Thursday, August 10, 2000

Shorter hikes around the Wonderland Trail

Background, Related Info:

By Terry Wood
Special to The Seattle Times

Carved into the ridge lines, meadows and forested slopes of Mount Rainier, it is the Pacific Northwest's best-known footpath, Washington's unofficial State Route 1. The name alone -- the Wonderland Trail -- tugs at our sleeve, blows kisses to our imagination and sings to our spirit. Even a Muggle can understand its magical allure. Without seeing it, a hiker's mental scrapbook will always be a few pages shy of a finished work.

Yet what if you cannot set aside the nine to 12 days it typically takes to walk the Wonderland's 95 rigorous, religious, remarkable miles? You have two choices. You can either challenge the Wonderland Trail's published speed record: 27 hours, 56 minutes, set in 1991 by some hard-hoofin' fellow from Colorado. (Some park rangers are certain that some other buzz hiker has since covered the route faster.)

Or you can divide and conquer.

The Wonderland Trail is a long-haul route that can be carved into shorter sections, offering time-conscious, working-class adventurers a chance to absorb one of North America's premier hiking trails on the installment plan.

An overnighter here, a day hike there, a three-day weekend down the road and, bingo, you can eventually cobble together a complete Wonderland experience in bits and pieces. Such an approach may lack the romance and deeper satisfaction of a through-hike, but your load can be lighter, your weather can be easier to anticipate and your access to a shower much handier.

What's the best way to approach an abridged Wonderland experience? Start with a taste. Move up to a helping. Then take a big bite. The flavors will be so delightful, so intense that you may convince yourself to come back and take on the whole banquet. If hiking matters to you, you should plan on it; this one's a gem.

Day Hikes

Spray Park, about eight miles out and back: Renowned for its midsummer outbursts of avalanche lilies and its marvelous, close-up views of Rainier, Spray Park requires a lot of effort from visitors. It rewards them, however, with a dazzling mix of open meadows, snowscapes and exposed rock -- one of the best day trips in the park.

The scoop: Drive the gravel road to the Mowich Lake walk-in campground (4,900 feet) in the park's northwest corner. Descend through a gap at the campground's south end, go left at a trail junction and start climbing -- steeply. Within two miles you'll pass a nice view spot (Eagle Cliff), a trail camp (Eagle's Roost) and a spur trail to Spray Falls. (If you're agile, hop across the stream for a better view of the falls.)

When you break out of the trees, the expansiveness of the meadows and the mountain's closeness makes Mount Rainier appear even more intimate and imposing. If energy permits, climb higher for always-better views. You'll reach a ridge line at 6,400 feet, which is a logical turn-around spot.

It's possible to continue and complete a loop trip that leads you to Seattle Park, the Carbon River, Ipsut Creek Campground, then a tough, tough uphill trudge (gaining 2,800 feet) to Ipsut Pass. It's 17 miles around -- a terrific challenge for well-conditioned hikers. Also consider a late-afternoon hike up to the lookout on nearby Tolmie Peak; it's an eye-popper.

Moraine Park to Mystic Lake, 16 miles out and back: Wander through some gorgeous old-growth trees, cross a 230-foot-long suspension bridge, walk past the purplish, low-elevation tip of the Carbon River glacier, then climb up, up, up to the trees and meadows of Moraine Park. Pretty Mystic Lake sits atop one last ridge. Rainier's steep Willis Wall, perhaps the mountain's toughest climbing route, is on display here.

The scoop: You must be in shape for this one. Start early from Ipsut Creek Campground in the northwest corner of the park (accessed via Carbon River Road). Head east on the Wonderland Trail and march for as long as time and energy permit. Just before you reach Mystic Lake, you will ascend more than 3,500 feet as you head toward a high point of 6,000 feet. The return trip is a downhill cruise; just remember to turn around a few times and observe the mountain in afternoon light.

Overnighters

Indian Henry's Hunting Ground, about 12 miles out and back via either the Kautz Creek trail or the Wonderland Trail from Longmire, the park's southeast corner, near the Nisqually entrance. Post-card perfect flowers and meadows are the payoff for a wearying but wonderful uphill walk.

The scoop: The Wonderland Trail offers hikers very few level sections, and on the mountain's west side, between the Carbon River and Longmire, the trail's elevation profile zigs and zags like a red-chip Internet stock. Reaching Indian Henry's from Longmire involves a climb of about 2,500 feet; via Kautz Creek trail, about 2,300.

If you've got the lungs and the legs, by all means go and marvel at the flowers and the meadows. A spur trail leads you 0.7 miles to Mirror Lake, one of Mount Rainier's most famous backcountry destinations. You must camp one mile south of Indian Henry's, though, in heavily forested Devil's Dream trail camp. Still, make the effort so you can watch late-afternoon light give the meadows an iridescent gold-green glow.

The West Side Road remains blocked by a washout at Fish Creek, three miles north of the Nisqually entrance. Repair work, involving two huge culverts, may take place later this summer. No shuttle buses run on the road. The Tahoma Creek trail, at one time a quicker access point to Indian Henry's from the West Side Road, has suffered numerous washouts in recent years and is no longer a maintained trail.

Summerland, less than nine miles out and back. It can be done as a day hike, but it's so hard to leave once you're there. Open fields of greenery and flowers, contrasted with acres of harsh rock and unyielding snow, make the area a marvel to behold.

The scoop: From the east side's White River entrance (on the way to Sunrise), drive to the Fryingpan Creek bridge (three miles away) and park in the area provided. Head south on the trail, which quickly connects with the Wonderland trail, and begin a boulevard-like uphill walk (gaining more than 2,000 feet in elevation) to the prime-location campground in a splendid meadow. Some campsites offer nice long-range views.

Three-Day Event

Summerland to Indian Bar to Box Canyon, 17 miles one-way. You'll need two vehicles (one at Fryingpan Creek bridge, the other at Box Canyon) or bum a ride to do this section, but it's worth the effort. This trip visits two of the Wonderland's best trail camps (Summerland and Indian Bar). Few trees interrupt the views on this up-and-down jaunt, and the climb over Panhandle Gap (6,800 feet, the trail's high point) puts you closer to the mountain than at any other spot on the trail.

See great views of the Tatoosh Range from Cowlitz Divide, too.

Other Ideas

A great four-day excursion (or three if you hurry) covers the entire west side, from Mowich Lake to Longmire. Two vehicles are needed to make this work. The views of Emerald Ridge and St. Andrews Park deliver a rich reward for the severe elevation gains and losses you must encounter. A day hike east from Sunrise with a side trip into Grand Park, a two-mile, flower-filled flat bench (rare for Rainier), is always a winner. Tip: Start in the morning for the best light. Hikes on the southern portion of the Wonderland Trail are nice but not essential. If you can arrange a ride, start at Longmire and have someone pick you up at Box Canyon, about 13.5 miles away. Hiking through brushy Stevens Canyon is nice, but many views from the road are better.

If this all sounds too rigorous, check out the superb, easy-access flower fields above the Paradise Visitors Center.

			More information about completing the hike
			Plan ahead before beginning the trek
			Wonderland Trail facts

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