What do you think?
A Year in Paradise
1959 1st edition...
Hardcover
First published March 1, 1979
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 31, 2022
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the seasons, wildlife, flora & fauna, hiking, and mountain climbing at Mt. Rainier. A true story about the author, his wife, and son’s time spent living at Paradise on Mt. Rainier in the early 1920’s. They were caretakers of the Inn during the winter months and the author was a guide, ranger, and park naturalist during their time spent there. Even though this book was written many years ago, I’m sure a good bit of it is still relevant today. Reading this well written and descriptive book really makes me look forward to visiting Mt. Rainier in the near future. I almost feel as if I’ve been there already!
March 21, 2021
Fun look at what it would be like to live on Mt. Rainier for an entire year.
March 19, 2022
My wife sent me a link in February to a list the Washington Trails Association had put together of books about hiking in this state. Most didn’t really stand out to me but because I have spent time at MRNP, Floyd Schmoe’s A YEAR IN PARADISE did and was the one book from the list I added to my WTRs. I’m glad to have read it now. Although I’m sure it’s far more enjoyable if you have some familiarity with the locations Schmoe describes (in detail!), even if you don’t connect precisely with that his personal stories are charming and his surprisingly progressive philosophizing is a joy to read.
I find Schmoe—and let’s get this out of the way now: yes, that’s a hilarious name—to be very relatable. He came to Seattle from Kansas in 1919 and was immediately transfixed by the sight of Rainier towering over the horizon. He made a vow to hike it on his first free day, only to discover that despite how close it seems it was actually 4 hours away by train! To get closer to that magnificent mountain, Schmoe excitedly accepts a job as the caretaker of the Paradise Inn… not yet realizing what he’s in for, having accepted this position at the height of winter. He and his wife find the Inn buried beneath 30 feet of hard-packed snow. Nevertheless, they’re so taken with the loveliness of the land (understandably) that they make a go of it, and the book chronicles their adventures, misadventures, and the changing ecology of the mountain over the course of four seasons.
It is fun to read about the sights on Rainier literally a century ago and to recognize how closely they resemble the mountain as it is today. Schmoe is a bit more learned about the various flora that flourish there, but from having visited the park myself I could easily imagine most of what he described. Some things, like the sight of a squirrel dust-bathing, or gray jays swooping in to steal part of a picnic lunch, or the sound of snow and ice cracking and falling are even easier to imagine for my having experienced nearly identical events. I’ve never done the high mountain climbing he describes in some parts, where one wrong step could lead to a deadly fall into a crevasse, but those moments are dramatic enough to keep the reader’s interest.
If there is a weakness, it’s that sometimes the author’s descriptions of the plant-life in the area becomes monotonous as he documents a long list of vegetation by name (sometimes commenting on whether he thinks the name is appropriate). Also, there’s a small sense of repetitiveness in that much of Schmoe’s experience is repeating the same trail or climb on multiple occasions. But these are minor complaints: so much of the book is filled with unique and compelling stories, from his and his wife Ruth’s encounters with bears, to a dangerous climb at a mountain called The Unicorn, to a late-in-the-year trek around the base of Rainier on the Wonderland Trail. And all of this is documented in Schmoe’s patient, thoughtful, humorous style. There is more than one instance where he goes into a reverie about, say, the sequence of events likely to follow once a rock becomes exposed in an ice field (he imagines a whole ecosystem coming to call this rock home) or about the history of an arrowhead found in a far-flung meadow (he imagines it taking center stage in a legend about the killing of the last big-horn sheep in the area).
I really loved reading these types of musing from Schmoe, and as I mentioned before there are several surprisingly progressive moments—though perhaps less surprising once you learn that the author is a Quaker, committed to non-violence and brotherhood. One of the first of these passages comes when Schmoe muses that meat-eating is a disruption of the natural order and that something must have gone wrong in evolution for carnivorousness to come about. He takes it a step further, criticizing humans for raising and slaughtering animals, concluding that though he isn’t a vegetarian he often feels he should be as he is convinced society will one day look upon meat-eating with the same revulsion we feel about war (though I guess that hasn’t stopped us from warring with each other either). Another excellent moment comes when Schmoe argues against the existence of “miracles”. He says that some people like to categorize things as natural or supernatural, but he contends that even the supposedly “natural” things are so wondrous and improbable that it’s useless to make a distinction—everything which is natural, if looked at in appreciation, can be said seem supernatural. Finally, I’d like to point out a section where he asserts that those who love the wilderness can find it anywhere even if they are not around a jaw-dropping mountain like Tahoma. They can find it in the deserts, the plains, the deep blue sea, or if one is not near any of those places then in the “limitless wilderness of the sky”. It’s such a comforting, beautiful thought.
