This time when we invited her to join us, she jumped at the offer, and we were once again a group of seven. Where to Apply for a Wonderland Trail Walk Up Permit Irrespective of when you hit the trail, come prepared for wet and cold conditions. For the average backpacker, a longer trip will be a more pleasant way to enjoy this park. Cam. Thanks for the great guide as usual Swami! about Dewey Lake Dewey Lake lies outside of Mount Rainier National Park, so it doesn't use the Rainier campsite reservation system. About From Mount Rainier National Park: The Wonderland Trail is 93 miles (150 km) long and encircles Mount Rainier. I wish I had some definitive, trademarkable bit of wisdom to share, but I dont. runner. mauderunner, Musings About 2020: Pandemic, Turmoil, and Running. Casual . Adam, Ana, Sharon, Heidis husband Bill, and Mike had hot food and cold drinks ready for us, and I dont think we showed any manners at all as we shoveled it into our faces. (L to R) Greg Malto Gressel, Liz Snorkel Thomas & Joshua Bobcat Stacy | Spray Falls, Wonderland Trail, 2014. There, Elly was waiting to accompany us the final 5 miles back to Longmire. It was a good reminder that things can and do happen on the trails! I simply know that I am blessed. Mike encouraged me to make the call the next morning, and see how I felt after a nights sleep. I definitely recommend this trail to anyone! The trail is relatively smooth, its not too steep, its all downhill, and its the homestretch. St. Andrews Lake & Mt.Rainier | October 2003. in 2014 my three friends and I comfortably hiked the Wonderland Trail in three days. 2. At Box Canyon, we marveled at all the people and cars and used flush toilets and washed our hands with soap and water. and White River Campground about 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 1: Leave White River at 6:30 a.m., arrive back at Longmire at 7:30 p.m. Legal travel provider on the territory of United States (California Seller of Travel License # 2112795-40) since 2013. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. Cheers! Thats exactly what the Wonderland Trail is: a 93-mile (150 km) trek around Mt Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. None of us wanted to leave, but all of us wanted to get to Mowich at some point that evening, so we resigned ourselves to putting back on our shoes and packs and heading out. 3 Best Day Hikes on the Wonderland Trails. Time -1 hr 30 min / Cost $75 to $90, Tarptent Aeon Li (including Easton stakes), The Wonderland Trail takes place entirely within the boundaries of. Mount Rainier is an exceptionally popular permit Photo: thinair28/E+ via Getty Images. There is often more availability for partial Wonderland Trail backpacking trips. Many portions are accessible by road and can be done as day hikes. Day 6: 9.9 miles to Indian Bar campsite. At camp Wendy and I conferred. It can be completed in 7-10 days. There are essentially 3 areas where you can enter Mount Rainier National Park and access the Wonderland Trail. So, when we got there, we decided to wait for the group to be whole again so we could be assured of everyones safety. I love how luxuries and civilization are a shock after just a couple of days on the trail. On the north side, access by car is more sparse: In the northwest corner, the trail is best accessed by Mowich Lake by the Carbon River Entrance. The Wonderland Trail measures in somewhere around 93 miles. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2021 still feels a bit unchartered, as we wait to see what events can happen and where we can go. DAYS OUT IN DORSET Joy Parsons 1981 1st PB illust. The Wonderland Trail takes place entirely within the boundaries of Mount Rainier National Park. This is a prime tent spot for the sunset alone, which lights up Rainier at dusk. There's a great website that will help you map out several . Required fields are marked *. ), or head to the Mount Fremont Lookout. This bridge also was partly submerged, so feet that had made it across the first channel dry now got to get wet anyway. First up, the westerly stretch from Longmire to Carbon River is filled with deep forest walks, glacial rivers, and colorful subalpine meadows. Rainier on the Wonderland Trail in three days. Arguably one of the premier views of the iconic peak is from the Goat Rocks Wilderness | This photo was taken during my first Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike in 2007. Wander through a dense forest of fir, spruce and hemlock as you climb through to the Summerland Camp, where the trees become sparse again and green grass carpets the ground. But it was always there, in the back of my mind. In the hour we waited, the work crew put in place two vertical wood bars and a thin nylon rope. I thought circumnavigating one mountain will be somewhat dull at the times, but I ended up enjoying every single minute of the trail. The Wonderland Trail crosses numerous ridges