Our first landmark, at 5.5 miles and 2500 feet, was Devils Dream. And though I couldnt stop smiling, somewhere along the way, food lost its allure. There are tons of logistics to consider before attempting this hike, including wilderness permits, campsites, routes, and supplies. Here's the video I did for this year's hike. I think its strengths are easy logistics, safety with numerous bailout options, well-maintained trails with easy signage and navigation, and easy resupply logistics for slower hikers. Basically, everything between Summerland and Indian Bar are part of what I consider heaven on earthbeautiful meadows, high alpine ecosystems, stellar views of the Mountain! The right people enhance the experience and make each moment bigger, better, and simply more fun. to help you prepare. Own Your Own Piece Of Paradise In The Coveted North Creek Resort. The Wonderland Trail in 3 Days (Day 1) - AllAroundJoe The Wonderland Trail in 3 Days (Day 1) September 10, 2013 By Joe Bauer 0 Comments With the Wonderland Trail behind me and the soreness still lingering in my legs I write you this story about our 3 day, 93 mile journey around Mt Rainier. Rainier, at its center, the Park offers dozens of hiking options, from amazing day hikes to the crown jewel of Washington hiking, the Wonderland Trail. Frequently foggy but no rain. Although 1,800 applicants will be given a window to reserve, only 600 Wonderland thru-hikes are available during this early reservation period, meaning its still competitive even if you win the lottery. Instructions: Select your start and end trailheads, number of days, and hiking direction. The maximum number of days that the park allows to hike the trail is 14. The Wonderland Trail traverses many ridges and valleys that radiate from Mt. friend. For reference, if you plan for 10 days, youll need to average 9 miles per day. A crossword is a word puzzle that usually takes the form of a square or a rectangular grid of white- and black-shaded squares. Christi and I stopped to feed the mosquitos and have an intelligent conversation about options. There is often more availability for partial Wonderland Trail backpacking trips. The Wonderland Trail is 150 km of mostly single track that circumnavigates Mount Rainier with over 7,230 metres (23,700 feet) of cumulative elevation gain (plus equal loss of course). Adjust accordingly to mitigate surprises. I made it back to my car around 10pm. When Ammi is not chasing her first love (trails), she is preaching her second (food) as a Nutritional Therapist. To find out more about saving the world with kale or the misadventures of a single mom, visit her website. wife. This detailed guide will help you plan it all out! This year's hike of the Wonderland Trail (#33) was in many ways one of my best ones. Mikewho had arrived earlier in the day to set up campwas waiting at the intersection with the trail that heads off (the wrong direction) to Spray Park and offered us all a bit of a scare (since it had been so long since wed seen anyone else) as well as a sense of welcoming, and Sharon waited just up the trail and offered a warm hug and congratulations as we headed into camp. Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Pinterest. We had been hearing from backpackers going the opposite direction that the crossing at the Winthrop Creek was bad and that we should get there as early as possible. Directed by: Joel Christian Ballezza. Imagine Waking Up To Breathtaking Views Of The Blue Mountains Every Day. Pack was pretty joggable even fully loaded. To start planning, first determine how far you and your group are capable of hiking with a heavy overnight pack. In descending order of popularity, they are as follows: 1. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases that cross each other, by solving clues which lead to the answers. And a lot of mosquitoes. Wonderland Trail Overview Distance: 93 miles Time: 3-14 days Difficulty: Strenuous Elevation gain/loss: 25,593 ft Dogs: No When to go: July-September 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. See my previous blog article for my kit.with food I guestimate 13 pounds. YOU'RE IN!!! Conditions: Mild. Iand the othershad been very attentive to our hydration, food, and electrolytes all day and it had paid off. It is hard to get picked up when you look like a cross between a rodeo clown and a dust bowl hooker. At Mystic Lake, we all needed to refill our water and then we were off again. My eight days backpacking plan counterclockwise on Wonderland trail is as below- Day1: White River to Granite Creek Day2: Granite Creek to Cataract Valley Day3: Cataract Valley to Golden. Had I not been preoccupied with my growing desire to vomit, I surely would have shed tears of appreciation. Such a beautiful mountain we are so privileged to have in our backyard. I dressed, forced down food and changed out my day three food bag to include a quart-sized baggy of chips. Distance from Seattle: 75 miles. Get access to more than 30 brands, premium video, exclusive content, events, mapping, and more. At camp Wendy and I conferred. This horse property has 3 bedrooms and 3 total baths. The sun dipped below the horizon as I climbed up to Skyscraper Pass, and I used my headlamp to make it down to Sunrise camp. Such an amazing accomplishment! I took some Advil and drank a bottle of water. Our friends are the best! It was clear to me that my trip was up. What do you do to stay in shape that you can do this kind of thing? We declared our misadventure nothing shy of spectacular. The map indicated we could re-supply at two points around the circuit, translating into 3 to 4 days maximum carry of food and fuel. 