I looked up Schmoe while reading because I wondered if it was possible he was still living (that was kind of a dumb question given that he was already an adult in 1919 and it has now been more than a century). As it turns out, he died in 2001. But his story is amazing. He spent his life working as a peace activist. He opposed the Japanese internment of the 1940s and worked to help the people affected by keeping their homes safe and visiting them in the camps. He went to Japan after WWII and helped rebuild homes destroyed by the nuclear bombs. He did the same in Korea. He marched against U.S. involvement in Vietnam and for nuclear disarmament. For all these efforts he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times (but apparently not selected as a recipient). He also created the Peace Park in north Seattle which I am eager to visit now, knowing this. My awe at what a tremendous person Schmoe turned out to be perhaps colored my view of his book but on the other hand I think his *goodness* shines through in the writing as well.
There’s a few death-defying moments climbing the mountain I suppose, but mostly it’s a low-stakes story about a man and the woman he loves, the mountain they both love, and their happy deep inhalations in a remarkable, soul-enriching locale very appropriately named Paradise. It’s such a warm, friendly book and, oh!, the photographs and pen-and-ink drawings by the author throughout are nice, too. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read A YEAR IN PARADISE.
I find Schmoe—and let’s get this out of the way now: yes, that’s a hilarious name—to be very relatable. He came to Seattle from Kansas in 1919 and was immediately transfixed by the sight of Rainier towering over the horizon. He made a vow to hike it on his first free day, only to discover that despite how close it seems it was actually 4 hours away by train! To get closer to that magnificent mountain, Schmoe excitedly accepts a job as the caretaker of the Paradise Inn… not yet realizing what he’s in for, having accepted this position at the height of winter. He and his wife find the Inn buried beneath 30 feet of hard-packed snow. Nevertheless, they’re so taken with the loveliness of the land (understandably) that they make a go of it, and the book chronicles their adventures, misadventures, and the changing ecology of the mountain over the course of four seasons.
It is fun to read about the sights on Rainier literally a century ago and to recognize how closely they resemble the mountain as it is today. Schmoe is a bit more learned about the various flora that flourish there, but from having visited the park myself I could easily imagine most of what he described. Some things, like the sight of a squirrel dust-bathing, or gray jays swooping in to steal part of a picnic lunch, or the sound of snow and ice cracking and falling are even easier to imagine for my having experienced nearly identical events. I’ve never done the high mountain climbing he describes in some parts, where one wrong step could lead to a deadly fall into a crevasse, but those moments are dramatic enough to keep the reader’s interest.
If there is a weakness, it’s that sometimes the author’s descriptions of the plant-life in the area becomes monotonous as he documents a long list of vegetation by name (sometimes commenting on whether he thinks the name is appropriate). Also, there’s a small sense of repetitiveness in that much of Schmoe’s experience is repeating the same trail or climb on multiple occasions. But these are minor complaints: so much of the book is filled with unique and compelling stories, from his and his wife Ruth’s encounters with bears, to a dangerous climb at a mountain called The Unicorn, to a late-in-the-year trek around the base of Rainier on the Wonderland Trail. And all of this is documented in Schmoe’s patient, thoughtful, humorous style. There is more than one instance where he goes into a reverie about, say, the sequence of events likely to follow once a rock becomes exposed in an ice field (he imagines a whole ecosystem coming to call this rock home) or about the history of an arrowhead found in a far-flung meadow (he imagines it taking center stage in a legend about the killing of the last big-horn sheep in the area).
I really loved reading these types of musing from Schmoe, and as I mentioned before there are several surprisingly progressive moments—though perhaps less surprising once you learn that the author is a Quaker, committed to non-violence and brotherhood. One of the first of these passages comes when Schmoe muses that meat-eating is a disruption of the natural order and that something must have gone wrong in evolution for carnivorousness to come about. He takes it a step further, criticizing humans for raising and slaughtering animals, concluding that though he isn’t a vegetarian he often feels he should be as he is convinced society will one day look upon meat-eating with the same revulsion we feel about war (though I guess that hasn’t stopped us from warring with each other either). Another excellent moment comes when Schmoe argues against the existence of “miracles”. He says that some people like to categorize things as natural or supernatural, but he contends that even the supposedly “natural” things are so wondrous and improbable that it’s useless to make a distinction—everything which is natural, if looked at in appreciation, can be said seem supernatural. Finally, I’d like to point out a section where he asserts that those who love the wilderness can find it anywhere even if they are not around a jaw-dropping mountain like Tahoma. They can find it in the deserts, the plains, the deep blue sea, or if one is not near any of those places then in the “limitless wilderness of the sky”. It’s such a comforting, beautiful thought.
