Mike—who had arrived earlier in the day to set up camp—was waiting at the intersection with the trail that heads off (the wrong direction) to Spray Park and offered us all a bit of a scare (since it had been so long since we’d seen anyone else) as well as a sense of welcoming, and Sharon waited just up the trail and offered a warm hug and congratulations as we headed into camp. At Mystic Lake, we all needed to refill our water and then we were off again. One of the the really cool things about the Wonderland Trail is that you can cache food at certain locations around the trail. With our tents and sleeping bags waiting for us, we changed out some gear in our packs and fell into bed. Flower-coated meadow. After crossing Kautz Creek, we continued our way up. I talked about this in my prior post, but getting going on this adventure was tough mentally for me. Day Three was a re-run of the previous two days. Members. We had reserved a site at Cougar Rock Campground for the night before, and we were all settled by about 9:30 or 10. Fastpack Essentials. Friday, Day 3: Run From Mowich Lake to White River, 28 Miles, Elevation Gain/Loss +7,871’ / -7,900’ This is the “light” day of the trip. Over the 2 miles from Mystic to the Winthrop, we powered on … hoping we would arrive before the day’s warmth increased the river’s levels too much. After some discussion, most of us felt confident about going, but not everyone. My feet were screaming at me, causing me to occasionally stop and flex them and breathe, but I felt strong. It was getting pretty hot by now, and we were careful to hydrate, maintain electrolytes (Nuun, Tailwind, and S-Caps were our friends on this trip), and slow down a bit to keep things under control. I—and the others—had been very attentive to our hydration, food, and electrolytes all day and it had paid off. We woke up on Day Three fired up. It’s about 8 miles, with 1500 feet gain and 2100 loss, to Golden Lakes, our next major landmark. It seemed very reasonable. After the heat of the day and the long climb, the cool mountain lake water … simply utter and complete bliss! His teenaged son had run for help, and that morning helicopters had been out searching for the body. When we arrived, Rachel was soaking her feet in the creek and she shared that two humongous blisters were troubling her. Another group conference later, we remained split and agreed those of us who were ready to cross would, and if the remaining group members weren’t comfortable they’d wait the 3 hours and cross later. All photos copyright Sarah Brouwer and me. I love how luxuries and civilization are a shock after just a couple of days on the trail. Day 2: Mowich Lake to White River Campground. Those things always happen so quickly, and luckily she slid into a tree which stopped her downhill progress. As we waited, the day continued to warm and my earlier “Sunrise-or-bust” attitude started to tear me apart. Angel, Tim, and Elly headed back down toward Summerland and their cars, and we headed onward. There was a work crew on the other side of the river, and they were there to install a railing to make the crossing safer. Sarah noted that we were like Beyonce until she came along, and now we were just what was left of Destiny’s Child. A trail that could be cruel and giving. This next sections don’t really stand out in my mind for anything except that we kept going up and down, through the trees and out in the open. The bugs seemed happy, though. This time around I’ve authored this journey (with some reminiscing) over 3 days with a shoulder mounted GoPro. I went to bed resigned to failure. Crossing the bridge was a thrill, and we all acted like children squealing and laughing as we bounced our way across one at a time. I grew hotter and I started not to feel well. Viewer beware….this video is 50 minutes long, so prepare for a lengthy view of my Wonderland Trail hike #32, Enjoy! We also heard that a man had been washed off the log bridge the day before and had died. We needed something large enough but still form-fitting enough to allow us to run comfortably, so ideally in the 15-20 litre range. As for me, I left camp queasy, uncertain, and determined. All text copyright me. Rainier who have some running background and are capable of handling back to back weeks of 30 miles of easy aerobic running to start with and building to nearly 55 mile weeks that include one high intensity session. Clearly salt was still high on the body-needs-this list. It seemed possible that we would have to turn back and give up on our trip. We pushed into a run to get out of there and soon arrived at Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground. She also shared that she was the first person the teenaged boy had found after his father was swept into Winthrop Creek, and that it continued to weigh heavily on her mind. $39 This 16-week ultra running training plan is designed for individuals looking at completing a three-day running tour of the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Ugh. I am twelve miles into a 35 mile day, and I haven’t stopped grinning since the first step. I really liked this area: it’s alpine-y, with huge views of