1/3 of the Wonderland Trail, Mt. Rainier WA

It took me 10 years of trying to actually get a permit to backpack part of the Wonderland Trail  around Mt. Rainier again! My original plan was for 8 days covering about 60 miles, the west and north sides of Mt. Rainier (which I prefer to call Tahoma, the original name). I ended up being on the trail for 3.5 days and covering 37 miles before deciding to head home. With a forecast of incoming rain for several days and fighting headaches and nausea, I was happy with my shortened trip. I’m still declaring it a win!! 

I love my solo trips, knowing I have nobody to depend on but myself, that everything I need to survive I have to carry on my own back. Spending time in solitude out in nature strips away all the things we think we need, but we really don’t. It makes me appreciate even more what I do have, when I go without for several days. It also forces one to step away from how dependent and addicted to technology we have become as a society.

The only technology was using my cell phone (on airplane mode, but there’s no cell signal out there anyway) to track my route via GaiaGPS and taking photos, and my trusty Garmin InReach so I could let friends and family know where I was and that I was OK. No text messages or emails, no computers or fancy appliances or cars or social media or internet. Pure nature, one foot in front of the other, fresh air, and views that restore and fill up my soul.

35-pound backpack

37 trail miles

9333 feet elevation gain

8443 feet elevation loss (and 1 sore toenail)

1 alpine lake swim

7 mosquito bites (amazing!)

Infinite beauty

Priceless time with Mother Nature

DAY 1 – Longmire to Devil’s Dream camp

5.7 miles, 2527 feet ascent, 351 feet descent.

Before starting on the trail I checked in at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center and was told that both Devil’s Dream and Kalaptche camps were dry, so I’d have to fill up on water before each camp and carry several extra pounds of it in my backpack to get me through to the next water source along the trail the following mornings. I’m so thankful I knew that before starting.

Many thanks to my dear husband for driving me to the trailhead and hiking a bit with me to get me started on my adventure!

The section from Longmire to Devil’s Dream camp is nothing spectacular in the grand scheme of the full Wonderland Trail. I ended up with a near-migraine about half-way to camp, fighting nausea and swimming vision. I was so bad I couldn’t get my food bag hung up on the bear pole and someone had to do it for me. Very few photos from this section of the trip, with only one little glimpse of Tahoma from the Kautz Creek crossing. I also had to filter and carry extra water the last mile before camp, knowing there was none available there. Water is heavy, 2.2 lb. per liter!!

I spent the night fighting leg cramps at least 5-6 times. It’s rather hilarious waking from a deep sleep with a cramp, trying to unzip and contort yourself out of a mummy sleeping bag, then having to get camp shoes on with feet and calves in spasm, and unzip your way out of the tent to walk the cramps off in the dark. Not fun. Not fun at all. Especially when you know you’re getting up at 5am to pack and head out on the longest, hardest day of your trip the following day.

DAY 2 – Devil’s Dream camp to Klapatche camp

11.6 miles, 3642 feet ascent, 3120 feet descent

Up at 5am, packed and on the trail by 6:15am.  This was my longest and hardest day.

I have such a difficult time eating out on the trail, my stomach says a very emphatic “no!” to food even though I know I need the fuel. I take high-calorie food with me, knowing every bite counts when I have no desire to eat at all. Probars are my new favorite, though even with that it takes me over an hour to nibble one for breakfast, fighting the signals from my stomach the entire time.

Shortly out of Devil’s Dream, the scene opens up to Indian Henry’s Hunting Grounds and the patrol cabin in the meadow. This is one of the most stunning places on the entire trail, IMO. The wildflowers were not at their peak, but still put on a beautiful show and it was a perfect start to a long, hard, strenuous day. The trail is easy and fast through this area, though it’s so beautiful I like to slow down and linger.