I looked up Schmoe while reading because I wondered if it was possible he was still living (that was kind of a dumb question given that he was already an adult in 1919 and it has now been more than a century). As it turns out, he died in 2001. But his story is amazing. He spent his life working as a peace activist. He opposed the Japanese internment of the 1940s and worked to help the people affected by keeping their homes safe and visiting them in the camps. He went to Japan after WWII and helped rebuild homes destroyed by the nuclear bombs. He did the same in Korea. He marched against U.S. involvement in Vietnam and for nuclear disarmament. For all these efforts he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times (but apparently not selected as a recipient). He also created the Peace Park in north Seattle which I am eager to visit now, knowing this. My awe at what a tremendous person Schmoe turned out to be perhaps colored my view of his book but on the other hand I think his *goodness* shines through in the writing as well.
There’s a few death-defying moments climbing the mountain I suppose, but mostly it’s a low-stakes story about a man and the woman he loves, the mountain they both love, and their happy deep inhalations in a remarkable, soul-enriching locale very appropriately named Paradise. It’s such a warm, friendly book and, oh!, the photographs and pen-and-ink drawings by the author throughout are nice, too. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read A YEAR IN PARADISE.
April 17, 2014
This is a lovely book about the four seasons on Mount Rainier, written by a man just back from World War I, studying forestry at the University of Washington, who gets a caretaker job at the giant, empty Paradise lodge. He hikes up the mountain in the snow with his new wife, and transforms from a forester to a naturalist as he closely observes the ecosystem. It's fascinating to read his adventures, including the lack of concern for safety, compared to our lives with cellphones, GPSs, medical facilities, and all our rules and regulations. I especially enjoyed reading about his close encounters with bears, and will attempt to emulate his calm demeanor if I ever stumble upon one on my hikes.
September 1, 2024
I have stayed at the Paradise Inn on Mount Rainier several times in the past, and I am going again in a few days, so when a friend mentioned this book to me I requested it from the library.
Floyd Schmoe and his wife spent most of a year at Paradise shortly after World War I. They worked as caretakers of the inn during the winter, and once the snow was gone, Floyd worked as a mountain guide for groups of tourists, even taking some groups to the summit.
Schmoe recounts some of their adventures from that year, but he also talks about the plants, trees and wildlife on the mountain. Some things have definitely changed in one hundred years, but “The Mountain” remains the same.
This book got me excited about our trip, so it was a great read!
Floyd Schmoe and his wife spent most of a year at Paradise shortly after World War I. They worked as caretakers of the inn during the winter, and once the snow was gone, Floyd worked as a mountain guide for groups of tourists, even taking some groups to the summit.
Schmoe recounts some of their adventures from that year, but he also talks about the plants, trees and wildlife on the mountain. Some things have definitely changed in one hundred years, but “The Mountain” remains the same.
This book got me excited about our trip, so it was a great read!
June 9, 2026
Really enjoyed this. I’m a plant nerd, love nature and science books, and lived near Mt Rainier for twenty years…so this hit all the right notes.
The author clearly has a way of noticing. They go about the world seeing beautiful details that so many people miss, and that shines through in the writing. While a few sections feel a bit like long lists of plant and animal names…if I slow down and pay attention…the lists came as fast as the emerging life that appeared in the spring. I just had to allow myself to see the intention.
I don’t buy many books any more (thanks, Libby), only the ones I’ve read that really speak to me. I’ll be buying this from the mountaineers for my permanent bookshelf.
The author clearly has a way of noticing. They go about the world seeing beautiful details that so many people miss, and that shines through in the writing. While a few sections feel a bit like long lists of plant and animal names…if I slow down and pay attention…the lists came as fast as the emerging life that appeared in the spring. I just had to allow myself to see the intention.
I don’t buy many books any more (thanks, Libby), only the ones I’ve read that really speak to me. I’ll be buying this from the mountaineers for my permanent bookshelf.
