Mount Rainier
This article is about a volcano near Seattle, Washington, USA. For other meanings, see Mount Rainier (disambiguation).
| Mount Rainier | |
|---|---|
| File:Mt Rainier distant-300px.jpg Mount Rainer, as seen from Gig Harbor in Puget Sound, about 45 mi (70 km) away | |
| Elevation: | 14,411 ft (4,392 m) |
| Latitude: | 46° 51′ 11.88″ N |
| Longitude: | 121° 45′ 35.64″ W |
| Location: | Washington State, USA |
| Topo map: | USGS Mount Rainier West |
| Range: | Cascades |
| Type: | Composite volcano |
| Age of rock: | < 500000 yr |
| First ascent: | 1870 by Hazard Stevens and P.B. Van Trump |
| Easiest route: | rock/ice climb |
Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano (and National Park) located south and east of Seattle, Washington. One of the monarchs of the Cascade Range, it was originally known as Tahoma. It is mostly covered by glaciers, but heat from the volcano keeps areas of the crater rim on its summit cone ice-free.
While it is possible to climb to the summit, it is not an easy hike; in most years, unpredictable snow and storms trap and kill hikers. Mount Rainier is a good place for winter sports, including snowshoeing and skiing.
Mount Rainier's earliest lavas are about 500,000 years old (Sisson and others, 2001). The most recent recorded eruption was between 1820 and 1854, but many eye witnesses reported eruptive activity in the late 1800s (Harris, 1988). As of 2002, there is no imminent risk of eruption, but geologists expect that the volcano will erupt again. Lahars (large volcanic debris flows) from Rainier pose the most risk to life and property. However, Rainier is also capable of producing pyroclastic flows as well as hot lava.
History
Mount Rainier was first discovered by the Native Americans. At the time Europeans reached the area, it was inhabited by the Nisqually, Cowlitz, Yakama, Puyallup, and Muckleshoot tribes. Residents of the mountain's river valleys, they hunted and gathered berries in the forests and mountain meadows.
Captain George Vancouver sailed into Puget Sound in 1792, and became the first European to see the mountain. He named it in honor of his friend, Rear Admiral Peter Rainier.
In 1833, Dr. William Tolmie explored the area looking for medicinal plants. He was followed by other explorers seeking challenge. Hazard Stevens and P.B. Van Trump received a hero's welcome in the streets of Olympia after their successful summit climb in 1870. John Muir climbed Mount Rainier in 1888, and although he enjoyed the view, he conceded that it was best appreciated from below. Muir was one of many who advocated protecting the mountain. In 1893, the area was set aside as part of the Pacific Forest Reserve in order to protect its physical/economic resources: timber and watersheds.
Citing the need to also protect scenery and provide for public enjoyment, railroads and local businesses urged the creation of a national park in hopes of increased tourism. On March 2, 1899, President William McKinley established Mount Rainier National Park as America's 5th national park. Congress dedicated the new park "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people; and...for the preservation from injury or spoliation of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders within said park, and their retention in their natural condition."