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. Most of my past Wonderland hikes have been in the fall, so this circuit in July provided some significant contrasts. I grew hotter and I started not to feel well. A trail that would challenge me mentally and physically. Ipsut Creek Camp is not too far from Mowich and offers a lowland experience by the Carbon River. By thepurpleninja on Tuesday, October 29, 2019. Its been so long that I dont remember why that trip never came together. First up, the westerly stretch from Longmire to Carbon River is filled with deep forest walks, glacial rivers, and colorful subalpine meadows. Wonderland Trail in 3 Days (#34): Sep 7-9/2022 from Willis Wall on Vimeo. But is there a way to increase your odds of getting permits to hike it? The lake is a welcome sight with Old Desolate, a lonely mountain towering 1,000 feet above the lake, making for a slight change in background. Food was carried in a MLD food bag. But when we got there, we not only found the river pouring over parts of the bridge in waves, we also encountered a ranger who strongly advised against crossing. Highs mid 50-70, Lows mid 30's. Lighterpack: https://lighterpack.com/r/j1c7ah Photos: https://imgur.com/a/J8FHgFs This Stunning One-Bdrm, One-Bth Unit Is The Perfect Home Base For All Your Outdoor Adventures. I could fit all my food for the day within reach in the front and side pockets, which limits stops/maxes efficiency. This resulted in her promptly inviting herself because shes the kind of athlete that can just up and run 93 miles. I suppose the area around Indian Henrys was pretty nice, as well as the area around St. Andrews Lake. A trail that would overwhelm my senses with its grandeur. This section, like all sections of the Wonderland Trail, is quite popular, with backcountry reservations required. I called my Seattle friend, Christi, to see if she had some beta on the trail. My feet were hot and sore and felt blistered. 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. The water was so forceful that we could hear boulders rolling underwater. I went to bed resigned to failure. In other words, I wasnt thinking well. Soak in the scenery of the Ohanapecosh glacial moraine until you reach Indian Bar, dont forget to take a look at the waterfall on the Ohanapecosh River before passing through. If you plan for a trip longer than about a week, it may be beneficial to store your food midway at a food cache or have a friend meet up with you to help restock your supplies. ), I charged ahead, ignoring my watch chimes that I have programmed to remind me to eat, drink, and take electrolytes routinely. Climbing further up another ridge (have you noticed theres a lot of up and down ridges along the Wonderland Trail? Gives me hope that I can also do it at that agefingers crossed. I desire medium danger williswall.com. Outside of that, it is possible to piece together the remaining campsites, although you may have days of uneven hiking lengthsa 2-mile day and then a 15-mile day, for exampleif you cannot get your ideal campsites. Thanks so much!!!! 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. Ammi Midstokke lives in Sandpoint, Idaho. There was no way I was going to be able to continue the next day. Its a jaw-dropping airy crossing above the glacial melt river and the swinging bridge is not for the faint of heart. Olympic Coast Route: The hardest thing I didnt finish, Affords hikers and runners views of all sides of Mt. //. I was able to get 6 hours of rest both nights. Cheers! Today we will hike 8 miles with a 3,600-foot elevation gain and 250-foot . With our tents and sleeping bags waiting for us, we changed out some gear in our packs and fell into bed. What camera did you use? 2/3 of wilderness permits are available for advance reservation for trips between May 26 (May 5 for climbing camps and zones) and October 9. Emily, Erik and Sebastian had everything planned: three days in July to run the stunning, 93-mile Wonderland Trail. The Wonderland Trail climbs and falls 23,000 feet over those 93 miles. Once again I am thankful to be healthy enough to pull off another 3 day transit of Mt. Pack: custom Zpacks Arc slim (13.5.ozs)/Bag: Nunatak 40 degree Nova quilt (12 ozs)/Shelter: custom Borah Gear WPB