An epic trip around Mt Rainier with lots of up and down each and every day. The views were stunning and worth the effort.
Backpackers: Ed Tucker, John Gundry, Mark Schedler, Carl Fisher
August 11, 2004 – Hiked 5.7 miles, gain 2700 feet, lost 500, Camp at Devil’s Dream. WE decided to hike the Wonderland Trail clockwise because the scenery is supposed to be better on the east side of the mountain. We got into camp around 2:00pm after departing from Longmire. We are camped near Devil’s Dream Creek which has a nice waterfall. We pumped water from the stream and got in to clean up. It was a tough day for Carl. After lunch, while walking along Fisher’s Hornpipe Creek he was nauseous and light headed. Probably a little dehydrated from the hot motel the night before. Biting flies are an irritant.
August 12, 2004 – Hiked 11 miles, gain 3650, lost 3250, Camp at Klapatche Park. Started the day at 6:30. We made it to Tahoma Creek early in the day and crossed the suspension bridge. Around lunch time we ran into a large blueberry patch. We spent a bunch of time picking blueberries and even saved some in Nalgene water jars to have with our morning oatmeal. After setting up camp we went to a ranger cabin and read the log. Turns out the blueberry patch we picked blueberries at was a favorite of bears and there had been several sighting that day!
August 13, 2004 – Hiked 7.6 miles, gain 1500, lost 1900, Camp at Golden Lake. Arrived at camp about 1:00pm, early enough to swim in one of the Golden Lakes. Our four one-person tents are pitched together on 2 two-person tent sites. A bit tight – we are pitched nose to toe, nose to toe.
August 14, 2004 – Hiked 9 miles, gain 2400, lost 2500, Camp at Mowich Lake. Essentially two parts to the day – down, down, down and then up, up, up. We started hiking at 6:45am and got to camp about 1:00pm. Camp is basically in a parking lot with lots of car campers. Carl celebrates his 49th birthday with an impromptu party with a trail bar “cake” and an emergency fire starter (candle).
August 15, 2004 – Hiked 8 miles, gain 1000, lost 2600, Camp at Carbon River. Started the day at 7:30am and arrived at Carbon River campground at noon after a fairly steep downhill run. This is our worst campsite yet. There is only space for 4 tents and those are the only flat spots. The trail to our campsite was 80 feet uphill and had two separate platforms for our tents. There is a pole for hanging our food which we used. Unfortunately, the squirrels somehow figured how to get up the pole to our bags. Carl’s food bag was eaten through and a portion of his oatmeal consumed by the critter. Nothing serious but irritating because the bag is ruined.
August 16, 2004 – Hiked 8 miles, gain 4100, lost 1100, Camp at Granite Creek. Departed camp at 6:50 and arrived at our destination for the night at 3:00. The uphill was pretty brutal and the river crossing over the Winthrop River was easily the most scary with penalty for falling was most likely death. The river was raging with glacier melt. It started raining around 3:00pm while John and Carl were still on the trail. Some BB sized hail but nothing too serious. We got our tents set up with a minimum of water problems. As luck would have it, just as we erected the tarp over our cooking area the rain stopped and the skies cleared. Around 7:30 a heavy fog moved in.
August 17, 2004 – Hiked 5 miles, gain 1200, lost 600, Camp at Sunrise. We woke up with a very soggy camp due to the fog. It really sucks to pack up a wet tent and then hike. We left camp at 7:30am and arrived at Sunrise at 9:30am – a very easy day. Set up camp so the tents and sleeping bags could dry out. We went to the lake to clean up both body and clothes. We walked to Sunrise Lodge (1.2 miles) and made it in time for lunch at 12:30 and supper at 6:30. Went on a ranger lead hike at 3:00pm before picking up our previously mailed food resupply. Ed had sent a small bottle of wine for each of us – which we enjoyed. Headed back to our campsite around 7:20 as dark storm clouds looked to be gathering. Fortunately they were gone by the time we got to camp.
August 18, 2004 – Hiked 10 miles, gain 2100 , lost 2500, Camp Summerland. Another early start (6:30am). Arrived at camp at noon after a pretty easy day of hiking. This site had a pit toilet with a view-meaning no sides. Still it is a luxury. Carl forgot how to use a toilet and accidentally dropped his toilet paper down the pit toilet. Fortunately the trip is nearing an end and his hiking partners had extra.
August 19, 2004 – Hiked 13 miles, gain 1600, lost 4200, Camp at Nickel Creek. Hit the trail at 6:15am after picture taking and crossed Pan Handle Pass at 7:30. Arrived at camp at 3:00 after a hike that was harder than it looked on the map. The final mile of the day was easier, fortunately, than it looked on the map. We are camped next to the “Go-Lite” couple that had a Go-Lite tent which they readily showed us and talked about how great the tent was. They had hiked the PCT and they taught us some trail terms such as “slack pack”, “yogi”, and “trail magic”.
August 20, 2004 – Hiked 15 miles, gain 2000, lost 2500, Destination Longmire. We decided to start early as we were “smelling the barn” and hit the trail at 6:00am. We dropped our packs at Box Canyon to pick up later with the car (slack packing, the term we learned the previous day). Mark and Ed put it in overdrive and made it to Longmire at 10:30am for an average speed around 4 MPH. John and Carl hiked a more reasonable speed and arrived at noon. We had lunch at the National Park Inn in a corner away from everyone else before heading to the airport to drop off Mark.
