Dear friends of Mike Gauthier’s Mount Rainier Climbers Blog,
Following some brief correspondence with Mike about my “good ol’ days” at Mount Rainier, he invited me to share some of my ol’ timer tales with you. Every generation has its own “good ol’ days”, and I am so glad to have the ones that I do. I was privileged and honored to live through very historic and exciting times, not only at Mount Rainier, but throughout the world. It will be a pleasure to share some of these memories with you.
My name is Doug Evans. I’m retired from the National Park Service. My official career ended when I retired as Regional Chief of Interpretation, Southwest Regional Office, Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1980. My official career began with many years of seasonal and part time work with NPS at Mount Rainier beginning April 15, 1944 as a Junior Laborer at $0.675 per hour.
I feel, however, that my career actually began, unofficially, much earlier, as a child growing up in Mount Rainier National Park, during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, first on the mill site of the Paradise Mining and Milling Company, located directly across the Paradise Road from the present day Cougar Rock Campground, and later, at Longmire during World War II. I am one ol’ grandpa who can tell my own grandkids honestly that I grew up in a cabin with no indoor plumbing and that I did actually walk two miles (occasionally) through a foot of snow to catch the school bus at Longmire.
I am third generation NPS at Mount Rainier. My granddad, Ike Evans, worked in temporary positions for many years. Both of my parents, Henry “Heinie” Evans and Florence Evans, retired from NPS.
Following a hitch in the US Navy, and four years at the University of Washington, and three years with Washington State Parks, I finally received my first permanent appointment with NPS as the Paradise area ranger in 1956, thus launching my permanent career. Through the subsequent years, that career resulted in rewarding assignments at Mammoth Cave, Grand Canyon, Big Bend, Lake Mead, and ultimately at SWRO in Santa Fe.
But, my Mount Rainier years will be the focus of this column. I will try to impart some of the feelings, attitudes, and conditions that we old timers experienced many years ago. I invite your questions, comments, suggestions, or criticisms. It is my wish that some other Mount Rainier old timers will be inspired to contribute also. I hope to have my first old timer’s tale off to you very soon.
Doug Evans, now of sunny, warm, and dry Tucson, Arizona
PHOTO: My parents, Florence and Heinie Evans on top of Paradise Lodge, April 1932
