At 6:10 this morning George Dunn stepped onto the 14,411-foot summit of Mount Rainier and into the record books.

The 56-year-old guide and director of Ashford’s International Mountain Guides became the first person to successfully climb the mountain 500 times.

Dunn and the six other members of his party left Ingraham Flats at about 11,000 feet shortly after midnight and battled less-than-optimal weather conditions on the way to the summit.

“There were tough spots where they

…

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Portions of the Rainbow Bridge Fire, located within the Stehekin Valley of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, are approaching buildings on the valley floor.

The fire was frist reported Thursday just before 5 p.m. The fire is burning in extremely steep terrain in the Rainbow Creek and Boulder Creek drainages about three miles up-valley from Stehekin Landing.

Earlier this evening, the fire was estimated at 1,200 acres in size and is burning in a heavily forested area. The cause of the fire is unknown.

Two fingers of the fire are approaching the valley floor near the Stehekin School and …

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George Dunn’s quest to be the first person to climb Mount Rainier 500 times has been postponed a day.

Dunn started his climb with family and friends Thursday, a day later than originally planned. The guide and director for International Mountain Guides will spend today at Camp Muir and leave for the summit sometime shortly after midnight on Saturday morning.

If all goes as planned he should reach the summit for the 500^th time early Saturday morning.

Dunn climbed Rainier for the first time in the late 1960s (He thinks it was ’69, but he’s not sure) while attending Renton …

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Here is a link to Craig Hill’s story that ran in today’s News Tribune.

Lee F. Adams, 52, of Seattle, is believed dead after he and three other climbers fell Tuesday into a crevasse while descending Mount Rainier on the Emmons Glacier.

According to Lee Taylor, spokeswoman at Mount Rainier National Park, the four were at 13,000 feet on the mountain’s northeast flank when the last of the climbers on the rope fell.

Climbing rangers dispatched to the summit by helicopter recovered Adams’s body from the crevasse and were waiting for the helicopter to return to transport the body …

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While areas around Paradise still have large patches of snow along and on the trails, it seems wildflowers at Sunrise and Mowich Lake are starting to bloom.

That’s the report from Lou Whiteaker, plant ecologist at Mount Rainier National Park. He said it will still be another week or two before the flowers really begin to bloom.

He passed along this report, compiled by another staffer at the park:

Great area of the week: The Mowich area has fields of avalanche lilies blooming in Spray Park. Around Mowich lake, there are great patches of Jeffrey’s shooting stars.

The Sunrise area …

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Hunters have until Aug. 18 to apply for an chance to hunt deer this fall on the 6,000- acre Charles and Mary Eder unit of the Scotch Creek Wildlife Area in northeastern Okanogan County.

Applications for the “limited-entry” deer hunt can be submitted on the state Department of Fish and Wildlife website or by contacting the the department’s northcentral region office at 509-754-4624 or Olympia headquarters at 360-902-2515.

The deadline to apply is midnight Aug. 18.

Eighteen applicants will be chosen for the hunt opportunity during a random drawing scheduled Aug. 19. Winners of the drawing will …

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The Mount St. Helens Institute has added to its programs a group of family-friendly Friday hikes as well as Sunday hikes throughout the end of summer. Participants will have the chance to explore the spectacular vistas, hear interesting geological stories and see waterfalls around the southside of Mount St. Helens. All hikes cost $10 per person.

The Sunday hikes are designed for hikers ages 14 and older. They are Aug. 8th to Ape Canyon and Aug. 22 along Siouxon Creek.

The family-friendly Friday hikes are designed for the whole family. The are Friday to Ape Cave, Aug. 13 to June …

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George Dunn, the 56-year-old guide and co-director of International Mountain Guides, climbed Mount Rainier for the 499^th time Friday morning and on July 30 – weather permitting – will be the first man ever to summit the 14,411-foot mountain 500 times.

We’ll feature Dunn in Monday’s News Tribune and Olympian, but after speaking to many mountaineers about Dunn I had to whittle many comments out of the story so it was of a manageable size.

So allow me to empty the notebook here. Here are what mountaineers – including everybody with 300 or more Rainier summits – and those who …

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