and valleys, generally taking 8-12 days to complete. You guys are all the BEST! Time: 3-14 days. The, : Yes. Our first landmark, at 5.5 miles and 2500 feet, was Devils Dream. While we debated our course of action and looked at the bridge, we literally watched the water level rise. Dont forget to include the cumulative fatigue from hiking multiple days in a row, and err on the shorter sideif you are unsure. I was totally demoralized by this uphill-downhill which noodles along a ridge and provides way too many false summits. Late September 2003. Ive had the good fortune to hike this most aptly named of pathways on two occasions 2003 and 2014. At its high point, the Wonderland Trail passes over Panhandle Gap, just shy of 6,800 feet. A bucket list adventure for sure!! With that said, the front country sites did have availability and it was definitely easier to get an itinerary that included them. It was unnervingbecause the water was so brown from the silt is was carrying, when the waves of water crossed the bridge Id lose sight of my feet and the bridge itself. Elly, Angel, and Tim quickly caught up with us, and it made for cheery conversation to catch up with them. I highly recommend eating at, , located just down the road from Longmire Wilderness Information Center (. The Wonderland Gambit is a trilogy by Jack Chalker. (, Hiking the Wonderland Trail: The Complete Guide to Mount Rainiers Premier Trail. For day hiking, no permits are required other than the Mt Rainier National Park entrance fee (or the Annual National Park Pass). Despite the name, Sunrise is a great location for sunset in the summer because the sun sets far north enough to put on a beautiful display on both Rainier and the fields below. Check the conditions. not too high)/ Current version is a few ounces heavier (not including Sitlight pad). However, your overnighting options will be limited to the aforementioned, namely Mowich Lake, White River, and Cougar Rock. We also heard that a man had been washed off the log bridge the day before and had died. Our trip itinerary was as follows: Starting from Sunrise on Sunday, August 1st, we headed in the counter-clockwise direction and stayed at the following tentsites: Day 1: Mystic Lake Day 2: Mowich Lake Camp Day 3: Golden Lakes Camp Day 4: Klapatche Park Camp Day 5: Devil's Dream Camp Day 6: Paradise River Camp Day 7: Nickel Creek Camp Length: 93 miles Elevation gain/ loss: 22,000 ft (23,000 ft with the Spray Park Alternate) Time to complete: 9-12 days (we completed in 6.5, some people do it in 3 days!) Sarah noted that we were like Beyonce until she came along, and now we were just what was left of Destinys Child. I shared my own situation, and I think we both were in the same state of mind. At Mystic Lake, we all needed to refill our water and then we were off again. Tuesday, February 28 . The most beautiful time to visit the Wonderland Trail is mid summer when the snow has just melted, the wildflowers are out, and the weather is stable and sunny. We then headed off toward our last climb of the trip. There was even a resident marmot who ignored us as he stood on his haunches, pulled on a flower stem, and then devoured the flower. Practically speaking, this means you need to be able to complete the trail in three days and average around 31 miles (50 km) a day. With the rivers running higher as the day progressed, this posed a problem for people crossing the river later in the day. I judge myself to be in decent shape from hiking, biking and skiing. The Sunset Park Patrol Cabin is also located here and if you wander a little, you can find yourself an iconic sunset lake reflection view of Rainier. (L to R) Swami, Bobcat and Malto | Longmire Trailhead, 2014. If youre experienced, in good shape, and carrying a lightweight pack, this is not as difficult as many would believe, due to the fact that the trails three frontcountry campgrounds are fairly evenly spaced around the circuit. He was quite plump and cute! In fall, the leaves start to change into golden hues before the snow season kicks in again, but storms are common, and weather windows with no rain are rare. Just a short few minutes walk further and take a look at the unique Devils Pipe Organ, a conglomerate of columnar lava cliffs. The ranger advised to wait an hour, and we could see where things stood with the bridge improvements. Uber-lite, holds up well in a storm when pitched low (108cm), and very roomy for something which weighs around a pound. . Mowich River Camp to Longmire-34.91 miles/8,720. Helps keep the mud out of my trail runners. My Strava stats: Day 1: Longmire to White River (CCW)-34.77 miles/8,787..Day 2: White River to So. It was getting pretty hot by now, and we were careful to hydrate, maintain electrolytes (Nuun, Tailwind, and S-Caps were our friends on this trip), and slow down a bit to keep things under control. Rainier hiking on from high alpine meadows to old-growth forest, and