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| Toilet View at Indian Bar |
Coming off our first tough day of hiking combined with the coolness of the night, we get stirring around camp a little later than the day before. This gave all of us a chance to use the facilities. The toilet at Indian Bar must have the best view amongst all of the campsites. It pretty much is a box to sit on that looks over into Cowlitz Park. It is the considered the best place to relieve oneself on the trail.
After packing up, we head down to the creek for breakfast, some much needed hygiene, and one last dwelling in this vastness. This place seems very peaceful and spiritual to me. It was my favorite campsite because of the vulnerability I felt while there, very humbling.
Leaving Indian Bar was sad for me, but we still had a lot more trail to see. Since, the night before we descended to camp and camp is in a valley. This means we only had one way to go to get out of the valley. UP! Nobody said it would be easy and if it were, then everybody would be doing it. :)
Speaking of easy, on the stretch down to Nickel Creek, we started to meet a range of individuals. The first was a guy that was hustling uphill and was finishing today at White River. Turns out he was doing it in 4 days! Next we met a couple of couples that were headed toward Indian Bar for the evening of which we exchanged intel about the trail ahead and the preferred sites. Between Nickel Creek and Box Canyon we meet a dad with his son and daughter that got lost and added an extra 3 miles to their trek. We chatted for a bit, laughed with them some, and then left them in the hopes they get to their destination in time. If they made it, they would have been well rewarded by its beauty.
Box Canyon Picnic Area was a treat in that there is a restroom with flushing toilets and water that doesn't need to be filtered. Here we also got rid of our trash and I left a game that I knew we weren't going to play. Within minutes, a mom and her children looked it over and took it. I hope they have hours and hours of fun. The lesson for me was that sometimes rest is more important than entertainment.
Another lesson, I learned at Box Canyon is that 100 feet really looks deep, as a stream flows between two rocks below the bridges we crossed. But it really isn't that much against the totality of our everyday hikes. In essence, I would rather climb 100 feet than fall 100 feet.
The trek from Box Canyon to Maple Creek was 2 miles and we arrived in camp with plenty of time to soak our feet in the cold cold water. That numbing feeling takes the pain away much like hitting your head takes the knee aches away. There was also an open area we used as our dining room and kitchen. With the stream nearby it was easy to get water to boil and drink.
Earlier, we saw our California Boys come into camp and with them came another fellow. Kevin is his name and as it turns out, he skipped his Nickel Creek reservation to get a little closer to his final destination, Longmire. There were only 4 camps at Maple Creek with each getting filled during the evening. We offered him a spot early on, but I don't think we were his first choice, yet before lights out, he found a nice patch of ground to set up his tent in our site. It was a better option than the rocks around the dining room.
Total Trail Miles hiked on Day 2: 9.80 miles (24.20 miles total)
Total Blogged miles: 147.37 miles.
2013.07.29-Maple Creek Campground to Pyramid Creek Campground (Day 3):
Day 3 was a challenge in itself because of the distance we had to cover. But if there was any relief to our day it would be our visit to Longmire. Longmire had two purposes. First, we shipped our food cache there for the next few days and second, we were told Longmire Inn served excellent fish and chips with Diet Pepsi. That was motivating enough, however we still had miles and miles to go before our sit down food fest.
Like the day before, we started our day with a climb. In this first stretch, we passed Sylvia Falls and Martha falls. Two hidden gems that many tourists will not see. We also found ourselves resting along the side of the road then climbing more elevation and resting along the same road again. We also found also resting at Reflection Lakes where Mount Rainier mirrored itself in the water. It was pretty funny when we walked past some tourist and told them about a better spot and they asked if they could walk to it. We just said sure, it is only 500 feet away!
From this point to Longmire, tourists were everywhere. Most times they kept to themselves, but the few interactions seem cold and distant. It was the other backcountry hikers we conversed most with. They were the best, as we shared a lot about our journeys, experiences, and pain.
Narada and Carter Falls were two other falls along the way. With Narada being the more popular because it was long flowing and beautiful. There are viewpoints from the top near the road to the Wonderland Trail about 100 feet below. We felt out of place here with all the clean and foreign tourists. At Carter falls, we met a couple of ladies that were out for a walk who were confused about their surrounding, but I didn't hold that against them. Rather, when they step in front of me and I had to get around them because of their leisure pace. Even so that is not enough, except they saw me and blocked my way regardless. Just mean!
