Tahoma and Its People: A Natural History of Mount Rainier National Park

“Live like the Mountain is out!” This phrase is heard these days to describe the lifestyle of the people of the Pacific Northwest living within the specter of the state’s iconic Mount Rainier. People frequently jump to the defense of their favorite mountain from the pantheon of giants that make up the Cascade Range. Of the summits that mingle with the clouds at 10,000 feet or more, a good case can be made for the esprit and intimacy of the Sisters; the architecture of Mount Hood; the bell curve of Mount Adams; the austerity of Glacier Peak; and the pure loveliness of Mount Baker. It is probably best not to compare these beauties, however; but to claim them all as part of the wonderful mountain mosaic of the Pacific Northwest.There is no dispute, however, about the preeminence of Mount Rainier in terms of its sheer size and mass. Rainier is the largest individual mountain in the continental United States. It is the highest peak in the Cascades at 14,410 feet and fourth tallest in the United States. Rainier is visible from most points in Washington state, and buttresses the boundary where earth meets sky. Its purple sheer walls, draped with snowy white mantels, provide a monarchical appearance. Indeed, from the south, the triune summit spurs appear like a royal crown that amplifies its sovereign grandeur.Jeff Antonelis-Lapp has offered up a fine book that catalogs and expands on the natural history of this great mountain and eminent national Park. He organizes the book around the geology, original people, and the watersheds emanating from the peak. His geologic history of the mountain is easy to read for the lay person. He offers an important segment on the impact of climate change on Rainier and other northwest mountains and glaciers. Antonelis-Lapp reports that glacial loss and recession in the North Cascades has been substantial since 1900. The 800 glaciers in the North Cascades have lost 56 percent of their area in that time span. The glaciers of Mount Adams to the south have been reduced by nearly 50 percent in 100 years; and the glaciers in Olympic National Park “have lost one-third of their glacial ice since 1980.”The 26 glaciers on Mount Rainier total 30 square miles, hold more ice than all other Cascade glaciers combined, and account for 25 percent of all the glacial ice in the lower forty-eight states. Mount Rainier park geologist, Scott Beason, found that perennial ice on Mount Rainier shrank by 39 percent between 1896 and 2015; and that “all of Mount Rainier’s glaciers are at their historic minimums.” Studies of the Nisqually Glacier on the mountain’s south side have determined that it has retreated 2.5 miles since 1840 and the terminus has risen from 3,800 to 5,500 feet in elevation.The conventional wisdom among Mount Rainier archeologists before 1963 was that Native Americans did not frequent areas within today’s boundaries of Mount Rainier National Park—especially the upper reaches of the mountain. Perhaps this is because Indians like Sluiskin, who guided Hazzard Stevens and Philemon Van Trump on the first climb of Rainier, warned the climbers about the demons that dwell on the upper slopes of the peak. It was felt at that time that native people shied away from alpine and sub-alpine areas in the region’s mountain ranges because of fear and superstition. Also, by 1963 archeologists had discovered just two prehistoric sites within the park that had been occupied by human beings.It was well established that Indians often traversed the mountain passes that crisscross the Cascades near Mount Rainier—Naches, Cowlitz, Carlton, Chinook, and White—to trade and visit family members. The Yakama Indians traveled west more than coastal Indians traveled east. But both groups possessed items of interest for their tribal brethren on the other side of the Cascade crest. Objects traded among the Native people included clams, shells, smelt, salmon, huckleberries, buckskins, baskets, and pipes. Communities of native peoples were found along the rivers and valleys that radiated from the mountain.Antonelis-Lapp builds on Allan Smith's Takhoma, and expands on the evidence that native peoples visited the higher realms of the mountain for generations. Just in the last fifteen years, however, archeologists and park officials have discovered new evidence—scientists have excavated over 90 sites—that prehistoric and historic peoples hunted, gathered berries, and occupied high altitude areas around Mount Rainier. They have discovered remains of food eaten by early people including wild hazelnut, elderberry, marmot, and mountain goat (Smith, Allan, 2006, xiii-xiv). It is now apparent that the original people of Washington State enjoyed the ambiance, views, as well as the bounty of the terrain in and around Mount Rainier well before the arrival of Europeans.In his chapter on early people Antonelis-Lapp writes, "Two stalwart contributors to the park's archeological finds, reports, and maps expanded ideas about peoples' precontact presence on the mountain. (Dalle-Molle and Fabiani.) In addition to the individual artifacts that eventually totaled over two dozen, another rock shelter and a butchering site [in the Sunrise area] were added to the record." He comments further on the landmark work of Burtchard and Hamilton in 1995. "This pair conducted archeological reconnaissance on more than 3,500 acres. They added an astounding 32 finds to the park's record."The author provides important natural history of the major watersheds that drain Mount Rainier. He discusses the prairie-oak and river restoration of the Nisqually watershed; the first peoples, clean-up, and dangers of the Puyallup watershed; and the forest canopy and interesting life cycles of the marbled murrelet and bull trout of the Carbon watershed.The author incorporates a narrative and map of the William O. Douglas Heritage Trail that runs 80 miles from the city of Yakima to Mount Rainier National Park (pages 197-201). Named for the Yakima native and Supreme Court justice he describes his hike along the Douglas Trail with trail pioneer, Ray Paolella, past the Pacific Crest Trail all the way to Ohanapecosh. This book is an important and fine addition to the literature on this beloved Northwest monument. The natural history details the power of this sentinel, its history, geology, ecology, and symbolism. Through our lifetime the mountain has remained unflappable and seemingly indomitable and will remain so until, based on its own timetable, it will intervene once again in geologic and human history.

