The names – such as James Longmire, Fay Fuller and P.B. Van Trump – are deeply entwined in the history of Mount Rainier National Park.
On Saturday, park visitors will get the chance to see and hear from these and others – though long since gone – as park staff and volunteers present “Shadows of the Past.”
Walking along a lantern-lit Trail of the Shadows at Longmire, visitors will get a sense of the people who made the park a reality as portrayed by park staffers.
Among them is Tara Callaway, in her second year as a park naturalist. She will be portraying Fuller, the first woman to reach the summit.
Callaway said she became interested in Fuller after seeing a portrait of her in her climbing outfit.
“She looked so confident with her walking stick, her outfit and her satchel wrapped over her shoulder,” Callaway said.
“I’ve started looking into her life; it’s pretty fascinating. How far they had to hike – they had to go from Yelm from where she was teaching – and how much they had to endure,” Callaway said.
Kevin Bacher, who heads the park’s volunteer and outreach programs, will portray P.B. Van Trump, the man credited with reaching the summit first.
Bacher said his interest in Van Trump developed during the winter of 1995-96. A seasonal ranger, he worked at the Longmire Museum as a volunteer.
“Those long winter days, when we had no visitors, I read a lot of books to get up to speed on the park history. I was surprised at how often P.B. Van Trump kept coming up,” Bacher said.
Van Trump guided James Longmire up the mountain in 1883 and on the way down they found the springs. He also guided John Muir to the summit 1888. Bacher said Van Trump, then in his 70s, came back to work as a ranger at Indian Henry’s for two years.
“He’s kind of the Forrest Gump of Mount Rainier. Anytime anything significant happened at Mount Rainier, he was in the background,” Bacher said.
Other people who will be portrayed include Granville Allen, the first acting superintendent at the park; Virinda Longmire, James’ Longmire’s wife; Ben Longmire, a grandson of James Longmire, who helped name many places at the park and helped with start of Wonderland Trail construction; and Samuel Emmons, who was part of the second documented climb in 1870 and was a geologist who testified before Congress on the creation of the park.
Staffers have been doing the program off and on since the 1980s, said Curt Jacquot, who leads the interpretive staff on the park’s west side.
“It‘s face to face with the past. It’s fascinating to see people in costume; it’s living history,” Jacquot said of the program’s popularity. “People like that connection with someone representing the past.”
As many as 400 people have attended the program in the past.
The park holds the program to celebrate the birthday of the National Park Service, which is Aug. 25, 1916.
“It’s a fun program. It’s so different than anything else we get to do,” Bacher said. “The setting is so different, being on the trail at night under lantern light and being able to portray a historical characters. Seeing how visitors take delight in how history comes alive.”
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640
Jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com
blogs.thenewstribune.com/advenutre
If you go
When: 8:30, 8:50. 9:10 amd 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Longmire Museum, Mount Rainier National Park
Cost: Program is free, $15 per vehicle admission to the park
Information: 360-569-2211
Of note: The program will be held rain or shine. Bring a warm jacket, insect repellent, a flashlight and wear sturdy shoes.
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