Share your Park Stories

For decades, you've been out creating memories in Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Share your stories about family and friends here, and share your love for these beautiful parks. Washington's National Park Fund is committed to connecting people who care to the parks, and there's no better way to connect than with your great memories!

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Story by Gae Ryan, Vancouver, WA:

I worked at the Visitor Center at Paradise for two summers in college in the early 1970's. A friend I made there, Valerie, and I used to go hiking before our shift started at 11 am. Since I worked in the kitchen, I could pack us breakfasts. Our usual trip was from Paradise to the saddle of Pinnacle Peak where we would eat breakfast, and then return in time for work. We had to start at 5 am to do this, and because we would usually get back with only a little time to change for work, I would hike with my hair in curlers, with a scarf wrapped around my head. The curlers were pretty large, like the size of orange juice cans. So, I suspect the effect was to make my head look twice as large as normal, but at that time of day we never ran into anyone on the trail anyway.

One morning, we had just started out and were just below the road down the backside from Paradise. I was a bit ahead of Valerie and we were (fortunately) clumping along. I made a curve in the trail to see a bear rise up out of the bushes on her hind legs. We froze (the rangers had let us know that there was a mother bear with cub that had been eating out of the garbage cans and that we should be on the lookout), and the bear stood on her hind legs just staring at us for about 10 seconds. Then, she turned and ran off through the woods. We always assumed it was because I looked so strange, but there’s no way of proving that. We talked a bit about turning back, but figured we had scared the heck out of the bear, and continued on to have breakfast on Pinnacle Peak.

Gae recently contacted Washington's National Park Fund about providing for Mount Rainier National Park in her Will.  We appreciate Gae's consideration of a charitable gift as part of her estate plans.