Friday, Sept 10

Yesterday's distance traveled: 10 miles (plus side trip to Mirror Lakes).

Last night's campsite: Pyramid Peak cross-country zone (5,500 feet).

Yesterday's weather: Sunny until late afternoon; mostly cloudy and cool thereafter.

Today's wake-up conditions: Cloudy, then sunny; 34 degrees.

Happenings: The end is near. What a pity. With the arrival of such nice weather, I'm already sizing up some Rainier day hikes to pursue as soon this long-haul trek is finished. If it were raining, of course, I'd be sprinting to Longmire. Now I kind of wish I had a few extra miles to walk.

Yesterday's up-and-down 10-miler had its brutal elements. After a 400-foot climb out of Klapatche Park, I dropped 1,900 feet to the South Puyallup River. I then climbed 1,600 feet and a little more than 2 miles to spectacular Emerald Ridge. I followed that with a 1,400-foot drop to Tahoma Creek, then a 1,200-foot climb to Indian Henry's Hunting Ground. After all that, my net elevation change from the previous night's campsite was just 100 feet. Clearly, this trail's toughest sequence of climbs is on the mountain's west side.

Worth noting: I found some of the trail's worst sections here. Some washouts and some badly overgrown areas could leave some hikers vulnerable to twisted ankles. This area need attention.

As my trip is winding down, many others are just getting started. Yesterday I passed Doug and Marie Beyerlein of Seattle on the second day of their 15-day trek. A middle-aged fellow from Indiana explained to me how he was including the Northern Loop into his journey to create a 128-mile route. Two childhood chums from Kirkland, Nick and Scott, were making their ninth and eighth trips on the trail, respectively. They have photos of themselves standing at Panhandle Gap at age 12, then at age 21. After this trip, they will have one of them standing there at age 36.

A young couple from Austria on a year-long tour of the U.S. decided to try it on a whim. "We saw this was the highest mountain here, and this was the longest trail, so why not?" the young fellow said. Then there's 64-year-old Howard Sutherland of Kennewick, struggling under the burden of a 50-pound pack. He's doing a solo trip because he and his son used to backpack together, he's always known about the trail and "I'm not getting any younger, you know?" Keep those feet moving, Howard. Good luck. Now, dear reader, when are you going to start YOUR trip?

Nice Views: The meadows at Indian Henry's; Mount Rainier reflected in Mirror Lake; Emerald Ridge--all masterpieces of nature.

Last night's dinner: Santa Fe-style rice with chicken by Backpacker's Pantry ($8). Very tasty and satisfying, but 8 bucks?

Distance still to travel: 7 miles.

The finish line: 3:27 p.m.

Overview of trail conditions: Very good, considering the 1,000-inch snowfall (650 inches is normal) that buried Rainier last winter. Obstacles: Some washouts and thickly overgrown sections north and south of the South Puyallup River (westside); about a half-dozen fallen trees on the Cowlitz Divide (eastside); one washout east of Mystic Lake, forcing hikers to scramble across an awkward detour (northside); maybe a mile of cumulative snowfields on either side of Panhandle Gap though the Gap is snow-free (eastside).

Favorite trail camps: Indian Bar, Klapatche Park.

Best view from a pit toilet: Indian Bar.

Fact future Wonderland Trail hikers should keep in mind: Be prepared for constant up-and-down travel; cumulative elevation gain exceeds 20,000 feet; steep and swift elevation gains can be weary and demoralizing to some.

Strongest post-hike desire: A shower. I reek!

Favorite freeze-dried meal of the trip: Vegetable risotto with turkey from Backpacker's Pantry.

Plans for rest of afternoon: Day hike Pinnacle Peak (3.2 miles round trip). It's too nice of a day to stop now.

Distance still to travel: 95 miles (next year).

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