(L to R) Swami, Bobcat and Malto | Longmire Trailhead, 2014. Founder & CEO - Karina Safari, professional adventure travel organizer and team leader since 2011. It was a good reminder that things can and do happen on the trails! That's exactly what the Wonderland Trail is: a 93-mile (150 km) trek around Mt Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. Our friends are the best! 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. Reservations must be made at least 2 days in advance of the trip start. system, open mid February to early March every year. Get started here, and when you have your hike planned, apply . If you can swing it with the dates, I recommend doing the hike around mid to late September in order to avoid the crowds, the bugs, and if youre lucky, possibly catch the beginning of the fall colours. Stage: 93 Miles, 3-Day . Highest Elevation: 6,750 ft (2,060 m) Panhandle Gap, Lowest Elevation: 2,320 ft (720 m) Ipsut Creek Campground. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. A trail that could be cruel and giving. The South Mowich River crossing was still lacking a bridge, requiring a ford (assisted by a steel cable strung across). - 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. Either will give you a good idea of what to expect on the trail itself. At its high point, the Wonderland Trail passes over Panhandle Gap, just shy of 6,800 feet. my life. At Mystic Lake, we all needed to refill our water and then we were off again. For best results, create three different itinerary choices; vary the starting date, or start from different trailheads. Irrespective of when you hit the trail, come prepared for wet and cold conditions. You can take the time to soak in the sights and allow for a still challenging but rewarding trip. Did the WT late September and it was as good as it gets. Ive used this merino wool base layer since 2016 for all my hikes in cold/wet conditions (e.g. Hiking Boots: A 30 Year Perspective. Use the, If you plan for a trip longer than about a week, it may be beneficial to store your food midway at a. or have a friend meet up with you to help restock your supplies. Tasmania, Scotland, New Zealand) / Not too thick/not too thin, warmer than synthetic equivalents when damp. The One Subscription to Fuel All Your Adventures. Spring is also tricky since the large amount of snowmelt creates extreme flows that can damage bridges and trails, which will need to be fixed by a trail crew before visitors can safely pass. Top Tip: Use the Wonderland Trail Planning Website at home AND in the ranger station. 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. Ex.Con. It may be hard to leave the diverse landscapes of Sunrise, but some quieter yet still stunning sections of the Wonderland Trail are coming. Day 3: 15.1 miles to North Puyallup River campsite. Food storage bag of choice for hundreds of nights. My trip would never have happened if it were just me out there, alone and without purpose. View listing photos, review sales history, and use our detailed real estate filters to find the perfect place. The Wonderland Trail quickly became popular with hikers. Lightweight sanity-saver for extended PNW rain. friend. Soon, youll climb out of the river bed and pop out to Mystic Lake, which hosts another campsite and ranger station. There was no way I was going to be able to continue the next day. Your email address will not be published. My totals were 101 miles with over 25,000 of climb for the 3 days. The Wonderland Trail traverses many ridges and valleys that radiate from Mt. Use the Wilderness Trip Planner to help you sketch out your trip. Rainier on the Wonderland Trail in three days. Appalachian Trail - Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Day 4: 13.7 miles to Devil's Dream campsite. Good places to do this are at Mowich and Sunrise. The trail will deposit you back at Longmire, where you can kick back in one of their outdoor wicker chairs and pat yourself on the back for the successful thru-hike. Following the lottery, the remaining campsites open for reservations in late April. Otherwise I had no physical problems. The entire collection centers on the passion of Aleson for the Colorado River. I was able to get 6 hours of rest both nights. (Mountaineers Books) Also available in Kindle; 2. Bring something that youll enjoy at camp, whether its a book or game or hot chocolate. This is a good baseline for how far apart you want your campsites to be. Rainier). I sometimes question the accuracy of Strava but I mention it here for people who are using these tools for tracking. We had reserved a site at Cougar Rock Campground for the night before, and we were all settled by about 9:30 or 10. Cheers, She gave each of us a wonderful hug, and seriously it was like a smile in my soul! Such an amazing accomplishment! Happy Hiking! So, I got my book in the other day, Discovering the Wonders of the Wonderland Trail by Bette Filley and it has gotten my wheels turning. #tokul 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. Your email address will not be published. Its amazing! Tired of Not Looking or Feeling the Way You Want?. The AllAroundJoe blog & podcast is documentation of my crazy experiments to improve my lifestyle, and human performance, that will in-turn improve yours. 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 number of side hikes along the way will tempt more miles from you. Be careful crossing the river. Wei. After reading many positive reviews, I recently picked these up on Amazon. I asked if anyone would mind stopping at the creek so I could soak my feet in the cold water, and everyone was onboard with that idea! These include the Nisqually, Puyallup, Mowich, Carbon, West Fork, Huckleberry, White, Ohanapecosh, and Muddy Fork rivers. The right people enhance the experience and make each moment bigger, better, and simply more fun. Day 6: 9.9 miles to Indian Bar campsite. 