glaciers, moraines, and waterfalls, and the area was awash in color from magenta and orange paintbrush and dozens of other flowers that I don’t know the names of. After the Winthrop, you traverse gently up and down to Granite Creek and then ascend several hundred feet through forest. Rainier, the highest peak in Washington State. Such an amazing accomplishment! Adam, Ana, Sharon, Heidi’s husband Bill, and Mike had hot food and cold drinks ready for us, and I don’t think we showed any manners at all as we shoveled it into our faces. Ultimately, all of us crossed. ( Log Out /  After that bottle of water at 5 a.m., I decided to give the last leg of the trip a try. We then headed off toward our last climb of the trip. From here, we had about 11 miles and 3400 feet of gain to get to our next major landmark: Klapatche Park. Mountain views. The mountains are serious business. That series is segmented into each day as I talk to the camera and chronicle my sojourn. The trail starts rather anticlimactically by running along the road for a bit, and then starts heading up Rampart Ridge (and ironically taking us right by Cougar Rock campground). Our dates ended up being at the tail end of a week-plus of high temps for the region, and our first two days were pretty toasty. It’s 0545 and I’m up. The next morning (our first day on the trail) our amazing crew for day one—Ana, Adam, and Sharon—had water boiling at 4:45 a.m. and we were packed and ready to go by 5:45 a.m. The ranger advised to wait an hour, and we could see where things stood with the bridge improvements. That series is segmented into each day as I talk to the camera and chronicle my sojourn. We invited her to join us, but she cheerfully shook her head and later passed us at a nice clip. My feet were hot and sore and felt blistered. Our first views of the Mountain came as we crossed the Kautz Creek at about 3.5 miles. Goodness! But, I was frustrated about the bridge situation, I was a little scared, and I just wanted to keep going. A number of side hikes along the way will tempt more miles from you. I finally caught them after a couple of miles and enjoyed their spontaneous rap songs (with Skat Master Sarah as DJ) and silliness. I pack all my “need to stay dry” gear into my dry bag. I was up before the alarm. my life. However, I didn’t feel any force from the water and it was actually a relatively easy crossing. Vivian kept an eye on me, and cheerfully announced each new spectacular view. This year’s “big adventure” destination landed squarely in our Pacific Northwest backyard: seven of us—Kari, Kelli, Wendy, Heidi, Sarah, Vivian, and I—decided to go around Mt. It’s been so long that I don’t remember why that trip never came together. A trail that would overwhelm my senses with its grandeur. And then suddenly we were at Louise Lake! There’s also a “Wonderland Trail” page on FB with lots of ongoing discussion, tips, trail reports, etc. The water was so forceful that we could hear boulders rolling underwater. Perhaps two-thirds of the way up out of the canyon, there’s a wash out that makes for a bit of a spicy eighth of a mile. Instructions: Select your start and end trailheads, number of days, and hiking direction. It was fun to revisit those memories as I ascended the same way. Without a doubt, Moraine Park—with Moraine Creek, wildflowers, and incredible views of the Mountain—was a highlight. This bridge also was partly submerged, so feet that had made it across the first channel dry now got to get wet anyway. Rainier’s Wonderland Trail in 3 days involving pain and suffering. Oh, and there were 90+ degree temperatures in the forecast and two of the bridges were out. Rainier’s Wonderland Trail in 3 days involving pain and suffering. Hiking the Wonderland Trail guidebook contains itineraries from 7-13 days both clockwise and counterclockwise, starting from the most popular locations (Longmire, Sunrise and Mowich Lake). The first day on the Wonderland Trail (2nd day of the tour) totals 30+ miles (48.3+ km) with six long climbs and descents. I then slept like the dead until I woke up at 4 a.m. to go to the bathroom. Wonderland trail at mount Rainier 09/15/2013 - 09/21/2013. Wonderland Trail: 95 Miles Total Elevation Gain: 23,810’ At 14,410’ Mt. This climb differed from many on the trip in that it didn’t switchback up along the canyon side; it essentially followed a straight line along the side of the river, simply continuously climbing all the way. There are so many things I could have done during this hour, and in retrospect they’re obvious (hydrate, eat, find shade and a cooler place). In fact, I don’t think any of us have peed during a day on the trails as much as we had that day. They drove us to Longmire and we took all the obligatory group photos, and then we were off. I spent a lot of that time reflecting on the journey, on what I had learned about myself and about my friends, on what I could do to be a better group member and person, on the giving and supportive friends and spouses who contributed to our trip, to our friends who did not start or could not finish, to my children who waited at home for me. 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