By Guest Blogger Lesley Hobbs, Friend of the Fund
Mount Rainier – my mountain, though I happily share her with anyone who also claims her as theirs; after all, her majesty belongs to all.
I first learned about, and saw, Mount Rainier in June 2004, on a plane as we approached our new home state. Her crown pushed through the blanket of cloud and shone in the bright sun and took my breath away. I had expected a beautiful place — everyone said Washington was like Ireland, the home I had just left, verdant and rainy with loads of outdoors activities — but I had not expected such a powerful welcome. I settled back in my seat, watching as we flew past the mountain and approached Seattle.
A few days later, I wandered through the house my husband had chosen and, as I stood on the balcony that bright sunny day taking it all in, the expansive view swept across the nearby shopping area to the park in the further distance. And as my gaze lifted to the horizon, I noticed the smallest white triangle. Could it be possible? Had he unknowingly bought a home with a view of the mountain? Yes, he had (what a clever man!) and the love affair began.
Over the coming years, we dragged our four kids to hike and camp many of the distinct areas of the park. We learned which trails we preferred, and which had too many other hikers. We enjoyed the riot of colorful flowers on the meadows and the silence of snow-covered winter visits. For every person who visited us, we drove the two hours to the park, forcing all our friends to taste this new life in the fresh and often rainy air of the sometimes-hidden mountain. Most appreciated our efforts. We participated in Boy Scout camping trips and occasionally made the four-hour round trip simply so we could breathe deeply. We even drove longer routes through Seattle and its suburbs just to catch a glimpse. My favorite was heading west across the 520 bridge just as it crests – the water glistening before me, the mountain standing proud to my left. Each time the view caught me unawares; left me breathless. No day, no glimpse was ever the same.
Of course, we regularly visited additional National Parks, including Washington’s other two jaw-droppers – North Cascades and Olympic, and enjoyed the unique experiences of each. We always wondered, though, if another would capture our hearts and imagination in the same way as Mount Rainier had. None did. We always returned to the mountain, unable to stay away for long.
After a decade in the state, we realized we had received so much enjoyment from the National Parks and we wanted to give back in some way — we wanted to volunteer. Soon, we would say to each other, soon. But when? We were both impatient. The occasional visit and hike no longer satisfied; we wanted more. And then the kids started leaving, one after the other, our house grew quieter and the dream grew into possibility.
And so, when the time came to move from the city, it was natural that we would consider moving closer. In the name of due diligence, we also explored areas near Olympic National Park as well as other locations, but none felt right. We longed for a Mount Rainier view (doesn’t everyone?) and easy access to the park, so we narrowed our search. Fortune favored us; we found the perfect house and we moved in the spring of 2016.
With the mountain framed by our living room window, she is always present, even when hidden behind dense cloud coverage. Every morning I look through the window to see if she is out; sometimes she is a dark shadow against a barely light sky, other times it feels as if I could reach out and touch her. And then there are those days when I cannot see her, but I feel her. I often watch the sun rise from her north flank, my morning tea in hand, often streaking the sky with pinks and purples. Winter’s watery light appears well south of her gentle slopes, occasionally offering soft purple and blue wisps. And for a few short weeks the sun presents itself as a halo encompassing her crown, leaving anyone who witnesses such beauty breathless and grateful.
It’s been almost fifteen years and my love continues to grow. Ansel Adams said, “I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful, an endless prospect of magic and wonder.” For me the world’s beauty begins in my own backyard: Mount Rainier, my word for magic and wonder.