By Martha Craig
Norma Colon was heading to Fort Lewis, eager to begin a new chapter in her life, when she looked up and fell in love with a mountain. “I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to go to that mountain!’” she recalls. Since that momentous first sighting, not only has Norma been to Mount Rainier many times, she serves there as a volunteer Meadow Rover, welcoming visitors to the Park and helping to ensure that their visit is safe, comfortable, and memorable.
Growing up in El Salvador, Norma had little experience exploring the country’s wild spaces. “Growing up we just didn’t go camping,” she explains. When she was 16 years old, she immigrated to the U.S.. Her parents, Mabel and Rodolfo Tellos, wanted what all parents want for their children: a place where they could grow and thrive. But in the 1970s, El Salvador was embroiled in a civil war and the economy was in freefall.
Mabel left first, finding work as a housekeeper in Los Angeles, while Rodolfo stayed behind with Norma and her brother, Rodolfo Emmanuel. The family Mabel worked for was so impressed with her work ethic that they sponsored her for permanent residency, the legal path to citizenship in the 70s. Three years later, the rest of the family joined her in Los Angeles. It was 1976 and Norma was a new student at John Marshall High School. “It was such a culture shock,” she says. She struggled with English and had difficulty finding her way in a strange, new world. Norma has a particularly vivid memory of standing behind a fence with a group of other excited students and watching as the final scene from Grease was shot on the school’s football field.
Six months after graduating high school, Norma was a soldier in the U.S. Army. She completed her two-month basic training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, followed by advanced training as a nuclear chemical biological specialist. As she rose through the ranks to E7 sergeant first class, Norma took on leadership and administrative assignments. She also had an opportunity to see more of the world. She was stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Giessen, Germany; Taegu, Korea; and Fort Lewis, where she helped set up training and first felt the call of majestic Mount Rainier. Prior to becoming an instructor at the Army’s Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) she was deployed with her supply unit to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, for ten months during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In all, Norma spent 15 years in the Army, before accepting early retirement with full benefits.
Norma graduated from St. Martin’s University with a teaching degree and taught junior high school and high school Spanish, before becoming an administrative support assistant in the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. “I do the back-end work of supporting housing owned by the Department that provides transitional assistance to veterans seeking employment while they get established.”
When Norma was first stationed at Fort Lewis, a friend from the base invited her and her daughter, Sadia, to go camping in Mount Rainier National Park. “There were five moms and ten kids,” says Norma, “I loved being out there on the mountain. We ended up making it a summer tradition and now we’re taking the grandkids! I love introducing the next generation to the Park and giving them experiences they’ll never forget.”
An enthusiastic park visitor, Norma became a volunteer after learning that the University of Washington was looking for people to collect wildflower data for their MeadoWatch Program on the slopes of Mount Rainier. She went to UW for the orientation and began collecting data. She has volunteered every year since 2014.
Of all the beautiful wildflowers on Mount Rainier, Norma’s favorite are avalanche lilies. “When they bloom it’s a sign that the mountain is waking up and summer is coming,” says Norma. Her favorite trail is the one to Comet Falls, because it’s so peaceful, varied and the falls are so beautiful. And she loves the Park’s abundant wildlife. “There are marmots and pikas everywhere. I encourage visitors to give them space and take their time photographing them. Marmots are happy to pose.” Norma used to wonder if she’d ever encounter a bear. Then, last summer she saw one almost every time she went out on the mountain. On one close encounter, Norma recalls, “I was coming up to Myrtle Falls and the bear was just there. He saw me, I stepped back and gave him plenty of room, and he continued moving down the mountain. My adrenaline was at an all-time high.”
While out on the trail one day, Norma met a couple of Meadow Rovers, who encouraged her to join their ranks. She signed up at the Park’s Jackson Center with Maureen Mclean, Program Manager for the Mount Rainier Meadow Rovers, completed her training and has been a Meadow Rover since 2016. At first, she’d go out on the trail with her fellow volunteers, who proved very helpful, since every Meadow Rover has their own interests and specialties.
During the summer, Norma is at Paradise or Sunrise, finding every opportunity to volunteer on weekends, and Thursday through Sunday on holiday weekends. On a typical shift, she checks with Maureen on the needs for that day, gets her radio, backpack and water, and decides which trail to take. Hikers typically arrive early, and Norma likes to be on the trail to greet them. “Sometimes people forget to bring water, they’re wearing flip flops or are otherwise unprepared. I inquire about their plans, let them know if a trail might be difficult in flip flops, offer them water from the extra water I carry, etc. My goal is to keep them safe on the trail, offer insights and make their experience even more awesome,” says Norma.
If she notices someone speaking Spanish, Norma make a point of addressing them in their native language. “I ask them ‘What brings you here? Can I help you?’ I take every opportunity to make them feel welcome.”
Norma has a message for those who still haven’t visited Mount Rainier National Park. “Pick a beautiful day and drive out there. Step out of your comfort zone. Enjoy what the Park has to offer and experience what we have in the State of Washington.” And to Spanish-speaking visitors, she says, “Te quiero animar a que vengas a visitar el parque de Mount Rainier.” (“I encourage you to visit Mount Rainier National Park.”)