Overview:  The Wonderland Trail is one of the Northwest's ultimate hikes.  It's a 93 mile trail that rings Mt. Rainer, the biggest of the cascade volcanos..  And a very difficult one at that with a total of 20,000 vertical feet of elevation gain.  You might think that a trail that goes around a mountain would remain somewhat flat - no chance. Huge valleys carved out by the mountains 26 major glaciers make this a very up and down circuit.  Mt Rainer also had a massive snowfall year of 950 inches.  So much that I was not sure we would even be able to hike the trail with a August 1-8 permit.  We had some definite highlights and some incredible vistas of the mountain during our trip.  Some wet weather and tough trail sections on the west side of the mountain gave way to easier hiking and sunny weather the second half of the trek.

Movie-  4 Star to Tent Star

 Day 1

Longmire to South Puyulp

We left our hotel in Tacoma, Washington this morning in the pouring rain, but the forcast looks good later in the week.  Picking up our permit at the ranger station he told us that parties were just starting to complete the whole wonderland trail.  He warned us of a few major snowcrossings and one area that had a dangerous traverse, but all in all most the trail was snow-free so it was on.

 Walking from the parking lot we crossed over the road and found the wonderland trail. We turned left and begun our clockwise way around this beast of a mountain. Today began in a dense forest up a valley slope.  It was a steady mist/rain combo, definitely was not going to get a view of the peak today.  We reached Indian Hunting ground area and there was lots of snow, We never had to much of a problem finding the trail, but it was not the kind of hiking I would want to do for 80 miles.

  It is the biggest bridge and highest I have ever seen in the backcountry. It is about a 100 ft high and with each step it bounces a little bit.  Sam was next - I look back and she had no problem with it. 

 The next hour we made our way up a ridge that was perched above a massive Tacoma glacier.  Looking up at the rock there were huge waterfalls emptying into the valley with a river of ice and rocks.  It was kind of mythical with the origin of the river of ice disappearing into the clouds.  It just made the mountain feel absolutely huge hiding a glimpse upper slopes!  There was no chance of a trail crossing here - so this is what would become a routine on this trip.  The trail then heads back down into the next valley to get below the glacier where the trail could cross. Then follow a ridge back up near the mountain. Rinse and repeat.

Wildflowers abound, another cloud creeps its way up the Tacoma valley and the mist begins again.  Camp 1 is at South Puylup, it is about 4 PM and the sun is finally making its mark and we hope to see more of it tomorrow.  Saw about 6 others today , a few just finishing the Wonderland counter-clockwise.  Also the damn batteries on my UV filter are dead. So tomorrow I will be hoping to find some people on the trail for some extra pills or batteries.

Day 2

South Puylup to Golden Lakes

The day was long and brutal with lots of clouds and no views of the mountain to fuel us on.  We hit some serious snow sections- one traversing a icy slope.  Sam taking a step.... slip.....At that moment I was right behind her and grabbed her strap on her backpack. It was slow going over the icy slope, and it was hard to find good foot holds. We had lunch at a cool spot. It was another bridge crossing - a narrow gorge cut into the rock by the raging glacier fed waters.

 This about sums up our camp at Golden Lakes. Damp, wet ground, still quite a bit of snow in places, all our gear/socks were wet at this point and we desperatly need some sun.  Why? For one to dry our socks out. And two, to remind us why we are breaking our backs up these trails and get a view of this peak that is loaming above somewhere.  Anyway, just after hanging our food up the bear pole, the clouds swirled just enough to reavel a portion of the peak.  Sam was warming up in the tent with tea and even she jumped out when I annouced, "It's out".  This was very encouraging and left us wanting to see more.  From camp we can also see the lights of Seattle below- a reminder of Western we were in just 2 nights ago. (4-star to tent-star)

Day 3

Golden Lakes to Mowich Lake

 Morning we were moving slowly and took a bit to get back on the trail.  The good news was the sun and the mountain were out.  I was hoping that with the sun, we would stay up in the high country to dry out a bit, but soon we were dropping back down into the thick of the forest. And it would be a big hike back out- this west side of the mountain we heard is more difficult than the other, We hope this is true.  We joke that we are doing the Bear Ridge from the JMT every day. There are also quite a few trees down over the trail. Some not easy to get around. Combined with the snow and the 1500 ft valleys -  Knees and other pains are in full effect as we make it up to Mowich lake camp.

