Sound to Summit: Nisqually Adventure

Tom has been at it again!  Below is his recount of travelling by human power from sea level to the highest point in Washington State in under 48 hours.

The second and (perhaps) final event in the “Sound to Summit Adventure Series” took place August 18 – 20, beginning at sea level at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, traversing the Nisqually River watershed, and finishing at the highest point in Washington State; the 14,410’ summit of Mount Rainier.

Flowing 78  miles from its source at the Nisqually Glacier on Mount Rainier, to its delta at the Nisqually NWR, the Nisqually River is the only river in the country with its headwaters protected by a National Park and its delta protected by a National Wildlife Refuge.  Much of the watershed itself is managed and protected by the Nisqually Land Trust, the Charles L. Pack Experimental Forest, and the Nisqually Tribe.

My journey began on bicycle at the Refuge, crossed the fertile flats of the Nisqually plain, passed through the cool forests of the Nisqually Reservation, and rolled over hills through the towns of Yelm, McKenna, and Eatonville.  The weather was cool and cloudy, requiring an extra layer under my jersey and preventing any views of my final destination.

I rendezvoused with Susan in Eatonville for a water drop and a shuttle through the hazardous 7-mile Alder Cutoff.  A combination of no shoulders, blind curves, and numerous log and gravel trucks convinced me to forego the tempting climbs and descents of this scenic stretch of road.

With 35 miles of rolling hills behind me, I got back in the saddle on the shores of Alder Lake for the steady climb up highways 7 and 706 toward Elbe, Ashford, and Mount Rainier.  By this time the sun had come out, the sky had cleared, and Mount Rainier stood out prominently against the blue sky.

As the miles went by, the mountain’s profile kept shifting, bringing to mind the 36 views of Mt. Fuji, a series of wood block prints from the 1800s, depicting the sacred Japanese mountain from various places and distances.

I paused briefly in Ashford, the home of Rainier Mountaineering, Inc., who have been guiding on Mount Rainier for over 40 years, and who were providing my guides for the upcoming ascent.  I had already met my lead guide, who had recently completed his 400^th summit of Rainier.  With that kind of experience I was confident of a safe and successful climb.

Several miles beyond Ashford I entered the cool, green tunnel of trees marking the entrance to the National Park.  The road curved and climbed ever upward, providing occasional views of the Nisqually River on my right, and Mount Rainier on my left.  At Longmire I once again met up with Susan to hike the last several miles to Paradise.  After 60 miles in the saddle I was ready to stretch my legs on the trail.

After a day of mostly energy bars and trail mix, the post-hike Nepalese-style meal we enjoyed at the Wild Berry restaurant was certainly welcome.  After dinner we returned to Ashford where Susan dropped me off at Whittaker’s Bunkhouse, where I could prepare for the next two day’s climb.

Ice axe, crampons, sleeping bag, climbing harness, food, water…  the list was long, and the pack kept getting heavier.  I made some last minute adjustments and eliminations, and I was ready.  I turned in early in the hopes that my body would also be ready for two more days of exertion.

At 8:00 the next morning I met the RMI guides and the rest of the climbing team for the bus ride to Paradise and hike to Camp Muir.  It’s hard to believe, but I considered the hike to Camp Muir as almost a recovery day.  I knew all too well the summit day would be the toughest of all.

The marine layer that had moved in over western Washington that week had me concerned for our summit chances, but we soon hiked above the clouds affording incredible views of the Tatoosh Range and Mounts Adams, Hood, and Saint Helens.  After the moderately paced hike to Camp Muir, we settled in for dinner and an early bedtime.

After a few hours of attempted sleep, the wake-up call came all too soon.  Our three rope teams departed Camp Muir at 12:30am with only headlamps to light our way.  For 6 ½ hours we climbed ever upward, picking our way past gaping crevasses, grinding up over Disappointment Cleaver, and onto the final expanse of snow and ice below the summit crater.  We reached the crater about 7:00am with a stiff wind trying to push us back down the mountain.

Exhausted and exhilarated, I sat down on my pack in the crater for much-needed food and drink.  After an hour of rest and photos, we roped up once again for the trek back down the mountain.  The descent revealed the crevasses that were shrouded in darkness on the way up.  The crevasses were at once both brutal and delicate, with tons of frozen snow looming above, and graceful chandeliers of ice dripping below.

