Name/Title
Print, PhotographicEntry/Object ID
2006.35.04Description
Born in 1929, Lou Whittaker and his twin brother (Jim Whittaker, also a noted alpinist) started hiking in the Cascades as children with the Boys Scouts and mountaineering groups. Both suffered from asthma and said the mountain air made them feel better. They reached the summit of Mount Rainier for the first time as 16-year-olds in 1945. They were recruited to work for Rainier guide service in 1951 and took over the business the following year. In the early years, they charged $28 to take customers to the summit. They left Rainier in 1955 to pursue more lucrative careers. In the early ‘60s, Lou opened Whittaker’s Chalet in Lakewood and added an outlet in Tacoma in 1967. In 1969, he and Tacoma attorney Jerry Lynch opened Rainier Mountaineering Inc.Lexicon
Search Terms
Mountaineering, Mountain Climbing, Professional/Semi-ProRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Whittaker, Lou