When we get to the Carter Falls Trail head we knew we were close to Longmire as it was only 1.8 miles away. While we had our packs off, a couple came strolling up the trail with their backpacks on looking awfully refreshed. Of course we talked about our travels to this point and they told us they were going to bunk at Paradise that night and unwind to some libations on a warm bed. That sounded nice. We asked how long it took them to get here from Longmire and they said 40 minutes. The race was on! As soon as our conversation was over, we put on our packs and had a time to beat. We did it in 30 minutes.
Longmire met every expectation. At the restaurant, we were offered a corner table where we stacked our packs. We must of looked rough and hungry because we got the attention of the couple next to us from South Carolina. When their fish and chips were served we were sold and each ordered the same. I joked with the waiter when our table didn't have silverware. I said we had our own. They accommodated us with a pitcher of Diet Pepsi and we had him refill it another three times. After the main course, I split wildberry custard a la mode. Anything else and we would have been bordering on out right gluttony.
After our recharging meal, we walked over to the accompanying store where I bought a postcard, signed it, stamped it, and sent it to a good friend. It had been a few days off the grid and had to make reassurances.
Last, we had to get our food shipment. Turns out we estimated we would eat more granola and trail mix than we did. From the first day, when my breakfast pouch lasted until lunch, we knew we would be carrying extra weight. From the 5 gallon barrel, we only took the items that were high in protein and carbohydrates, like sausages, beef jerky, cheese, and tortillas. We left the rest to any starving hiker.
After 3 hours of rest and relaxation, we knew we had to reach our camp 3.5 miles away with a small elevation climb. Taking one step after another, we were on our way again. By now, we were becoming experts in reading topographic maps and recognizing natural landmarks. Other than having a Garmin GPS, we had paper maps and maps on my iPhone and iPad mini. It would be a bad thing if we got lost, but it made it easy to find Pyramid Creek Campground. As it turned out, our California boys passed it up by a quarter mile. Pyramid Creek sits between two creeks, once we past the first we knew to look for it and if we got to the next, we went too far.
That night making camp felt good, but we knew the next day would be a challenge on its own.
Total Trail Miles hiked on Day 3: 13.70 miles (37.90 miles total)
Total Blogged miles: 161.07 miles.
After packing up, we head down to the creek for breakfast, some much needed hygiene, and one last dwelling in this vastness. This place seems very peaceful and spiritual to me. It was my favorite campsite because of the vulnerability I felt while there, very humbling.
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| Indian Bar |
Speaking of easy, on the stretch down to Nickel Creek, we started to meet a range of individuals. The first was a guy that was hustling uphill and was finishing today at White River. Turns out he was doing it in 4 days! Next we met a couple of couples that were headed toward Indian Bar for the evening of which we exchanged intel about the trail ahead and the preferred sites. Between Nickel Creek and Box Canyon we meet a dad with his son and daughter that got lost and added an extra 3 miles to their trek. We chatted for a bit, laughed with them some, and then left them in the hopes they get to their destination in time. If they made it, they would have been well rewarded by its beauty.
Box Canyon Picnic Area was a treat in that there is a restroom with flushing toilets and water that doesn't need to be filtered. Here we also got rid of our trash and I left a game that I knew we weren't going to play. Within minutes, a mom and her children looked it over and took it. I hope they have hours and hours of fun. The lesson for me was that sometimes rest is more important than entertainment.Another lesson, I learned at Box Canyon is that 100 feet really looks deep, as a stream flows between two rocks below the bridges we crossed. But it really isn't that much against the totality of our everyday hikes. In essence, I would rather climb 100 feet than fall 100 feet.
The trek from Box Canyon to Maple Creek was 2 miles and we arrived in camp with plenty of time to soak our feet in the cold cold water. That numbing feeling takes the pain away much like hitting your head takes the knee aches away. There was also an open area we used as our dining room and kitchen. With the stream nearby it was easy to get water to boil and drink.Earlier, we saw our California Boys come into camp and with them came another fellow. Kevin is his name and as it turns out, he skipped his Nickel Creek reservation to get a little closer to his final destination, Longmire. There were only 4 camps at Maple Creek with each getting filled during the evening. We offered him a spot early on, but I don't think we were his first choice, yet before lights out, he found a nice patch of ground to set up his tent in our site. It was a better option than the rocks around the dining room.
