*Smoke produced ghostly views on the Wonderland Trail*

2023

August 26, 2023 by Stephen Burgess

I wanted to do something different for my 35th transit of the Wonderland. Well, I got my wish. After a year of productive cycle training and some warmup hikes, I was ready to attempt a 48 hour transit. It was a stretch for sure, but one never knows until trying. After delaying a week due to hot temperatures, I departed for Mt. Rainier on a Sunday afternoon and secured a walk up permit at Longmire. It had one camp on it; Cataract Valley. I was aiming for one rest period during this endurance attempt.

Generally the west side of the mountain is the toughest, packing a lot of elevation gain and loss into those miles vice the east side. With my Longmire start, I wanted to get the hard part done with fresh legs and set off on a clockwise trip. Usually I do these trips with a pristine weather forecast in hand, but with other matters pressing I went with “good enough”. No rain was forecast on Monday (August 21) for my start. However, smoke was present but was supposed to diminish by Tuesday afternoon. Temperatures were moderate. I set off from Longmire at 4:20 AM, hoping to return by 4:20 AM on Wednesday for that 48 hour window.

I felt in the pocket all day, breezing up the climbs and trotting the downhills. There’s a lot of that on this trail. I could gauge my progress based on many past hikes, and was very pleased with the pace. I’m usually transiting Silver Forest (right before Golden Lakes) in the dark, but on this day I passed through at 4 PM, hours ahead of any other hike. Sure the skies were ghostly with the smoke, and views of the mountain were suggested, hiding in the veil. But cool temperatures and otherwise pleasant conditions were enjoyable and conducive to fast ambulation. It looked like I was going to be able to transit the Mowich Rivers before dark, another first. The ranger who issued my permit reported that the South Mowich River main channel merged with the North Mowich further upstream, in essence cutting out half the crossing problems. When I arrived with plenty of light left, there were a few slighter branches of the river in the south channel, but otherwise the huge flood plain was begging for water. I passed old bridges mired in sand and rock on the way until gaining the wooded area that is home to the South Mowich River Camp. From there the path proceeded back into the flood plain for quite some distance until finally crossing the merged rivers. This whole area seemed kind of convoluted and I’m sure next season will have the trail crews out there making new rock lined paths, but for this year it worked well. I have transited these rivers in the dark, and being able to see more than 50 feet was a pleasant change.

I started the climb to Mowich Lake with light still with me and arrived there at 9:30 PM. This would be a stopping point for a normal 3 day hike, but I launched off into the night, taking the Spray Park Trail (last year I did the Ipsut Pass route), what I call the High Route. There was no moon but I occasionally turned off my headlamp and enjoyed clear starry skies, thinking that the forecast was spot on and that the next day would be nice….with the next day only a few hours away. This alternate route over Spray Park is not easy going or conducive to fast trotting, what with big steps along the way and a somewhat difficult path through Seattle Park above treeline, especially in the dark. However, physically I was still hanging in there with plenty of gas in the tank and steely feeling legs. I arrived at Cataract Valley Camp at 1:30 AM and occupied site #1. I hung the food bag and laid out my sleep system, which I had “upgraded” last minute to an OR Helium bivy and a Nunatak 40 degree quilt, along with a NeoAir XLite NXT short pad. I just rolled the whole shebang into a bundle so I could lay it out for immediate deployment without dealing with individual stuff sacks. I’m a side sleeper so the short pad, at 66 inches, was perfect for a bent knee position. Unfortunately, I had a hard time falling asleep, and I only got perhaps 2 hours of rest out of my 4 hours reclining. I was up and exiting the camp by 6:30 AM.

