National park enthusiasts usually think of these spectacular natural places as pleasant throwbacks in time quiet, isolated, far from the dangers of urban America.
The first killing of a ranger at Mount Rainier National Park not only shatters a sense of security but also prompts newfound respect for the wide array of activities and dangers faced by park officers.
Of 4,000 National Park Service rangers, about a third are cops, trained at the same academy where many other federal agents study.
Tasks range from responding to hiking accidents and fighting wildfires to putting up caution signs in various places. But it is not all wintry wonderland kind of stuff. Rangers deal with drug dealers, rapists and armed suspects.
Ranger Margaret Anderson was shot and killed as she tried to stop a car that blew through a chain-up checkpoint. She was armed but apparently had no chance to respond to the man suspected of fleeing a New Years shootout in Skyway.
That sounds like everyday police work, but it is different from the conditions in a suburban or urban area where one call to headquarters provides more certainty of help. A ranger often must make decisions with backup perhaps 20 minutes away.
It is not that parks are becoming more dangerous per se. Long-held impressions of tranquillity and serenity remain. But now nine Park Service rangers have been killed in the line of duty since the service was created nearly a century ago. That sounds like a small number but five of the killings occurred in the past 20 years.
Andersons death is a horrible tragedy for her family, the national park community and our region. We dont think about it often but these rangers risk their lives like other officers of the law. They deserve our utmost admiration and gratitude.