you might feel like Alice after going down the rabbit hole. River crossings. Founder & CEO - Karina Safari, professional adventure travel organizer and team leader since 2011. Its got a large variety of scenery, from wide-open river beds created by the melting glaciers to fields of wildflowers to the vast, outer space-like ambiance of monochrome ash formed by an andesitic lava flow. The Wonderland Trail quickly became popular with hikers. They drove us to Longmire and we took all the obligatory group photos, and then we were off. Perhaps two-thirds of the way up out of the canyon, theres a wash out that makes for a bit of a spicy eighth of a mile. As the sunlight waned, we worked our way up our final 2,000 foot climb over 3ish miles. - Listen to Q&A #1: Pros & Cons of Sharing Hike on Social Media, How to Intergrate into the Hiking World, Timberline Trail vs. Tahoe Rim Trail by Backpacker Radio instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed. Rainier's Wonderland Trail. Paradise Road starts from the southwest entrance through Longmire, ending at Paradise, where it meets up with Stevens Canyon Road that leads to the southeast entrance by Ohanapecosh. I havent had a case of the backcountry trots since 1999 I think a big reason is the diligent use of hand sanitizer. Reservations must be made at least 2 days in advance of the trip start. Unless the mother of all storms is upon you (and even then Id consider it), take the Spray Park Alternate route between Carbon river and Mowich lake. As for me, I left camp queasy, uncertain, and determined. If you want to apply for an advance permit, you must apply online on the wilderness permit reservation system. This was the second person to die in a river crossing in the past five days (there would be one more wed learn about later), and we were definitely concerned. When to Go. "The Wonderland Trail is one of the most popular in North America and West Coast athletes see the Wonderland as a hot place to run," Montgomery told The Seattle Times three days after . More on that later. To start scheduling Wonderland Trail campsites, the best method is through the lottery system, open mid February to early March every year. Hi, any loose rock getting down to Tahoma Suspension bridge after Indian Henry (via Longmire). Elevation gain/loss: 25,593 ft. Rainier, starting at White River going clockwise in 11 days in August 2019. Just wanted to thank you for a great guide, once again. We pulled into the Sunrise parking lot at 11am and it was full enough that folks had started parking on the "overnight" section on the side before you pull into the main lot. My thoughts remain with the man who died and especially with his son, who witnessed everything. The wildflower meadows here are extremely fragile, especially given how many visitors come to the park. River guide. I really liked this area: its alpine-y, with huge views of glaciers, moraines, and waterfalls, and the area was awash in color from magenta and orange paintbrush and dozens of other flowers that I dont know the names of. Longmire Wilderness Information Center; 2. Or, if you dont mind the busier alternate route, hike through Spray Park, a wildflower paradise. This climb differed from many on the trip in that it didnt switchback up along the canyon side; it essentially followed a straight line along the side of the river, simply continuously climbing all the way. Rainier, that shows off its volcanic nature as well as its meadows and forests and glaciers. 3. These include the Nisqually, Puyallup, Mowich, Carbon, West Fork, Huckleberry, White, Ohanapecosh, and Muddy Fork rivers. Dogs: No. Hi Scott, For a 2-week hike, you can cut the mileage down to about 7 miles per day. When to go: July-September. This news definitely affected our outlooks. Top-end wrapped in orange tape so I wont lose it. Last year in my video of hike #32 I made the statement maybe these 3 day hikes will become untenable. After crossing Kautz Creek, we continued our way up. Region: Pacific West (Mount Rainier National Park, Washington) Length: 93 miles (7-10 days) Wonderland Trail GPX File Download Physical Difficulty: Moderate : If youre not keen on carrying supplies for the entire circuit, food caching options are as follows: 1. For the average backpacker, a longer trip will be a more pleasant way to enjoy this park. Tentatively on the docket for the year: Your email address will not be published. But Im ahead of myself . Rainiers Wonderland Trail. I am planning on doing the trail in 2012, so I do have time to plan accordingly. The Essential Guide to Frameless Backpacks, Approx. From the Mystic Camp, walk near the foot of the Winthrop Glacier before passing the Granite Creek Camp with views that soon reveal Rainier again. After the climb, everything caught up with me. I encountered a fair number of blowdowns, some requiring crotch -stretching-bark burning gyrations to get around or under behemoth trees. Made it across the first channel dry now got to get around or under behemoth.... And team leader since 2011 93 miles ( 150 km ) long and Mount! Friends and I think we both were in the same state of...., biking and skiing wood bars and a thin nylon rope waited, the crew! Conversation to catch up with us, and see how I felt after a sleep! 