By Kelly Sanderbeck, Donor Engagement Manager
Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF) works to fund critical priority projects in Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks, and we couldn’t do it without our dedicated supporters. Our Trailblazers series celebrates these passionate park lovers and all of their reasons for giving.
This week, meet Joan Hays. Joan has been a donor to WNPF since 2008. She spent 12 years as a Meadow Rover and, in her words: “For years I hiked the trails in nearby national parks and enjoyed the wonder and nourishment they provided. By spending time as a volunteer at Mount Rainier National Park, I still can experience the joys of the trails while offering to visitors an opportunity to learn about the park’s unique environment.”
We had a conversation about what the parks mean to her.
Are you from this area originally? If not, what brought you here?
I am originally from California but lived on Fox Island as a child for a year during the 2nd World War while my father was in the navy stationed out of Bremerton. Fox Island was the closest place we could find a rental. The home was on the beach and I fell in love with beachcombing and everything the Puget Sound had to offer. We even had a view of Mount Rainier. Schooling was in a one-room schoolhouse. The army brought me back to the area when my husband was stationed at Fort Lewis. Since we each had a love of sailing, hiking and skiing, we felt this was the perfect environment to start my husband’s optometric practice and raise a family.
How has your life changed with COVID-work, personal, etc? What are you doing to stay sane?
I walk Tacoma’s Point Defiance trails or beach with a friend three mornings a week, and I golf with a women’s group on Thursdays. Kayaking is also a safe sport. We wear masks as appropriate and since we are outside, feel safe. I can now get together with family since we have all been vaccinated and I love being able to see my great-grandsons. I attend church services online and a book group via Zoom. I do miss volunteering doing highway cleanup on 706 outside the Mount Rainier administration building three times a year, and beach cleanup along Washington’s north coast. I am hopeful that they can be resumed in the future.
Did you have experiences in the outdoors growing up?
I have always loved the outdoors. Perhaps my time on Fox Island fostered that. I started sailing at 16 with a girlfriend whose dad built her a sailing dinghy that we sailed in San Francisco Bay. We also sailed out of the Alameda Naval Air Station in 14-foot Zephers, a keelboat just perfect for the strong bay winds. We used cork vests for floatation in those days. I also sailed International 14s when belonging to UC Berkeley’s sailing team. I did hiking, camping and skiing in the Sierras. So, the Pacific Northwest was an ideal continuation of those activities.
What are some of your most memorable experiences in our parks? Do you have a favorite park or memory?
I have enjoyed hiking, backpacking and snowshoeing our national parks and forests since arriving in Washington in 1958.
Three favorite hikes are Yellow Aster Butte in the Mount Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest, the Royal Lakes Basin in Olympic National Park, and the Paradise Ice Caves, which are no longer there, in Mount Rainier National Park. My husband and I were perhaps among the last to hike into the caves. Because the sun was streaming through a hole in the ice ceiling, it was beautiful, but probably not safe.
I also loved my twelve years of volunteering as a Meadow Rover at Mount Rainier’s Sunrise and Paradise areas. I was also a Snow Rover at Paradise and helped rangers on their snowshoe walks. Keeping our meadow flowers safe from being trampled is critical.
One of my favorite memories as a volunteer was in the fall when plants were turning brown, orange and gold. The clouds were so low that visitors could only see at ground level — very disappointing for people who wanted to see the mountain. I came across a family whose son, about eight, asked “Where’s the mountain?” I pointed in Rainier’s direction and told him, “It’s hidden behind a cloud.” He reached out his hand into the white mist surrounding us and said, “Do you mean I’m touching a cloud?” He was thrilled and said, “I can hardly wait to go back to school and tell the kids.”
I have had some confrontational experiences with visitors who don’t appreciate why we try to keep dogs off trails and those who trample meadows to take pictures or have picnics. But for the most part, I had the best type of volunteering anyone could have.
What is your favorite thing to do now in the parks?
I still hike and camp though with the COVID restrictions it has been limited. My hiking partner and I did the lpsut Creek trail to the campground and back this last fall from the Carbon River side of Mount Rainier. The colors were beautiful. I also like to kayak on Lake Ozette in Olympic National Park and to hike out to Cape Alava.
What do you do, or have done, in your ‘real’ life? What else do you like to do for enjoyment?
I was an educator for 33 years, teaching grades kindergarten through high school and for nine summers as an adjunct professor at Pacific Lutheran University. I enjoyed all ages, finding them fascinating at each level.
I have two children of my own — my son David is an optometrist in University Place, and my daughter Carolyn is a teacher in Minnesota. Five grandchildren are all launched into the world, and I have three great-grandchildren. My husband and I also fostered teenagers and have taken in the homeless until they were able to stand on their own.
For enjoyment, especially during the pandemic, I primarily do outside activities. I miss the symphony, opera and Shakespeare plays I used to regularly attend, and of course, I miss getting together over a meal with friends.
Can you tell us something about yourself that people might not know about you?
I took each of my grandchildren on an adventure trip as a college graduation gift. The various excursions were sometimes my idea and others were theirs. One grandson was interested in the Alaska/Yukon gold rush, so we explored that by ferry, plane and car. A granddaughter and I took a kayaking trip to Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay; another granddaughter and I hiked in Patagonia, a grandson and I went to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for hiking, kayaking and snorkeling, and I took a grandson to New Zealand on an REI multi-sport trip. It was very special to be able to spend two weeks with each adult grandchild.
How did you learn about Washington’s National Park Fund and do you have any specific passions or areas you’d like to see your gifts go toward?
I first heard about the fund through a Mount Rainier ranger and started donating. I met Laurie Ward while volunteering at the park one afternoon and started contributing more. I also joined the first WNPF Woman’s Only Weekend at the Longmire Volunteer campground around the evening campfire and related some of my experiences as a Meadow Rover. The next day, a couple of the women joined me on my rounds. I hope they were inspired to volunteer in some capacity as well.
I don’t have any specific recommendations where funds should go, although there is generally a need for park radios for emergency communication. The fund has contributed to that in the past and was really appreciated. Both rangers and volunteers need them for a connection to Dispatch. I have had to make contact a number of times for incidents on the trail.
How do you hope our parks look and operate in 100 years?
I want a portion of our parks to remain wild, both for the benefit of the flora and fauna, but also for those of us who enjoy the trails away from crowds. The front country needs to stay friendly to visitors who are looking for views, education, activities and lodging. I hope that space for vehicles can be solved because needs for parking or for some kind of transport has increased through the years. Tourists who are coming just to take a look and perhaps a short hike need to find a close place to park or perhaps ride a shuttle.
Backpackers need a safe place to park for extended trips into the backcountry. So, in 100 years, I hope inspired minds and the funds to make it possible will take care of what I see as a problem.
We are so grateful for the many Trailblazers who help us achieve our mission. Interested in supporting the parks? Give a gift today, and together we’ll ensure our parks remain vibrant and everlasting for years to come.