Federal gov. green lights upgrades for Mount Rainier's Camp Muir

SEATTLE - The National Parks Service has approved long-awaited upgrades to Mount Rainier's Camp Muir — one of the main stops for the thousands people who climb the mountain.

Pacific West Region director Chris Lehnertz determined that upgrading the high camp would have no impact on the park, giving the green light to replace camp's non-historic structures.

Mount Rainier National Park superintendent Randy King told the Tacoma News Tribune (http://bit.ly/Y0x0ti) the project will cost about $700,000 and take three to five years to complete.

Among the upgrades are replacing a shelter and toilets.

Camp Muir is the highest backcountry camp, located at an elevation of 10,080 feet. About 500 climbers visit Cam Muir a day during summer and it's one of the main routes for people summiting the mountain.