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DAY 1 \u2013 MOWICH LAKE TO CARBON RIVER CAMP<\/b><\/span>\u2026 and we\u2019re off!!! Deb, Dayna, Frani, and I started out at Mowich Lake (thanks to Kara for driving us) with fully-loaded backpacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We headed to Ipsut Pass, deciding to not take the higher Spray Park route due to a heavy winter snowpack. Hiking down from Ipsut Pass toward the Carbon River is enough to make even the most seasoned backpacker lose a few toenails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a long way downhill into the Carbon River rainforest area, and once we got down into the valley we caught our first look at the Mountain herself. There\u2019s a detour at the Carbon River, looping around to cover a mile or so on the Northern Loop Trail. The highlight of our first day was getting to cross the Carbon River suspension bridge just before Carbon River camp\u2026 fun!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a long almost-10-mile first day, we literally fell into the first campsite we found, pitched our tents, scrounged up some quick dinner, hung our food bags, and crashed. I didn\u2019t sleep all night, plotting the many ways I could bail out at this point because of extreme hip bursitis and IT band tendinitis that had flared up in a bad way the last few miles of today\u2019s hike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I woke up the next morning and realized that a chipmunk had gotten into my food bag (hanging from a bear pole!) and chewed through, stealing my highly-prized cheddar cheese, I decided that I wasn\u2019t going to let the trail stop me that easily, so onward we went toward Mystic Lake on Day 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ——————————————————————————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n DAY 2 \u2013 CARBON RIVER TO MYSTIC LAKE<\/b>\u2026<\/span> I was really hesitant about starting toward Mystic Lake this morning, worried about my bursitis and tendinitis flaring up again, knowing it would get me even further away from an evacuation point if I couldn\u2019t go on. But the Mountain was calling me, and I just couldn\u2019t quit. Thank goodness I was fine the rest of the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We headed back over the Carbon River suspension bridge first thing in the morning. Love this thing!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s a rocky, uphill hike almost the whole way between Carbon River and Mystic Lake. Carbon Glacier is up close and personal, makes you feel small with that huge thing looming so tall next to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now on more rocky uphill to Moraine Park, a gorgeous area before one of the steepest sections of the WLT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We found a most excellent lunch spot, gorgeous stream, wonderful huge warm rocks to sprawl on, and time to doctor the feet up a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heading up toward Moraine Park, we were tired but in awe of the beauty everywhere. After Moraine Park, we headed up one of the steeper parts of the WLT, just under a mile long. The views looking back down into Moraine Park and the top of Carbon Glacier are stunning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally to Mystic Lake\u2026 we survived our second day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n ———————————————————————————<\/p>\n\n\n\n DAY 3 \u2013 MYSTIC LAKE TO GRANITE CREEK<\/b>\u2026<\/span> Starting to get into the swing of things on Day 3, very much looking forward to hitting the trail this morning and seeing more of the northern side of Rainier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One very nice thing about all the campsites on the WLT is that there are bear poles at every campground, so no need to lug heavy bear canisters along for the ride. There are also pit toilets\/outhouses at each campground. It’s definitely luxury backpacking!<\/p>\n\n\n\n We started out this morning by heading toward Winthrop Creek and Winthrop Glacier. Crossing Winthrop Creek was a bit slow, very rocky washed-out riverbed, but all went well. Not quite sure why it’s called a “creek” when it’s obvious that at certain times of the year it can be a raging river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crossing through a wonderful rocky, subalpine area, we ran into a troop of boy scouts who took one of the best group shots of the 4 of us from the entire trip. It was a sunny, glorious day with some incredible views of our Mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Winthrop Glacier \u2013 the trail takes you right up the side of the glacier. This thing is LOUD, even though the trail is a safe distance, every time rocks would fall it would echo for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Granite Creek Campground, we all like this area and recommend it as a good spot to stay, it\u2019s a nice hike from the Sunrise area for a quick overnight backpack trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ————————————————————————-<\/p>\n\n\n\n DAY 4 \u2013 GRANITE CREEK TO WHITE RIVER CAMPGROUND<\/b>\u2026<\/span> This was our first re-supply, and where Dayna had to leave the trail to get back to work. It was a beautiful hike up from Granite Creek, across Skyscraper Pass, through Berkeley Park, to Frozen Lake, and then not-so-beautiful on the long downhill slog