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. Rainiers Wonderland Trail. The bugs seemed happy, though. We declared our misadventure nothing shy of spectacular. This news definitely affected our outlooks. Fudgesicles. If you need any trail beta, feel free to reach out. I set up my sleeping gear and hung my bear bag in the group site to take a nap, figuring that if a group arrived I would just pack up my stuff and move on. It was 8am! This section, like all sections of the Wonderland Trail, is quite popular, with backcountry reservations required. The Wonderland Trail circumnavigates Mount Rainier, traveling 93 miles and over 22,000 feet of total elevation gain. Wed descend to the bottom of Stevens Canyon and then ascend to Reflection Lakes near Paradise. Mowich River Camp to Longmire-34.91 miles/8,720. Each year, hikers vie for permits to embark on a backpacking trip on it, with only a handful scoring the permits to undertake this strenuous hike. When our friend, Marna, did the Wonderland last year, the Mowich bridge was out and it made for a sketchy crossing. Ipsut Creek Camp is not too far from Mowich and offers a lowland experience by the Carbon River. Take some time to enjoy the Mowich section, where you can restock with your food cache at the patrol cabin, catch up with friends over lunch by the picnic tables, or take a stroll around the many trails here. A run like that makes tree bark and road kill seem appetizing. Production: The Wild Ones . Frequently foggy but no rain. Some other specialty items: Timmermade Alpha Direct sweater (7 ozs)/EE Copperfield wind shirt (2 ozs)/Nunatak JMT hooded Apex sweater (6 ozs)/custom ZPacks XL Long rain jacket (vintage 2014) 5.7.ozs)/Blackrock Gear Apex beanie (1 oz)the remainder of the weight were the usual incidentals like toothbrush, sunglasses, filter, buff etc. Such a beautiful mountain we are so privileged to have in our backyard. And yes, I am quite thankful that I can get out and hammer, suffer and abuse myself at this age. Movie. Allow 10 to 14 days to hike the entire trail, depending on your daily average. Im going to have to add this one to my bucket list, though I think Id want to do it in six days rather than three! Most of my past Wonderland hikes have been in the fall, so this circuit in July provided some significant contrasts. A little Bham jump line footage of chasing @dhbike, Its still good! Bottom line, my recent 3 day hikes over the past few years have gone better than ones I did even 25 years ago. Your email address will not be published. I was excited about day two: I knew most of the trail, loved the views, and knew that it would be a shorter, easier day that ended in burgers at Sunrise Visitor Center. Most of my past Wonderland hikes have been in the fall, so this circuit in July provided some significant contrasts. The ranger advised to wait an hour, and we could see where things stood with the bridge improvements. Angel, Tim, and Elly headed back down toward Summerland and their cars, and we headed onward. Love to all! Our first landmark, at 5.5 miles and 2500 feet, was Devils Dream. When I was in my 20s, I went on two backpacking trips with my brother, Rob, and his friend, Kip, in the High Sierras of California. I was frustrated with myself for mistakes over the day. Following the lottery, the remaining campsites open for reservations in late April. Here, the river had carved a new channel the day before, and we had to rock hop and finally just walk through the water to get to the bridge over the main channel. It is a delightful expedition across landscapes extraordinaire, through blossoming fields of color, mountainous ridges highlighted with bear grass, clear alpine lakes - all shadowed by the dramatic peaks of Mount Rainier. The remaining 1/3 of permits are issued on-site on a first-come, first-served basis. Felpudo, RichP, zimmertr. Weekend Living In The Blue Mountains Is Now W/In Your Reach! Email This BlogThis! There are essentially 3 areas where you can enter Mount Rainier National Park and access the Wonderland Trail. The area was named after Sotolik, known as Indian Henry, to those who sought him out as a guide. For video I rely on a shoulder mounted GoPro Hero 9 with the Max lens mod and I supplement with my iPhone 13 Pro for photos and additional video. This is a good baseline for how far apart you want your campsites to be. Mowich Lake. - UD FK Ultra Poles - these feel incredibly stiff and sturdy for a lightweight carbon segmented Z-style pole. I then slept like the dead until I woke up at 4 a.m. to go to the bathroom. 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 Great Easter Bunny Trail at Victoria Park 3-10 April, kids of all ages can participate in The Great Easter Bunny Trail around Victoria Park these school holidays. Wonderland Trail Backpacking Guide Treeline Review We test. Check your email to get access! There is often more availability for partial Wonderland Trail backpacking trips. