Wonderland Trail-Part I (Mount Rainier, WA)

2013.07.25-Arrival:

The Great WadeMercer

We landed in Sea-Tac Airport around 1 pm Pacific hauling backpacks overstuffed with hiking and camping gear. Our long awaited hiking trip was about to begin. All we needed now was to pick up a few more items that we couldn't bring on the airplane and we knew just the place. But first we had to make one important stop.

Groundspeak, the parent company to the Geocaching.com website, is located in Seattle. A few years ago, they held a block party during a weekend long Geo-Woodstock event we attended with several thousand geocachers. What we didn't do then was actually go up to their office space. This time we were able to walk into their lobby and drop off trackables. While there we also brought some souvenirs and took some photos. 

Surrounded by forests and mountains, it is not surprising that Seattle also headquarters REI. This megaplex for outdoors supplies was just the place for us to get our last minute items. It did not disappoint either. The inventory here is bigger than the Dallas or Plano store back home. We picked up fuel for the stove and bear spray for the team. Personally, I got a Buff, like the ones used in the TV show survivor, and a Sea to Summit towel that fits on a key ring, yet expands to about a gym size towel.

Lastly, before heading on to our hotel in Auburn, we went after a few geocaches. Kerry Viewpoint Park gave an amazing view of downtown Seattle with our prize, Mount Rainier in the background. It was appetizing. This craving could only be satisfied by seafood which we found at Crackpot on Alaskan Way down by the water. Once completely satiated, to the hotel we went.

2013.07.26-Day-Before:

After finding a few morning caches in Auburn, WA, we made our way to Mount Rainier. It is about an hour drive with a gradual transition from civilization (cell-service) to the wild (no cell-service). Being a city slicker, this disconnection from the grid is an added challenge. I, for one, believe nature and technology can find a happy balance.

When we get to the Mount Rainier National Park, we have to find a place to sleep for the night. We had decided to tented it at White River Campgrounds. They have an interesting process on acquiring overnight accommodations. First, drive around until you find a preferred available space. Second, place a personal item to reserve it. Third, go back to the self service station near the entrance, fill out the enveloped form with camp space number, add cash, and drop it in the box. On the nearby message board, a note from Kyle proposing to Rhonda. They must of been one of many campers that came out to the park because of the great weather. 

Next, we had to go get our back-country permits. Every hiker that stays over night at a back-country campground needs one as it tells the Park Rangers where you will be and also checks for space availability. We submitted ours back in March as soon as we could. They frown upon skipping the stops set on your permit, disallowing the randomness of weather, injury, pace, animal encounters, etc that might be found during an extended hike. How could someone plan for the unknowns 4 months in advance?

We talked to a young Ranger with long bushy hair and his unshaven co-worker. They bring up our itinerary and mention the toughness of our first day. It was presumptuous or was it his tone? I wanted to tell him to cut his hair and quit being so proud of his region without knowing a thing about us, more specifically me. The thought came that maybe he should try our 100-degree weather in Texas for training, but I am not sure he had the IQ to comprehend. I refrained. He was, after all, the gatekeeper and after a few obligatory guidelines, he gave us our permits and off we went. It would be the last time we saw him, but everyday I cursed his name. I turned his doubt into hiking fuel.

The rest of the afternoon we became tourist. Our first stop was lunch at a deli just outside the park that made good sandwiches and substituted grapes for chips. Second, we went to an amazing overlook and one of the last places we could get on the data grid. Last, we went up to Sunrise and the Visitor Center. This is where we would start and end our hike. At the visitor center we reserved a few replicate benchmarks of Mount Rainier in anticipation of our accomplishment. Here, we also met a local with intensity in his eyes, who came up with his children and gave us a few pointers about the hike and the area. In a corner of the visitor center, a scale of Mount Rainier outlined with the Wonderland and other trails visually displaying every ridge and valley. Maybe, the bushy ranger was right? Maybe we were over our head? Then again, it looked like a lot of work and yet, a lot more fun!

After a while, we returned back to our camp and cooked up one our dehydrated meals we allocated for our dinner. They are surprisingly good! Especially, when the next warm non packaged meal may not come for a week. At 8:00 pm, we went to the campfire area and learned about the many different type of Rangers. Interesting enough, we met a few along our hike. When it was over, we talked to our neighbors to make a hiker’s arrangement, and then we went to bed. We were going to hit the trail early to overcome our first long hike day.