February 17, 2018
This is a wonderful book. The author writes about the year he and his wife spent in 1920 as Park Ranger at Paradise Lodge on Mt Rainier. He describes the animals, plants, hikes, snow and changes that occur throughout the seasons. He includes many hand drawn sketches and maps of the area and animals. He writes about a few dangerous situations he was involved in, along with humorous situations. However it’s not just the amazing story that captivated me, but also his lively writing. Part philosopher and part biologist, his outlook on life is refreshing.
And, it’s a short book.,
And, it’s a short book.,
December 20, 2018
At first I felt skeptical about reading this book, but once I started it, I was hooked. He wrote as if he was telling me a story (I bet a recorded book version would be great). The setting is Mt. Rainier, mostly around the Paradise area around the 1920s or so. His descriptions of nature, including flora, fauna and land, are wonderful. I learned much from the information he gave about the Mountain (Tahoma) which covered a lot of territory considering the length of the book. He even wrote philosophically about life.
Read
September 27, 2026A super interesting first hand account of living and working in Mount Rainier in the 1920s, not too long after it was first designated a national park. You can tell that the author has a deep passion for natural spaces, and reading such a detailed first hand account from that time period offers a unique perspective. I’m excited to explore Rainier and connect plants, animals, and places to lived experiences. Perhaps I’ll need to revisit this book in the future!
June 18, 2025
Picked up this book at the store in Mt Ranier National park. It gives an amazing description of living on the mountain through all seasons. I really enjoyed learning about the geography as well as biology of the environment surrounding this amazing place.
March 2, 2022
This is a really interesting memoir of a year at My Rainier National Park in the early 20th century. Nice insights and draws you into the place of Paradise Valley.
August 11, 2025
An absolute delight to read on our Wonderland Trail hike. Great insights to nature, humor, curiosities and the like. A kindred spirit.
March 8, 2026
Good read. The early Rainier days were something else.
April 3, 2018
This fulfills the popsugar reading challenge for a book by a local author
December 22, 2012
Floyd Schmoe seems to have attempted to recreate something similar to A Sand County Almanac for a place beloved to him and his family, Mount Rainier National Park. While it's nearly impossible to compete with the brilliant and beautiful prose of Aldo Leopold, this book does document well what life was like on the mountain in the early to mid 1900's.
It's not gripping reading, but there are a few endearing chapters about the author's hiking adventures, and more than a few reminders that the wild places of the world can be dangerous and deadly.
I'm glad I read this, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone with only a casual interest in the region or ecology in general.
It's not gripping reading, but there are a few endearing chapters about the author's hiking adventures, and more than a few reminders that the wild places of the world can be dangerous and deadly.
I'm glad I read this, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone with only a casual interest in the region or ecology in general.
November 12, 2011
A delightful up-close-and-personal account of the changing seasons on Mount Rainier in the early 1900s, written by one of it’s first guides. Schmoe brings his newlywed wife with him to spend the winter buried under 30 feet of snow in Paradise Inn in 1919. Their adventures provide lots of opportunities to observe the flora, fauna and geology, including fascinating sexual information about ferns and firs. Includes lots of drawings and photos.
August 13, 2015
I recently went on a Mount Rainier book binge to prepare for our Wonderland backpack trip. I'm so glad I read this little gem. It wasn't suspenseful. It wasn't gripping or dramatic. It was simply a window into a lost era, both his writing style and the old culture of wilderness exploration. Before there were blogs and instagram and mountain top selfies, there were men and women who took the time to lovingly describe paradise.
February 15, 2011
Wonderful book and a must read for anyone who has or wishes to visit Mt. Rainier. My favorite quote about the tourists, "Ignorantly empty people may be endured but intelligent people who are deliberately empty are insufferable."
I wish there was a companion book written by his wife. She seemed even more remarkable!
I wish there was a companion book written by his wife. She seemed even more remarkable!
October 30, 2012
While reading this, I was seized with a powerful urge to become the next winter caretaker of Paradise Inn. It sounds like an incredible experience! When I mentioned to a friend that I was reading this book, he said he knew the author through work and that he was an extremely interesting man. I wish I could have met him - we share a love for the mountain.
October 5, 2008
I stopped about 2/3 of the way through. After multiple accounts of hiking the same trail I decided it was time to move on. The Winter chapter was the most interesting (although a little mundane having recently watched The Shining).
August 13, 2009
Loved this book and the man. This is especially interesting to people who live near "The Mountain."
June 11, 2014
A great read about living at Mt Rainier in it's early days! Having worked here for 4 summers it's especially nice to hear about places I love in this park.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews