Taking a break

I've spent much of the past 6 months on the photo guide, to the detriment of my other projects and especially my photography. The cameras didn't collect dust but they also weren't used as much as I normally use them. And with the photo guide work and some health issues, I'm need to take a mental break for awhile, and get back doing photography and really get up into the mountains, like my home page quotes John Muir.

I realize I'm far from caught up on on even the initial Web pages for the photo guide, see the "forthcoming" or "in preparation" in the photo guide, but the last sets of description and map Web pages took 2-3 weeks or longer for each set. And with the normal twice monthly reviews and updates, I've spent a lot of time and energy there and not elsewhere.

So, it's time to step away and walk out the door for awhile. I realize I promised the five area photo guides this summer, and it's like some will be done by Labor Day weekend. Like that helps you with this year's visit. I apologize. Two, Paradise and northwest areas, are framed and researched, and needing only writing, so now and then I'll work on them. The other two, the southeast and northeast areas, are just framed.

All of the other description and maps Web pages sets are also framed, meaning outlined with notes, but nothing else. Each of those will take 2-3 weeks for each set so those are likely fall into winter projects for now. After that, I'll focus on a book outline for the photo guide. The plan was to have a near-complete draft within 3-5 years of starting. It will likely be more the latter as I've learned there is too much to research and decide what to present.

And there is the early NP-years history project. That will really take longer as the research is harder to find all the old material. The goal was to turn the 1896 expedition into some type of article, but there's far more research left for it and around it. It wasn't done in a vacuum, so it effected events and events effected it. And it's key in the NP effort, especially the people, was critical for the designation.

Without all three efforts for the national park designation from the outdoor recreation community, the scientific community and the local commercial interests, it would have been far harder and taken far longer to achieve through Congress. The reality is that it wasn't just the work of the mountain climbing and outdoor recreation groups that made it happen, it was the weight of the scientific community and government agencies which made the difference.

And as you can see, nothing has left my mind about the photo guide and history projects. It's just my brain is a bit tired of the cycle of work with the Web pages work and needs something different. I have no idea when new Web page sets will appear. I will keep the Web pages updated with the latest news, information, and conditions about the NP, but aside from that, I can't promise anything except, "I'll work on it."

So, for now, go out and enjoy Mt. Rainier and the NP. It's ours. The lower trails are open. The snow is melting. And soon the wildflower will bloom. So go and enjoy it. And remember, leave no trace.