2013.07.27-Sunrise to Indian Bar Campground (Day 1):

We woke up around 5:30 am and loaded up the car with everything we weren’t going to take on our hike. It was time to drop the car off at Sunrise and start on our journey. The night before we made an arrangement with our neighbors to watch our trekking stuff while we walked the 3.1 miles down hill back to White River, which conveniently is on the Wonderland Trail and passed just feet from our campsite. This strategy saved our shoulders for a few miles until we tackled the day’s 3,000-foot elevation climb.

The trail from Sunrise to White River is wide and easy to traverse downhill. This can be because of the amount of day-hikers and tourists that may utilize it for exercise or sight-seeing. The first real obstacle is crossing the White River. A log bridge is placed to cross over the rushing glacial water roaring underneath. Without caution and sure footing, one can get seriously hurt. 

Going around Goat Island Mountain, we picked up speed and felt proud of ourselves. In a little bit of time, we hiked 5.7 miles. We put our packs down to rest close to the Fryingpan Creek Trailhead and watched day hikers whizz by. From that point, they were climbing up 2,000 feet over 4.3 miles to get to Summerland. This would be a great day hike on it’s own, however, this was just one stage of the Wonderland. Futhermore, it was just a third of our day’s entire hike. We decided to take it one foot in front of the other and take the advise we heard at the visitor center, break often. Taking one foot in front of the other, we climbed, breathed heavy, and rested often. 

The last half-mile to Summerland was tough as we worked our way through switchbacks with 30 pounds on our backs, but when we got to the top, the mile high meadows of wildflowers was our reward. Giving our feet a break, we put our packs down near the group site that overlooked Meany Crest in the direction of Panhandle Gap, the highest point on the Wonderland. During our hour and a half break here we ate and were entertained by birds, chipmunks, and a marmot that jumped from rocks and then laid flat on the ground. He was playing hide and seek. 

Even though we had climbed 2,000 feet we still had another 900 to get to Panhandle Gap. It was in this stretch we met three guys which we would leap frog for a few days. They were from California. One was jumping off at Longmire, another at Mowich, and the last would sprint to get it done at the end. At a spring where we first met, we noticed the leader had a solar panel that covered his pack while filling up a gallon of water. This seem unusual because most people carry hydration packs or liters of water, but we learned this was standard practice for him. To each their own, because water is the most essential while hiking and one can never have too much. 

On this stretch, we gain a quick education on snow hiking. Being above 6,000 feet, the trail is often covered in snow. Normally, it just takes following the boot trail, but when there are several, it takes looking ahead for trail markers. Also, we have to be careful of running water beneath the snow that can wash us away.

Between snow trails, we met a volunteer park ranger. He told us about his experience on bears and cougars or lack there of, which calmed our nerves a little. It would be the only time anyone checked our permit, as he was the only patrol ranger we saw on our hike. We attributed that to the sequester and or budget cuts.

We made one last stop on some rocks in the snow before Panhandle Gap. It doubled as a resting spot and look-out as one by one hikers climbed up the snowy trail. It was eerie to be in shorts with all the snow around us. One day hiker didn't even have a shirt on. On the climb over, we imaged what would have if we slipped and slid all the way to the bottom. Then on the other side, while talking to another group of day hikers, we learned that some kids did just that. They walked over to the edge and slid down. I conceded that their bones heal faster. 

With 3 miles left to go to Indian Bar and our camp for the night, we felt good because there was still plenty of day light left. Oh Ranger if you could only see us now. In the distance, a herd of goats were grazing making their way from the meadows to the snow. Soon we decided to make dinner near a spring along the mountain overlooking Ohanapecosh Park. Another great warm dehydrated meal with cold water. I am not sure when I've eaten so good.

After dinner, we encounter more snow, once going up 50 feet. The wind was cooling down the evening. At a few places, we saw snow cliffs that made great waterfalls. It was a role reversal as we mainly see them from the bottom, not their top. We walk along the ridge of a deep valley that flows into Indian Bar. The rock side was beautiful, as I pondered if those lines was from years of receding water. Once we started our decent, we notice more beautiful wildflowers and in the far distance the patrol house that is now the group site for Indian Bar. It was still over 1500 steep feet below us. In many places, we felt we were closer than we really were while wrapped in beauty.

When we finally get to our campsite, we realized we have the last campsite left. It is a quarter mile hike with a nice incline to start. It is near the toilet which is a good thing and it wasn't wet like we have heard about the Seattle area. While chilly, It didn’t take long to set up camp, put up our food at the bear stand, clean up, and get to bed. No doubt, it was a tough day, but we did it! 

Total Trail Miles hiked on Day 1: 14.40 miles.
Total Blogged miles: 137.57 miles.