*Tokaloo Rock and Spire, Wonderland Trail*

Day 1 had me 47 miles into the hike with 12,500 feet of elevation gain. Day 2 would be longer with essentially the same elevation gain, mitigated somewhat by the last 30 miles abating a bit. As the skies got lighter I could see that there was no clearing; the cloud deck was low and mist was in the air. At least the smoke had cleared out. I was anticipating 4 major climbs to finish off the trip, and I arrived at the top of the first one (Mystic Pass at 6000’) feeling OK. I didn’t have the prior day’s spring and spunk but my legs were still in the fight and I was able to trot the downhills without quivering thighs. I breezed through Mystic Lake, around the Winthrop Glacier and saw an elusive Marten on my climb to Skyscraper Pass, the second climb of the day. In the forefront of my mind were the time milestones, and I was thinking I was maybe 2 hours behind where I should have been. I took a long break at White River Campground, the other spot that I use for a typical 3 day, and launched into the unknown. On the trail to Summerland I laid down and took a 30 minute nap, feeling much better for the short rest as I aimed for the highest point on the trail, Panhandle Gap at 6800 feet. But what’s that I’m seeing in my headlight as I’m hiking?….looks like big dust particles…or light rain. I am always assessing conditions, not just external but how my body is holding up. As the rain increased in intensity there was more assessing. As the winds picked up above Summerland and sideways mist was hitting my face there was more assessing. A decision had to be made, do I commit to Panhandle Gap and the exposed Ohanapecosh Park transit? Now, I was not going “stupid light”, I had minimal but effective kit (total carried weight including food and water was about 12 pounds), and I was confident in my choices. Bottom line though, I deemed it prudent not to continue at that point, and knew my best place to shelter was below Panhandle Gap by the green tarn. Abandoning my 48 hour quest, I laid out the bivy on a durable, sandy area near the tarn. By the time I was tucked inside the rain and wind had intensified. Problem was, I had to keep the bivy closed because of the wind driven rain, but the condensation buildup inside became its own problem. I had all my clothes on and was able to maintain minimal heat throughout the night, but I was certainly not comfortable. Shifting side to side, occasionally opening up the bivy for ventilation, adjusting the quilt as best I could for drafts, I spent the night snoozing and awaiting morning. Stats for this second day: 29 miles/8300’ elevation gain

*Emmons Glacier, descending to White River*

At some point the rain stopped and I was able to expose my face to breathe outside the bivy. I was up and on the trail at 5:30 AM, wearing all my clothing. First order of business was to raise my body temperature. A shoutout to Timmermade; I didn’t have a puffy but did have the Alpha Direct hoody, and paired with a prototype silpoly Megazip shell, I was able to hike quickly but dump heat and moisture by managing the huge zips in the shell. By the time I hit the Gap I was toasty enough to remove my hat, eventually stowing the hoody and shell in exchange for an Enlightened Equipment wind shirt. This whole transit through Ohanapecosh Park was devoid of any views as the skies were still completely socked in. I still hadn’t seen the mountain proper on this trip. Visibility under the clouds was good, however, and I was able to peer down on Indian Bar from the ridge, my next destination. I was happy to see that the weather was apparently not going to get worse.

*The final hours of my 3 day trek finally saw clear skies: Reflection Lake, Mt. Rainier*

By the time I descended to Nickel Creek the skies were starting to clear, making me wish I had started the trip a few days later. But hey, deal and cope, and enjoy being outside. Fatigue was slowly creeping into the legs, but I was not anywhere near pegging the needle on the sufferfest dial. Reflection Lakes was the end of my last climb, and the skies were mostly clear with my first clear view of the mountain. From there it was a cruise back to Longmire, arriving just before 6 PM; time to take a hot shower and enjoy some bison meatloaf at the Inn. At this point I’ve probably done around 25 three day Wonderlands, and I’ve never arrived in daylight on the last day. Then again, my last day has never been this short: 27 miles/4600’ elevation gain. That would make this hike my fastest three day hike I’ve ever done, more than 30 years after my first. I’ll take it, I aint gettin’ any younger…and there’s always next time.

Video: this time I authored in 4K, and the run time is lengthy: 51 minutes. But I wanted to convey the essence of my celebratory 35th hike of the Wonderland and hope that viewers enjoy my journey, sprinkled with a few historical snippets. For best viewing make sure you have 4K selected. Cheers and happy hiking!