From Indian Henry’s, it’s all downhill to the Tahoma Creek suspension bridge, which I think is incredibly fun but would not be for anyone with a fear of heights or vertigo – – 200+ feet across and 165 feet above Tahoma Creek, it has a lovely bounce to it, and is a work of art considering what it took to build it in that remote location. It’s best to stow hiking poles on your backpack to cross, leaving both hands open for holding onto the cables.

From the suspension bridge, it’s all uphill toward Emerald Ridge. It’s beautiful to break out into alpine moraine with wide-open views. There are fantastic views down to Tahoma Glacier, crazy orange coloring of the glacial debris, raging water spilling from the ice, and views of Tahoma itself. It’s a place to stop and linger for a while, taking in the incredible power of Mother Nature.

The trail from Emerald Ridge descending down to South Puyallup River can be dicey with loose rock and gravel, making footing tricky in a few places. Time to slow down and pay attention to your footsteps here.

The bridge over the South Puyallup River is a very sturdy wooden structure, especially after crossing the suspension bridge! The water looks like chocolate milk, full of glacial silt and debris. Also time to tank up with a lot of extra water from clear-running streams, since I knew that the next water source would be several miles away with a long, hard ascent ahead of me. Not fun carrying the extra weight of water uphill, but necessary.

The series of switchbacks from South Puyallup up to St. Andrews Park is not pleasant. I really struggled here, spent a lot of time talking myself into the reasons why I was doing this at all. I can’t say how many times I stopped to rest, trying to eat when I didn’t want to, and psyching myself into continuing on. Breaking out into St. Andrews Park and St. Andrews Lake at the top is worth it!

I filled up with water again at St. Andrews Lake, knowing my next campsite didn’t have any water. A lovely couple I saw there talked me into swimming, and though I didn’t feel I had the energy for it, I’m so glad I did! It was so refreshing to let the alpine water soak away the grueling day, the times I felt like quitting, the nausea I had been experiencing. A perfect way to shake off the difficulties and relax for a short while!

From St. Andrews Lake to Klapatche camp is an easy 3/4 mile, thank goodness! I got a beautiful campsite with a partial view of Tahoma. It took my last bit of energy to pitch my tent and set up camp, and eat a partial dinner. I had intended to stay up to watch the sunset, but I fell hard asleep and thankfully didn’t wake up once with leg cramps!  Hooray!

(FYI – there are lovely outhouses at all the Rainier backcountry campgrounds.)

DAY 3 – Klapatche camp to Golden Lakes camp

8.8 miles, 1830 feet ascent, 2399 feet descent

Almost immediately out of Klapatche begins a steep descent via a series of switchbacks, through sometimes very thick vegetation. The trail is narrow and rocky, with towering cliffs above. Sometimes the plants are so thick it’s difficult to see the trail and where your feet are landing. This entire area has no water source until the bottom at North Puyallup camp. Down down down, knees grinding (thank goodness for hiking poles!), again trying to force myself to eat so that I can take ibuprofen.

I again had to fill up with extra water at North Puyallup, knowing there would be none for the next several miles and yet another steep ascent. I was able to tell several backpackers traveling in the opposite direction to be sure to fill up, and they were very thankful for the tip, especially after learning that Klapatche camp was dry as well. I’m thankful there is another beautiful bridge crossing the North Puyallup River here.

After the last uphill for the day, the last stretch before Golden Lakes camp is a lovely meander through part forest, part meadow, and a beautiful dream after the ups and downs of the past 3 days. The patrol cabin at Golden Lakes is a sight for sore eyes, knowing I’ve landed at my next campsite by early afternoon and have nothing to do for the rest of the day except set up camp, and sit and read for hours.

I was able to get the best campsite, with wonderful views northwest toward civilization, Puget Sound, and the Olympic Mountains. Finally a campsite with available water nearby!! After setting up my tent, I read for hours, simply resting, reading, letting my mind wander, and soaking in everything around me that Mama Nature provides.