to White River Campground. If I ever do the Wonderland again, I\u2019ll bypass that 3-mile section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Skyscraper Pass is magical to me. I\u2019ve been back several times as a dayhike after first passing through on my Wonderland hike. Hands-down best view around, and made even better with a good book and a JetBoil to brew up a cuppa tea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Berkeley Park in full bloom is hard to describe, another magical place. It\u2019s so green and full of life, compared to the barren Burroughs Mountain above it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frozen Lake between Berkeley Park and the Sunrise area is like a major city intersection, with a 5-way trail junction and a lot of tourists. This is where Deb\u2019s backpack was chewed through by an assault-commando-chipmunk who stole her trail mix, then quite proudly showed off his winnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final few miles from Sunrise Walk-In Camp down to White River Campground I\u2019ll never do again. It\u2019s not very pretty, it was hot and muggy without a drop of breeze, and my toes are still working on forgiving me. The only thing that got me through it was knowing my kids were down there waiting with a car full of fresh supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Camping at the backpacker section of White River Campground wasn\u2019t my favorite thing, with all the smoke from fires from the car campers and noise that we weren\u2019t used to. But it was worth it for the fresh avocados that we were able to trade for homemade chocolate granola with the people camping next to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ———————————————————————————<\/p>\n\n\n\n DAY 5 \u2013 WHITE RIVER CAMPGROUND TO SUMMERLAND<\/b><\/span> – <\/b> This was one of my favorite days, and I\u2019m still giddy about Summerland Campground. The first 2 miles out of White River campground are about the most level part of the Wonderland Trail. Once you get to Fryingpan Creek (along with at least a million day-hikers), the trail is up up up to Summerland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lower part of the trail near Fryingpan Creek is pretty, but things really begin to get beautiful above that, where the WLT veers away from the creek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Summerland is inundated with day-hikers , but as soon as afternoon rolls around most people leave. This is one of the hardest campsites to get reservations at, with good reason, it\u2019s one of the most beautiful areas in Mt. Rainier National Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Waking up in the morning at Summerland (campsite #5 \u2013 you can\u2019t have it, it\u2019s MINE!!!) was magical. Sunrise was spectacular, and the almost-full moon was showing off against crystal blue skies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is one of those \u201cmust do every year\u201d spots for me, even though it\u2019s one of the larger and more crowded campsites in MRNP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last but not least\u2026 one of the ritziest bathroom facilities on the WLT\u2026 the Summerland outhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n —————————————————————————<\/p>\n\n\n\n DAY 6 \u2013 SUMMERLAND TO INDIAN BAR<\/span><\/b>\u2026 A hard but incredibly beautiful day, and also our shortest distance day on the WLT. There was a heavy snow pack and a late spring season in 2012, so on this day we ended up covering about 3 miles of solid snow, right out of Summerland, up across Panhandle Gap, and all the way until we started the descent into Indian Bar. It was 90 degrees out, and by the time we crossed Panhandle Gap we were stuffing snow into our hats and bandanas trying to keep cool, and hoping we weren’t getting sunburned up our noses and in our ears from the glare off the snow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the highest point on the WLT, almost 7000 feet. The traverse across snow at Panhandle Gap was slow but steady, with a huge cornice off to our right which was a bit intimidating. The view up at the top, though, was worth the effort, our first sighting of Mt. Adams to the south \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n Across a lot more snow, and then we got confused since the trail wasn’t marked, just foot prints every which direction in the snow. Just as we were about to head down the wrong way (stay high after Panhandle!!!) we heard a loud whistle and a Rangel’s (Ranger-Angel) head popped over a steep snow-covered hillside, miraculously waving us in the right direction at exactly the moment we needed guidance. Miracles do happen on the trail \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n The descent down into Indian Bar is toe-jamming for sure, down hundreds of tall steps built by 7-foot-tall men, not 5-foot-4 inch women, no doubt. The the scenery and the view is incomparable heading down into the valley, making you forget that you WISH you couldn’t feel your toes at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And last but not least, by far the best “potty” view on the WLT is from the toilet at Indian Bar camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/box2402.temp.domains\/~bluesbo1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Wonderland1-1-scaled.jpg\")
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