Day 4

Mowich Lake to Mystic Camp

 A long day it was - left camp at 9 AM and got in at 7 PM.  Started out quite nice with a stroll up to Ipsut Pass. Then the trail dropped steeply into the valley seen here. The hike along Ipsut river was wonderful with lots of running water, bridges and cascades.

 We then met up with the toe of the Carbon glacier. It is the largest glacier in the continental US. The trail traverses the glacier for more than 3 miles.  Hiking along the glacier was weird because It was hard to believe that all this ice was coming from the mountain that looked so far away.  It was quite a 3500 ft climb in the heat.  My knees seem to be getting better by each day, but Sam's are getting more painful by days end. 

We then emerged in a beautiful meadow full of marmots and flowers.  Its hard to keep your eyes off the giant north face called the Willis Wall. Mosquitos came out in force for the first time of the trip and it was best to keep a steady pace.  Mystic camp is sub-par. Sites very close together and no views of the mountain. I don't understand why they did not put the sites up above near Mystic lake?

Day 5

Mystic Camp to Sunrise

 Overall a great day that ended in a bacon cheeseburger.  We had one significant climb up to a ridge with the best views yet of Rainer and other mountain ranges to the north including Glacier peak and Mt Stuart.  After the ridge we travesed an area called Berkley park and got our 1st taste fields of wildflowers.  The flower were also out in full force around Sunrise along with the worst case of mosquitos I have ever seen. 

After making camp we walked 1.5 miles to the sunrise visitor center.  On the way we see a bear up on the meadow above the trail.  First we stopped. Sam asks, "where should I run if he attacks?"  Just by looking at him it was 100% obvious he is not even interested in us. He is quite buzy forging on the surrounding plants.  We then took the next 50 steps and just walked on past him.

Overall, our best day so far. No nasty elevation gain, out of the forest, open landscape, blue skys, and perfect mountain views.

Day 6

Sunrise to Summerland

I got up before sunrise and took a mile or two hike nearby the camping area to get some pictures of the mountain.  We had a mellow morning, packed up and walked back to the sunrise visitor center to get some lunch before heading back on the trail.  At this point Sam's knees were still getting worse each day so we were able to save 1500 ft of knee pound to the valley floor from sunrise by getting a ride with a ranger to the Fry-Pan trailhead.  From there is was a just a 4.5 mile hike up to Summerland.

The campsites at Summerland are very nice.  It is surrounded by a flowered meadow and their is a dramatic sub-peak of Raineir called Little Tacoma that is directly above.

I went to get water at a nearby creek from camp and talked to a ranger that said someone had fallen through the snow bridge earlier in the week. Now instead of hiking over it, she dug a pit down into it. 

Summerland Camp

Day 7

Summerland to Nickel Creek

We were up early to take advantage of the good weather and get over the pass if it anything moves in.  The weather was deteriorating yesterday afternoon and it looked like we might get some summer thunder storms and lighting.  It was 7:20 AM  when we left camp and headed toward Panhandle Gap.  This was some of the highest portions of trail of the whole trip and due to its elevation most of it was on snow. 

Up over Panhandle Gap, the highest porting of trail.

 A look of the snowy terrain we would be crossing from Panhandle Gap

Dropping into an area called Indian Bar we entered meadows teaming with wildflowers with a back-drop of granite walls.  We were both thinking how this area reminded us of Switzerland, wonderful section.

From Indian Bar it was up to the Cowlitz divide, it was a bummer that the views were hampered by lots of smoke because it looked like we would have been able to see clear across the state.  It was a long drop down from the divide into nickel creek, a painful one for Sam as each step her knees said no more. At one point I slung her pack over mine for a mile or two. A decision was made not to stay at Nickel Creek, cut the trip short a day, and it would be best to continue on the trail another mile to the park road and hope for a ride. Arriving at the park road, I talked to a ranger who was kind enough to say that hitchhiking was illegal in national parks, then gave us a ride. It was a good 10 mile section of the Wonderland trail to skip, all of it accessible by car and paralleled the park road.

Rainier is a behemoth of a mountain.  Even after 7 days of hiking around it, It is still a wonder to look at.  Its like a slice of Alaska jutting out of the Northwest.  As for the 12 miles or so a day that we hiked - The trail kicked our butts.  Its no surprise that the park service  recommends 10-14 days for this trip. Flat sections of trail around this giant are a rare and short gift.  Its the diversity of the trail, that keeps you moving forward, always looking forward to setting your eyes on a new view of the upper slopes . And then in the lush rainforest valleys.....the numerous cascades.....old wise looking trees, and an endless supply of that moist mountain air that always welcome a deep breath.

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