Adopting My Home: Mount Rainier
“I am pleased to adopt Mount Rainier,” related Mike Gauthier. “I live and work on “The Mountain” and never grow tired of its remarkable beauty and magnificence.”
Mike grew up in Washington and was introduced to both the Olympics and the Cascades at an early age. At age 20, he began his tenure at Mount Rainier National Park. Since then, Mike has worked to develop today’s climbing ranger and rescue program, where he is now the Lead Climbing Ranger and Search and Rescue Coordinator. Climbing rangers patrol “The Mountain” and work to protect fragile alpine resources, while providing mountaineering related services and information to park visitors. Rescues are one exciting and dangerous element of the occupation; they often involve helicopters, high altitude, whiteout conditions and fierce weather. In 1998, Mike was designated a Wilderness Rescue Hero by the American Red Cross.
“I’ve seen the scary side of The Mountain often. But as a photographer, I’m more frequently focusing on its brilliance. Living at the base of the mountain allows me to capture its unique moods throughout the seasons. Its awesome majesty can be surreal, and people sometimes comment upon this when viewing my images.”
Experienced guides and climbers that have climbed the 14,410 ft. mountain concur that Gauthier knows Mount Rainier and its various routes as well as anyone living—he’s climbed Rainier over 160 times covering about every route possible. His knowledge is contained in his book, Mount Rainier: A Climbing Guide, by The Mountaineers Books. In it, Gauthier describes the 39 principal routes to the summit. Currently he is working on the second edition of this definitive resource for the mountain.
But Mike Gauthier’s enthusiasm and passion for Mount Rainier might be best capsulated in his photographic endeavors—which takes the toiling spirit of a mountain climber to accomplish. “Capturing many of these scenes required patience, tenacity and intimate knowledge of the land and seasons,” Gauthier said. “There were bone chilling days in sub-zero temperatures and gale force winds, where I prevented my camera from freezing by keeping it next to my body. I've continued to photograph after arduous summit climbs, ravenous mosquitoes attacks, and blissful days on the snowboard. The innate emotion, beauty and story of the places I have discovered are revealed in the artwork.” Some of these photos can be found at his website, www.Crevasse.com.
LEADER BOARD
(17 votes) Everest (#1)
(12 votes) Rainier
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Plus 39 with 2 or less votes