Total Trail Miles hiked on Day 2: 9.80 miles (24.20 miles total)
Total Blogged miles: 147.37 miles.
2013.07.29-Maple Creek Campground to Pyramid Creek Campground (Day 3):
Day 3 was a challenge in itself because of the distance we had to cover. But if there was any relief to our day it would be our visit to Longmire. Longmire had two purposes. First, we shipped our food cache there for the next few days and second, we were told Longmire Inn served excellent fish and chips with Diet Pepsi. That was motivating enough, however we still had miles and miles to go before our sit down food fest.
Like the day before, we started our day with a climb. In this first stretch, we passed Sylvia Falls and Martha falls. Two hidden gems that many tourists will not see. We also found ourselves resting along the side of the road then climbing more elevation and resting along the same road again. We also found also resting at Reflection Lakes where Mount Rainier mirrored itself in the water. It was pretty funny when we walked past some tourist and told them about a better spot and they asked if they could walk to it. We just said sure, it is only 500 feet away!
From this point to Longmire, tourists were everywhere. Most times they kept to themselves, but the few interactions seem cold and distant. It was the other backcountry hikers we conversed most with. They were the best, as we shared a lot about our journeys, experiences, and pain.Narada and Carter Falls were two other falls along the way. With Narada being the more popular because it was long flowing and beautiful. There are viewpoints from the top near the road to the Wonderland Trail about 100 feet below. We felt out of place here with all the clean and foreign tourists. At Carter falls, we met a couple of ladies that were out for a walk who were confused about their surrounding, but I didn't hold that against them. Rather, when they step in front of me and I had to get around them because of their leisure pace. Even so that is not enough, except they saw me and blocked my way regardless. Just mean!
When we get to the Carter Falls Trail head we knew we were close to Longmire as it was only 1.8 miles away. While we had our packs off, a couple came strolling up the trail with their backpacks on looking awfully refreshed. Of course we talked about our travels to this point and they told us they were going to bunk at Paradise that night and unwind to some libations on a warm bed. That sounded nice. We asked how long it took them to get here from Longmire and they said 40 minutes. The race was on! As soon as our conversation was over, we put on our packs and had a time to beat. We did it in 30 minutes.
Longmire met every expectation. At the restaurant, we were offered a corner table where we stacked our packs. We must of looked rough and hungry because we got the attention of the couple next to us from South Carolina. When their fish and chips were served we were sold and each ordered the same. I joked with the waiter when our table didn't have silverware. I said we had our own. They accommodated us with a pitcher of Diet Pepsi and we had him refill it another three times. After the main course, I split wildberry custard a la mode. Anything else and we would have been bordering on out right gluttony.After our recharging meal, we walked over to the accompanying store where I bought a postcard, signed it, stamped it, and sent it to a good friend. It had been a few days off the grid and had to make reassurances.
Last, we had to get our food shipment. Turns out we estimated we would eat more granola and trail mix than we did. From the first day, when my breakfast pouch lasted until lunch, we knew we would be carrying extra weight. From the 5 gallon barrel, we only took the items that were high in protein and carbohydrates, like sausages, beef jerky, cheese, and tortillas. We left the rest to any starving hiker.
After 3 hours of rest and relaxation, we knew we had to reach our camp 3.5 miles away with a small elevation climb. Taking one step after another, we were on our way again. By now, we were becoming experts in reading topographic maps and recognizing natural landmarks. Other than having a Garmin GPS, we had paper maps and maps on my iPhone and iPad mini. It would be a bad thing if we got lost, but it made it easy to find Pyramid Creek Campground. As it turned out, our California boys passed it up by a quarter mile. Pyramid Creek sits between two creeks, once we past the first we knew to look for it and if we got to the next, we went too far.That night making camp felt good, but we knew the next day would be a challenge on its own.
Total Trail Miles hiked on Day 3: 13.70 miles (37.90 miles total)
Total Blogged miles: 161.07 miles.
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