The rope teams reached Camp Muir, packed up, and began the final 2 ½ hour walk to Paradise.  Some of us glissaded, and some post-holed, but we all welcomed the sight of the bus which took us back to Ashford for a cold beer, a real meal, and a brief ceremony celebrating our accomplishment.

It was an amazing and exhausting journey through a truly remarkable watershed.  The Nisqually River, the wildlife in its watershed, the salmon in its waters, and the public all benefit from the many volunteers and organizations working to protect and restore this magnificent ecosystem.  Below is more information on some of the organizations who call the Nisqually home.

If you visit, though, take your time, breath deep, and let your shoulders relax.  Don’t rush through like I did!

Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

The Nisqually NWR was established in 1974 to provide nesting and resting areas for migratory waterfowl, songbirds, raptors, and wading birds.  The Refuge includes 3000 acres of salt and freshwater marshes, grasslands, riparian, and mixed forest habitats.  The Refuge is open to the public with its miles of walking trails and educational exhibits.

Last November, Refuge wetlands were expanded by 762 acres with the breaching of the century old Brown Farm Dike.  An additional 141 acres of wetlands were restored by the Nisqually Tribe on the east side of the river delta.  These additional tidal wetlands provide much needed habitat for young salmon which are vulnerable to predation in the open waters of Puget Sound, but can grow to maturity in the shelter of the grassy, tidal wetlands.

Over the past decade, the Refuge, working with the Nisqually Tribe, Ducks Unlimited, the USGS and others, has restored more than 35 km of historic tidal sloughs and re-connected historic floodplains to Puget Sound, increasing potential salt marsh habitat in the southern reach of Puget Sound by 50%.

Nisqually Reach Nature Center

The Nisqually Reach Nature Center is a 2100 sq. ft. facility at Luhr Beach on the shore of Puget Sound on the west side of the Nisqually Delta at the mouth of McAllister Creek.

The NRNC has been offering estuarine environmental education a Luhr Beach since 1982.  Through the years, the NRNC emphasis has changed from general public outreach to their current focus of providing supplemental classroom laboratory and field trip opportunities for schools in the Thurston and Pierce counties area and beyond.  In a typical year, upwards of 2,000 school kids, mostly in grades 5 through 12, visit the Nature Center with their teachers and parents.  The NRNC also supports and sponsors estuarine research opportunities for South Puget Sound college students.

The Nisqually Land Trust

The NLT is dedicated to acquiring, managing, and permanently protecting water, wildlife, natural areas, and scenic vistas of the Nisqually River watershed, including important salmon habitat on the Red Salmon and Ohop Creeks, and the Mashel River.

Five species of native salmon, including the threatened Chinook, benefit from NLT habitat restoration work, which includes invasive species removal, native tree and shrub planting, and the restoration of meanders to previously straightened stream-beds.  To date, the Land Trust and its watershed partners have permanently protected 71 percent of the river’s salmon-producing shoreline. The NLT also has plans for developing trails for public use.

Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a donation from the Nisqually Tribe, the NLT recently acquired 600 acres near the town of Ashford along the approach to Mount Rainier.  This purchase brings the Land Trust closer to completing a protected wildlife corridor between the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and Elbe Hills State Forest.  In addition to protecting endangered and at-risk species such as peregrine falcons and bald eagles, this acquisition protects the view-shed of the main approach to the national park along state route 706.  Additionally, the site includes an extensive stretch of the Mount Tahoma Trails Association’s hut-to-hut ski trail system, the largest no-fee system in the country.

Pack Forest

Located at the foot of Mount Rainier, the Center for Sustainable Forestry at Pack Forest sits on 4,300 acres of working forestland.  The purpose of the Center is to discover, teach and demonstrate the concepts of sustainable forestry, with a special focus on advancing the strategic themes of the University of Washington’s School of Forest Resources, in areas including:

          *Watershed and Community Development

          *Forestry Extension with focus on Sustainability

          *Forest Certification Services

          *Landscape Management Systems

          *Public Participation in Resource Management

          *Forestry Forums

The Center aims to provide internationally recognized leadership for sustainable forestland management through research, demonstration, and technology transfer.  The Center is actively advancing the concept and practice of sustainability, engaging resource scientists, professionals, policymakers, and communities.