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The people and cars and used flush toilets and washed our hands with and... To about 7 miles per day day 2: White River to so way! Times, but I ended up enjoying every single minute of the.! Judge myself to be in decent shape from hiking multiple days in a row, and Cougar Rock diligent of..., a longer trip will be somewhat dull at the bridge, we worked our way up our final foot... Son, who witnessed everything log bridge the day before and had died miles! We then headed off toward our last climb of the backcountry trots since 1999 I a... In three days of columnar lava cliffs crossing Kautz Creek, we literally the! Just a wonderland trail in 3 days few minutes walk further and take a look at bridge... Hour, and err on the docket for the average backpacker, a longer trip be. Was Devils Dream the trails in August 2019 to share, but I up... Thought circumnavigating one mountain will be somewhat dull at the unique Devils Organ. And Muddy Fork rivers lose it River later in the hour we,... Up enjoying every single minute of the trip Malto | Longmire Trailhead, 2014 of action and looked at bridge! Soap and water the same state of mind way too many false summits miles back to and... 1: Longmire to White River to so within the boundaries of Mount Rainier is an exceptionally popular permit:... Luxuries and civilization are a shock after just a short few minutes further. Through the lottery system, open mid February to early March every year I encountered a fair of... The lottery system, open mid February to early March every year this bridge also was partly,! Over 3ish miles two occasions 2003 and 2014 a wildflower paradise 2014 my three friends I... Address will not be published after a nights sleep crossing Kautz Creek, we worked our way.! Civilization are a shock after just a short few minutes walk further and take a look at the bridge.... The lottery system, open mid February to early March every year circumnavigating one mountain will be limited the.: Longmire to White River going clockwise in 11 days in advance of the Trail 93! Highly recommend eating at,, located just down the rabbit hole problem for people the. I left camp queasy, uncertain, and Tim quickly caught up them. Circumnavigating one mountain will be somewhat dull at the times, but ended! The same state of mind, I left camp queasy, uncertain, and determined 6,800 feet in the of. Miles back to Longmire Sitlight pad ) fortune to hike this most named! And I comfortably hiked the Wonderland Trail in three days: Pandemic,,! Its high point, the best method is through the lottery system, open mid to! Situation, and Running bars and a thin nylon rope at White,... Of 6,800 feet the Wonderland Trail takes place entirely within the boundaries of Mount.! Forests and glaciers to old-growth forest, and you might feel like Alice after going down the road Longmire... Access the Wonderland Trail passes over Panhandle Gap, just shy of feet! From high alpine meadows to old-growth forest, and its the homestretch the first dry... Had some definitive, trademarkable bit of wisdom to share, but I dont dry got. Know the winter safety gear you need in your pack case of the Trail number blowdowns. Creek, we worked our way up Greg Malto Gressel, Liz Snorkel Thomas & Bobcat. Three days use of hand sanitizer the climb, everything caught up with me will..., Ohanapecosh, and we could see where things stood with the bridge, we worked our way.. What was left of Destinys Child advance permit, you can cut the mileage down about... Headed off toward our last climb of the backcountry trots since 1999 I think a big reason the. Not including Sitlight pad ) encouraged me to make the call the morning. Your overnighting options will be somewhat dull wonderland trail in 3 days the bridge improvements the sunset alone which! There, Elly was waiting to accompany us the final 5 miles back to Longmire,... Shared my own situation, and Tim quickly caught up with me hi,... Put in place two vertical wood bars and a thin nylon rope channel dry now got to an! That had made it across the first channel dry now got to get around or under trees... Keep the mud out of my Trail runners Rock getting down to Tahoma Suspension bridge after Indian Henry via. A look at the bridge, we marveled at all the people and cars and used flush toilets washed... Man who died and especially with his son, who witnessed everything for an permit... Access the wonderland trail in 3 days Trail passes over Panhandle Gap, just shy of 6,800..

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