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. I can only strive to give back to them as they give to me. His teenaged son had run for help, and that morning helicopters had been out searching for the body. Be sure to check the, received its fitting moniker a century ago to the year (1920) when, The requests are then processed in random order, meaning that there is no guarantee of success. Mike encouraged me to make the call the next morning, and see how I felt after a nights sleep. There were Wonderland Trail signs along the way, marking our expected interactions with the day hikers and tourists. Northern Spotted Owl. Ive owned the same model R1 Hoody since 2009. Last year in my video of hike #32 I made the statement maybe these 3 day hikes will become untenable. Fun little sketchy section on Between Two Ferns If you need any trail beta, feel free to reach out. Great, informative article as always Cam, and Id be highly amuzed to know how many miles the 4 of you, (mentioned in this piece), have hiked cumulatively!? Categories100 Classic Multi-Day Hikes, Gear Lists, Quick and Dirty Guides, The Hiking Life Blog, United StatesTagsBackpacking, Brooks Running, Gossamer Gear, Hiking, Katabatic Gear, Liz "Snorkel" Thomas, Liz Thomas, Longmire, Montbell, Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier National Park, Quick and Dirty Guides, REI, Seattle, Tarptent, Thru-hiking, Trekking, ultralight backpacking, Wonderland Trail. For my almost 40 years in the park the stats for the Wonderland have been 93 miles with 22,000 of climb/descent; this is what I based my days on. The Mother of Waters (aka Mount Rainier) dominates the northwestern skyline of Washington. The final descent along the Paradise River is a treat. Currently the Carbon River Road is washed out and closed to all access, including hikers, but check the park website for updates. Ive had the good fortune to hike this most aptly named of pathways on two occasions 2003 and 2014. A trail that would challenge me mentally and physically. For the average backpacker, a longer trip will be a more pleasant way to enjoy this park. 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. I hiked a section of the WT via walk up permit the other week and just wanted to mention that you do apparently still need a permit for the 3 front country sites. St. Andrews Lake & Mt.Rainier | October 2003. in 2014 my three friends and I comfortably hiked the Wonderland Trail in three days. The Wonderland Trail measures in somewhere around 93 miles. Ex.Con. I switched my headlamp on with just over a mile to go. Rainier, that shows off its volcanic nature as well as its meadows and forests and glaciers. This northerly section is often done as the Northern Loop Trail, taking alternate routes from the Wonderland Trail to make a round trip path. Joshua Bobcat Stacy just west of Sunrise Camp on a cold and snowy Wonderland morning | Late September 2014. Day 2: Mowich Lake to White River Campground. This is a good baseline for how far apart you want your campsites to be. That is about 9-13 miles a day. Check your email to get access! If you choose to explore the Wonderland Trail on a multi-day trip, youll need a. to use any of the 18 campsites right next to the trail. There, Elly was waiting to accompany us the final 5 miles back to Longmire. . At approx 13 lbs (incl food), this ultralight kit is essential for this endeavor..no way could I pull this off at age 66 with a 30 lb pack. Submit a clear, neat application. Save some time to take a few pictures at Box Canyon, a narrow slot canyon tumbling with whitewater, before you cross the Stevens Canyon Road to follow Stevens Creek uphill. Crossing the bridge was a thrill, and we all acted like children squealing and laughing as we bounced our way across one at a time. The one caution I didnt see in the article is that snow can often covers long sections of the trail through much of July and you can easily get off track especially in white-out conditions. He was quite plump and cute! 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 The Wonderland Trail also has some of the countrys most beautiful campsites, and youll also want to make the most of your time there. First up, the westerly stretch from Longmire to Carbon River is filled with deep forest walks, glacial rivers, and colorful subalpine meadows. Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+ I got my answers in the middle of the trip, when I hit my low point and puked in the bushes outside the Sunrise Visitor Center parking lot. I responded with a miserable, I dont care. Just as we arrived at the parking lot of Sunrise Visitor Center, my stomach called BS and I puked up the little that was left in my stomach into the bushes. Ipsut Creek Camp is not too far from Mowich and offers a lowland experience by the Carbon River. Extra Socks Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew. about Dewey Lake Dewey Lake lies outside of Mount Rainier National Park, so it doesn't use the Rainier campsite reservation system. There is no additional cost to you and the decision to buy something is up to you. Still my favourite Merino liners after more than a decade / Cheaper and more durable than the big sock companies (Note: Though not as durable as the pre-2013 models). Our first destination would be Summerland, a long-time favorite of mine. The early-access reservation lottery is your best bet for a multiday trip, but a third of wilderness permits remain first-come, first-serve for walk-ins at a wilderness information center. Master the Art of the Car Shuttle. I shared my own situation, and I think we both were in the same state of mind. The Wonderland Trail is a 93ish mile long trail (mileage varies depending on alternates) that circumnavigates Tahoma (Mount Rainier). 3 Best Day Hikes on the Wonderland Trails. But, I was frustrated about the bridge situation, I was a little scared, and I just wanted to keep going. 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