That’s me there in the photo above. I lived on Mount Rainier the summer of 2005.
You’re reading this because you likely landed on my “About Me” page and wanted to see my experience of living on a mountain? Or I tweeted on the link on Twitter.
In the photo below (left) is a sign a few million people drive under every year. I was in my then-friend Leanna’s car with friends (right – we never stayed in touch) I made on the mountain. When you reach the base of the mountain, you are no longer in the park, but you’re also another 45 minutes to Puyallup, WA after an 18-mile drive down the mountain.
Me, Jessica (Alaska), Erin (Alaska), Jen (Utah), Ashley (Utah), Becky (Utah), and Leanna (Utah).
Ignore Google Maps giving an estimate that the drive to Puyallup is farther away than what I said above. Traffic, man. This is merely a visual for you if you’re have no idea where the mountain is in relation to Seattle. Even I forgot.
I was the manager of the Snack Bar at Paradise Inn and it was one of the weirdest, but best experiences of my life.
How I ended up getting this job? I applied for it, had one phone interview, and they said “the job is yours.” At the time, I wasn’t scared to move away. The toughest part was that I needed bedding and hiking gear, and I think that’s all I brought with me.
When you work on a mountain, you go hiking whenever you want, and meet people from all over the world. Unfortunately, I had no idea how good I had it. I was in my element and I didn’t even know it.
Why I didn’t stay in Washington? That’s a story for another time.
The experience overall?
Tourists were overcharged for food, there was snow until mid-July, the clouds prohibited viewing Rainier until August, and mid-August was the best time to see the mountain in its entirety.
That building there on the right is where I lived.
That building in the background is Paradise Inn, where I worked.
The beauty of Rainier was (and still is) undeniable. Unfortunately, very few of the millions of people who visit this national park get to see the mountain on such a clear and beautiful day.
I didn’t take many photos with my point-and-shoot that are worth sharing. The selected few above were the exception.