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Thanks so much!!!! Download the app. - Mountain Hardwear Dynama/2 Pants - this trip convinced me that I need to buy actual wind pants. The sweet spot for me is 12 lbs, depending on how much food and liquid. We first headed up to Emerald Ridge, which was breathtaking! Master the Art of the Car Shuttle. 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. Problem was, I didnt have a permit - no problem! There was no way I was going to be able to continue the next day. Amazing! The trail can be hiked in its entirety as a through hike usually typically taking 8-14 days to complete; or in shorter sections. There were epic views, swims in mountain lakes, and deep sighs of appreciation for our bodies and the nature they transport us through. Get your weekly dose of Feel Good Friday! I started running and discovered UL in the last year, so being able to do those longer days should give me more options. The highest point in the trail is at 6,750 feet (Panhandle Gap), which doesnt melt out until late June or early July, so hikers attempting the route before midsummer will need to be prepared for snow travel. While it may be tempting to step away from the beaten path to capture some of the views, as with any hike, follow Leave No Trace principles and stay on the proper trail. If youre going slow enough for them to land on you, youre not going to make camp by nightfall. Christi and I hit the trail at 7 a.m. the first day, and by 7:15 we were lost. Because hitchhiking through rural Washington in filthy knee-highs makes any adventure legit. Timberline Trail in a Day: Flowers, and rivers, and sand, oh my! Our day started with crossing the White River just outside camp. There are tons of logistics to consider before attempting this hike, including wilderness permits, campsites, routes, and supplies. On July 20-22, 2021 I completed my 33rd circuit of Mt.Rainier's Wonderland Trail, a CCW transit starting and ending at Longmire and taking the alternate rout. Thanks for sharing! They said they would give us each a life vest from their gear, but that the thin nylon rope and the life vest were no guarantees of our safety: the rope would probably break if we fell and our heads would probably be bashed by rocks before the vests could save us. So, in the meantime I am reading as much as I . From here, we had about 11 miles and 3400 feet of gain to get to our next major landmark: Klapatche Park. For intermediate and advanced backpackers, I think there are more interesting and scenic routes out there in the PNW (including this Glacier Peak loop). Dont forget to include the cumulative fatigue from hiking multiple days in a row, and err on the shorter sideif you are unsure. However, I didnt feel any force from the water and it was actually a relatively easy crossing. Several rides and odd experiences later, I arrived at White River. I was most familiar with this section of trail as I had done the mother mountain loop as a trail run before. We pushed into a run to get out of there and soon arrived at Indian Henrys Hunting Ground. 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. Short-Term Rental Ski/In Ski/Out. Join Outside+ to get access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Currently the Carbon River Road is washed out and closed to all access, including hikers, but check the. At this point, I should have just gotten up and started hiking, but nahhh I gave sleeping one last shot and finally nodded off, Day 1: Longmire to Golden Lakes: 24 miles, 8200 ft of gain. Mountain views. Wonderland Trail in 3 Days (#34): Sep 7-9/2022. Experienced hikers can complete the trail in 5-6 days. #pnw #pnwmtb #beforetherain Day 20- 9.3 miles: Locust Cove Gap to Stealth Camp @ mile 156.7; Previous Post . My Suggested Time: 5 days Possible Time: 2 or 3 days Most Popular Months: July/August Booking Required: Yes* Application Cost: $20 (per group) To start planning, first determine how far you and your group are capable of hiking with a heavy overnight pack. With our tents and sleeping bags waiting for us, we changed out some gear in our packs and fell into bed. Ammi Midstokke lives in the forests of North Idaho where she spends much of her time getting lost on well-marked trails or embarking rather unprepared on random misadventures in the outdoors. Timberline Trail in a day - 44 miles (with detour) with 9600 ft. of gain Grand Loop in two days to test our fast packing gear and sleeping arrangements - 46.6 miles with 13, 027 ft. of gain Eagle Creek to Wahtum Lake - 28 miles with 4134 ft. of gain. 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