bivy (9.1 ozs)/Pad: Z Lite SOL (14 ozs). The meadow up near Mystic Lake was pretty nice. Planning a One-Way Hike? Easy Breezy drops before H, My Feel Good Friday Email is in your inbox OR you. They feel much sturdier and stiffer than Black Diamond Carbon-Z poles, which are of a comparable weight. Indian Henrys Patrol Cabin is a historic back country cabin built by the National Park Service in 1915-1916. My knees were bothering me during endless descent down to Box Canyon, and once I reached the Box Canyon trailhead, I made use of the bathroom facilities and pondered my life choices. They wear compression socks and shorts, little gaiters to keep rocks out of burly looking shoes, and then slather enough greasy sunblock on to slip from the grip of even the most determined bears. Theyre totally fine as hiking pants though. Go To Hocking Hills, Ohio. I desire medium danger williswall.com. Felpudo, RichP, zimmertr. Privacy Policy. Congratulations! The wide-open views, the endless blue sky, the vast stretches of forest, the ridges rippling away on both sides like waves, the other snowy Cascade peaks winking snow in the clear distance. (The ridge is also a great additional 1.5 mi detour starting from Longmire for more views of Rainier.) https://www.williswall.com/willis-wall-blog/2022/9/12/wonderland-trail-in-3-days-34-sep-7-92022, As a PNW native, this is beyond inspiring. Truly incredible. Once we hit the Carbon River, we were on known territory for me. #pnw #pnwmtb #beforetherain 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. As usual my total pack weight was less than 15 lbs including food and water. For a 2-week hike, you can cut the mileage down to about 7 miles per day. 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. The wildflower meadows here are extremely fragile, especially given how many visitors come to the park. At this point, they said that we could make our own decision about whether to cross, but it was an adult decision that would be made by informed adults. Also, friends do not appreciate interrupting such trips with life flight rescues for sickly cohorts. By the time I got to the North Puyallup River 18 miles in, my eyelids were heavy from the lack of sleep the night before. The majority of hikers give themselves 10 or more days to finish the Wonderland. Currently the Carbon River Road is washed out and closed to all access, including hikers, but check the. Angel, Tim, and Elly headed back down toward Summerland and their cars, and we headed onward. Ran this in 3 days CCW from Longmire. Fudgesicles. Rainier National Park, eat at the National Park Inn at Longmire, sleep at Cougar Rock Campground. Situated between the Carbon Glacier and Winthrop Glacier, Mystic Lake is a little fertile oasis nestled amongst trees. this will surely happen as I get older but I am encouraged by the fact that, at age 66, this was probably my best 3 day hike since the 90s. All text copyright me. In recent years, Ive covered the section along the Carbon River to the Carbon Glacier, the section between Frying Pan Creek Trailhead and Box Canyon five times, and the section from Sunrise to Mystic Lake. At St. Andrews Lake, we encountered a family of four (the kids were 6 and 8). Mike found a bridge on the North Mowich, but the South Mowich had to be forded. Appalachian Trail - Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Top. Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which means we may receive a small percentage of any purchase you make. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. A trail that could be cruel and giving. While it's arguably one of the most gorgeous trails in Washington, it's also one of the most . 3. 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. Stage: 93 Miles, 3-Day . We fantasized about carbonated beverages. No real obstacles other than the never ending ups followed by the never ending downs. Heading out the door? finding inspiration as a mom. I stumbled and fell a couple times because I was too tired to pay attention to where I was putting my feet. Wonderland Trail Basics Location: Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA Length: 93 mi / 150 km Type: Circuit Officially Recommended Time: 6 to 8 days? Highs mid 50-70, Lows mid 30s. A short climb brings you up and around Emerald Ridge for a great view of Glacier Island, a mass of rock rising from the Tahoma Glacier. We were all in awe of the parents, as none of us with kids could imagine ours being out there doing what they were doing. Take part in The Great Easter Bunny Trail on this day for your chance to meet the Easter Bunny in real life. It was along this descent that Heidi stepped on a loose rock the wrong way and was suddenly sliding off the trail. Use the Wilderness Trip Planner to help you sketch out your trip. Once across, we had a long hot climb up to St. Andrews Lake. 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. 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