Mar 22, 2009: Celebrate Mt Rainier skiing 100 yrs

Nice set-up and nice work!  I've got some old mountaineering gloves...maybe a small race...short and sweet - both downhill and skating?

I'd like to propose Sunday, March 22 as the day to gather at Paradise to celebrate 100 years of Rainier skiing.

I'll put this date on the calendar and am planning to be there. Sounds great!

I spoke with Craig Hill of the Tacoma News Tribune this morning. He is filing a story about the Rainier ski centennial that should appear in the paper on Thursday, March 19. From our conversation, it sounds like this could be a nice story that discusses the changes in skiing that have occurred at Mt Rainier over the last century.

The story will also provide information for anyone who might like to come celebrate the centennial on Sunday, March 22. I told Craig that we would be meeting at the new Paradise visitor center after the Longmire gate opens in the morning. But I also said he should mention turns-all-year.com as the place to find the latest planning details.

In the meantime, I've been gradually putting together an old-fashioned ski outfit. Photo below (click thumbnail to enlarge).

Vest and shoulder bag: Value Village. Bamboo pole: Sky Nursery. Socks: REI snowboard department. Skis: The Mountaineers Archives. Hat: Byrnie Utz Hats in Seattle (yeah, I splurged on the hat).   The rest of the stuff I had already.

Anybody else want to dress up? There's no requirement, but it would be great to see more costumes.

My rough idea is to meet at the Paradise visitor center, take some photos, then tour to Sluiskin Falls. Getting there and back on the old skis I'm bringing may be a challenge. If the weather is nice, we'll ski a little, have a picnic, maybe a little commemorative ceremony. Then return to Paradise (or split up and seek your favorite stash). I'm planning to bring modern gear in the car for afternoon skiing. My wife and son will probably come as well.

If you have other ideas for making this a fun day, feel free to post them here. I'll post more details on the meeting arrangements in the coming days...

barring unforseen circumstances, I'll see you there!

I sent a message to Randy King, acting superintendent of Rainier National Park telling him about the Sunday March 22 celebration and inviting him and any of his park staff to join us. I received a reply from Chuck Young, chief ranger. He wrote:

Sounds like a fun time, and I wanted to let you know we would be very interested in having one or two of our staff join you on the ski up to Sluiskin Falls and back.
...
Can't guarantee our ranger(s) well be dressed in circa 1900's garb, but we would enjoy meeting with your group.

That sounds great to me. The current forecast is calling for a good shot of snow or rain on Friday, with showery and cooler weather on Saturday. This morning's NWAC extended forecast predicts "Weak upper ridging offshore should yield decreasing and more scattered showers Saturday night with a brief clearing trend likely Sunday."

With advice from a frequent Rainier skier, I've been mulling over a meeting time. I suggest arriving at Longmire at 9:30 a.m. Sunday morning, March 22. If the gate is open, we'll continue immediately to Paradise and gather in the Visitor Center around 10:30 a.m. This meeting time is a compromise based on my gut feeling (neither too early nor too late, I hope).

The rough plan is to meet at the visitor center to welcome everyone and get organized. Then we'll ski toward Sluiskin Falls. Conditions permitting, it might be nice to climb to Mazama Ridge near the Stevens/Van Trump memorial. If the weather is not too bad this could be a good place for a lunch break. After lunch I expect to return to Paradise. Others could do the same or split and hunt for powder. I'm assuming that all the skiers attending will be self-sufficient.

I hope to see you there!

Words of support from Acting Superintendent Randy King:

I very much appreciate your note and the invitation to park employees to participate in the commemorative outing on Sunday.    One hundred years of skiing is a noteworthy event!

Mr. King has expressed interest in joining us if his schedule permits.