I decided to get a weather forecast for the next several days (thanks to my Garmin InReach). It showed 0% chance of rain for the following day. Good news! I knew I had a shorter day coming up, so felt I could sleep in as late as my body wanted to, no 5am alarm.  I watched the incredible sunset over Western Washington, with a glimpse of Tahoma and alpenglow behind me.

I slept soundly until ….

Day 4 – Golden Lakes camp to Paul Peak trailhead and home

11 miles, 1334 feet ascent, 2573 feet descent

I woke up at 6am to the pitter-patter of raindrops hitting my tent. Apparently the weather forecast was completely wrong. At this point I had was still struggling to eat (which usually happens to me on multi-day trips, but this one was particularly bad) and still fighting headache and nausea. With the rain, I decided to call it and head home, choosing to not continue on for the next segment.

There is nothing worse than having to pack while sitting in a tent the size of a coffin to avoid getting everything drenched, then having to pile a soaking wet tent on top of all of that. And THEN having up unpack a wet tent to set it up yet again at the next campsite. Nope. I was done. I’ll confirm that I’m a fair-weather hiker!

The tail away from Golden Lakes camp is again beautiful, rambling through gorgeous forest and meadow, until the descent via at least 35 switchbacks down to the South Mowich River. The switchbacks make this section of the trail not overly steep, which means my knees are happier than some of the other descents. My supposedly waterproof boots were a 100% waterproof failure, so I ended up hiking 11 miles in soggy, soaking wet feet. They will definitely be returned as defective.

The river bottom at South Mowich River is a testament to the power of water and glaciers. The river here is constantly changing course, braiding it’s way through the rocky terrain that has been created from millennia of flowing water, boulders, erosion, and Mother Nature. The Wonderland Trail route and bridges have to be re-created every year, including new log bridges every year, due to the constantly changing river. Many cheers and nods to the amazing NPS trail crews who do this every year so that we can enjoy the trails.

I had a lunch stop at the South Mowich River campground shelter, fending off ruthless squirrels while I ate and contemplated whether or not to even attempt drying out my feet for a little while (nope, not even worth it at this point).

The Wonderland Trail continues on up to Mowich Lake, but I decided to take the Paul Peak Trail to the road instead. It’s the same distance, but with about 1000 feet less of elevation gain. I don’t have a problem with taking the easier route sometimes! Slow and steady up up up. Just before the trailhead, a bridge over a creek had washed out. It was easy enough rock-hopping over the water, but I had to scramble up a 7-foot near-vertical embankment. Zero energy, but I threw my hiking poles up, and dug in with hands and feet, trying to not let the weight of my backpack pull me backward.

Finally made it to the road! I was soaking wet from head to toe from hiking 11 miles in the rain. My ride (again, my dear husband to the rescue!) was an hour away, so I changed back into my filthy but dry clothes to wait. Thirty-seven trail miles later, I was happy to be heading home to a good meal, a shower, and sleeping under my own roof. While it wasn’t the full 60 miles I had originally planned, I knew it was the right decision to head home. It’s amazing with my orthopedic issues that I can do this at all, so I’m going to consider it a big win!

Postscript:

Note to trail runners: Basic trail etiquette rules state that people going uphill have right of way. That means when you’re running at speed downhill, completely tuned out to what is going on around you, and you come upon backpackers carrying large backpacks heading uphill, you are meant to yield to them, instead of plowing over them and forcing them to quickly hop off the trail to avoid being run over. Perhaps consider reviewing simple trail etiquette before venturing out again.

Note to women who litter with toilet paper: It is absolutely disgusting to get to a backcountry campsite in the pristine wilderness areas of Mt. Rainier and see toilet paper littering the landscape. If you’re too lazy to walk the short distance to the provided toilet at each campground, please, oh please, consider investing in a Kula Cloth instead. It will more than pay for itself in the long run, and is easy to wash at camp or toss in the laundry when you get home. You can then say that you actually practice Leave No Trace, instead of leaving your used toilet paper on the ground for other people to see. Disgusting and absolutely inexcusable. Please strive to be a decent human being.