This book is wonderfully written. At first before I bought this book I was concerned the tone of the book would be dull and boring like reading a text book but I was absolutely WRONG. This book is wonderfully written in a way that it is entertaining and educational leading you gently on a delightful historical informational journey without the typical boring textbook vibe that most other books of the like give off.The book has lots of fantastic illustrations including quite a few pictures/illustrations IN COLOR! The author uses wonderful easy to follow/understand illustrations to help break down and explain a number of different topics more specifically geological events through history of the different mountains in the area and the whole area in general making it a lot more easier for one to understand, comprehend and get a feel for the time frame of different geological events throughout this regions history relative to our human/human activity in the area time scale.I was born and raised in Washington State living here my whole life and I’m an avid outdoorswomen and had already been quite knowledgeable and educated on this state’s natural history but I had found quite a lot of information in this book that was completely new to me and had no idea about and learned a lot of new things from this book.I would highly recommend this book in general but I also highly recommend this book to any science/history teachers looking for a book for the whole class to read together as well.

Best summary of the history of the Mt Rainier region! Just what I was looking for!

This book is so informative and really opened my eyes to PNW natural history.

Living near Mt. Rainier (Tahoma) and now getting a chance to read in depth about it in a personal and inspirational book has been a real treat! The history of the geological formation of the mountain and the continuous changes it undergoes on a daily basis was really eye-opening. Learning about the way the native people interact with the mountain, and their customs and beliefs helped me connect with the mountain and the whole region in a new way. The author certainly has done a thorough job conveying not only the science and geology behind the how and why, but a love for the mountain that comes through in his writing style. Highly Recommended!!

This is a fascinating read about many different aspects of Mt. Rainier. It covers topics such as geologic history, history of the peoples that have lived there, the wildlife, plant and tree life, rivers --- and how they interact and affect each other. it's packed with information, yet very readable and enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed his narration of various hikes and research outings he's taken with various groups. He also discusses climate change, and how it has impacted the mountain -- fascinating. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Mt. Rainier.

This isn't your dry, boring text on natural history. The writing is poetic and beautifully paced. The author truly allows the reader to be there, in the moment. Surrounded by such beauty, you can almost smell the forests and hear the streams, as he travels throughout history. Highly recommend for anyone that loves well written books. Mr. Antonelis-Lapp is a master storyteller.

Jeff does an amazing job bringing the nature history of Tahoma alive. Whether you know nothing of Tahoma are a long time lover of all its splendors, this book will keep you engaged and ready for your next visit!