched by the legacy,” said Dolan, who manages the Cultural Landscapes Program for the National Park Service from her office in Seattle. The feeling...