I spent Friday at Crystal Mountain for Ski Heritage Week where  the ski resort, Rangers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and others were on hand to pay tribute to the 10th Mountain Division. Even some family members of the World War II veterans were on hand.

My coverage of the event appears in Saturday’s News Tribune and Olympian, but until then here are some highlights:

LYNN PHILLIPS, DAUGHTER OF 10th MOUNTAIN DIVISION VETERAN, AND SONJA STINGL, WIFE OF VETERAN, SING A DIVISION SONG FROM WORLD WAR II.

LYRICS FROM TWO 10TH …

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A Mount Rainier National Park ranger and five deputies were honored recently for his attempt to rescue fallen coworker Margaret Anderson, who was shot by a park visitor on Jan. 1.

West District ranger Kraig Snure received a medal of valor from the Pierce County Sheriff’s department on March 29 for “demonstrating exceptional bravery.” Sgt. Nick Hausner and deputies Frank Brown, Brian Coburn, Kevin Reding and Ara Steben received the same honor.

(Click here to read more details about the response by Snure and the deputies.)

Snure and the officers were the first to re-enter the scene of the …

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This is the last weekend to enjoy the snowplay area at Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park.

Sunday will be the last day for snowplay and the guided walks, said Chuck Young, chief ranger at Mount Rainier National Park.

The snowshoe walks are start at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The walk covers 1 ½ miles and takes about two hours. The walks are are limited to 25 people, 8 years old or older, on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up at the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center information desk one hour before each walk. A $4 donation …

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Living in the South Sound, we’ve all seen the plate-like clouds build over the summit of Mount Rainier.

On Monday, the Daily Mail newspaper’s website published a series of photos with different cloud formations over the mountain. The images are credited to amateur photographer Tyler Mode.

Here is the link to the Mail’s story.

A number of Mount Rainier National Park and National Park Service staffers, plus commercial guides, are holding a board of review to look at the series of incidents earlier this winter.

Five people died on the mountain in December and January, and another three spent two nights after snowshoeing mishaps.

The board is expected to release a report with its findings and recommendations in about two weeks.

Here is a link to the story I wrote about the review in today’s paper.

Lee Taylor, who has been chief of interpretation and education at Mount Rainier National Park, today has been named superintendent at San Juan Island National Historical Park.

A 30-year career employee of the National Park Service, Taylor replaces former superintendent Peter Dederich who recently transferred to the Service’s Pacific West Regional Office in Seattle. She will assume her new duties April 22.

“Lee has a great deal of energy, creativity and passion and excels at engaging communities,” Pacific West Regional Director Chris Lehnertz said in a prepared statement. “She has a collaborative approach that will lend itself well to working …

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The National Park Service is offering a free app to help with planning a trip to a national park.

Developed by the National Park Service’s long-time partner nonprofit educational partner, Eastern National, the new app provides links to all 397 national park websites for quick access to trip planning. The app also
allows users to keep track of the parks they’ve visited and add photos and
descriptions of the trip. You can also make a wish list of parks to check
out. Every park on your list gets a red push pin on the app map.

“This

…

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UPDATE: Mount Rainier National Park released a statement March 13. It is included below.

It took nearly a decade, but two Mount Rainier National Park climbing rangers were presented Department of the Interior Valor Awards last week by department secretary Ken Salazar in Washington, D.C.

Paul Charlton and Glenn Kessler earned the honor for their part in rescuing three people on Mount Rainier’s upper slopes in June 2002. Charlton and Kessler rescued the injured people from a crevasse on the Ingraham Glacier, according to a DOI statement. During the rescue they found the empty camp of two climbers …

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