*Squaw Lake, near Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground, Mt. Rainier*

Mt. Rainier NP: Wonderland Trail hike #32 (9/11-13/2020)

September 16, 2020 by Stephen Burgess

The Wonderland Trail, my old friend, with so many memories associated with it over the years. This year’s hike of the Wonderland, which I count as number 32, was very reminiscent of the series of hikes I did in the 90’s….segmenting each day into approximately 30 milers, although going clockwise getting the meat of the climbs on day 1 (8000’ or so). When starting at Longmire and going clockwise, this means over nighting on day one between Golden Lakes and the North Mowich River camp, then night number two at White River. After so may times doing this hike, each milestone I pass triggers memories of prior hikes. I’ve seen changes over the years, even remembering certain log bridges that have deteriorated, aging naturally as all things do. Could this be my last 3 day Wonderland hike? Make no mistake, covering over 30 miles per day on this trail is strenuous and takes a toll on not just one’s body, but also one’s ability to endure. Maybe not for the trail runners I met along the way, young and fit and covering the same distance each day in many hours less. I had to chuckle thinking that my 17 hour days were what it took the latest FKT runners to do the whole trail. I think there’s something in my makeup that embraces the hardship and difficulties of an endeavor like this, and after just one day of recovery I am already thinking of how I can better prepare for next year’s Wonderland hike #33.

*View from Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground, Mt. Rainier*

Day 1: Cougar Rock to North Mowich River camp. I started with high hopes of better fitness than in more recent years, having about 300 miles of hiking and 50,000 feet of climbing in August alone, not to mention I have been running during Covid. I started at 5 AM and immediately started down memory lane, coming to the sign at Longmire pointing in each direction. At this point I make a mental note of every river crossing and the changes that have occurred over 35 years, Kautz creek being one example. When I filmed the entire trail in 2012, the river had changed course recently and there was little growth in the plain. Now, alders are 30 feet high and the area is getting choked with underbrush. The bridges I crossed are now discarded, mired in silt and rocks, lonely in their isolation and uselessness. The day progressed with passing all the usual milestones; Devils Dream Camp (just a few campers at 8 AM), Squaw Lake, and the mandatory stop at Indian Henry’s ranger cabin. The rest of the day unfolded with the suspension bridge over Tahoma Creek and transits of Emerald Ridge, the South Puyallup and the climb through St. Andrews Park and some lingering at St. Andrews Lake. Smoke and obscured views would be the norm for this hike. When I stopped at Klapatche Park, it was deserted. Aurora Lake had but a mud puddle in the middle, perhaps refuge for any remaining amphibia. In November last I stood on this lake completely frozen, and I couldn’t help but remember Cassie’s and my transit here at 8 PM some years ago where she was recognized by someone from Chicago. I don’t get that anymore; in past years I would do updates on the Wonderland and almost every year I would get the “Hey, are you Willis Wall?” Now I transit the trail anonymously, and that’s OK with me. On this hike I counted 19 trail runners, more than I have seen over 35 years combined. It’s becoming a thing, I guess, and with the lack of walk up permits this year it’s the only way to do the trail legally without advance permits. Exactly what I did. I did run into a ranger as I was leaving Golden Lakes on Friday night, and we chatted a bit. She told me that the North Mowich River camp wasn’t full and if I needed to stay there (vice going to Mowich Lake) it would be OK. So I did, and when I arrived (after night navigation over the cobbled together Mowich river crossing) the shelter was empty. Perfect for my bivy setup. Plus I had stayed here many times in the past, and nostalgia was in the air.

*Silver Forest, this time with day light*

Day 2: North Mowich River camp to White River. I should mention what I had for equipment….I used my Zimmerbuilt custom Big Step pack, a Klymit 3/4 length pad, a Borah Gear Cuben Bivy (4.7 ozs) and a Nunatak 40 degree quilt. I carried the original version of the Zpacks pocket tarp (3 ozs) and some stakes for safety, although the weather forecast over my 3 day hike was for no rain. My go to jacket is an OR hooded Polartech Alpha Ascendant, plus I had spare socks, hat and misc. clothing items. I’m always wearing some iteration of Inov8 trail runners. What with food and and a filled 24 oz water bottle, my total pack weight was somewhere around 10-12 pounds. This light pack weight is one of the key reasons I can pull off this kind of endeavor at my age. So with another 5 AM start, I transited Mowich Lake….fairly full campground, and the most people I had seen. One of the reasons was the supported groups of trail runners all stayed here, and there were some Wonderland backpackers also in the dedicated spots…not my first choice for sure. When I reached Ipsut Pass the smoke was thicker than the day before and views were even more indistinct. I had a nice chat with one of the trail runners (waiting for his 3 partners to catch up) at the junction at 2600’. They passed me somewhere on the climb past the Carbon suspension bridge, not to be seen again. They promised me a beer at White River but I arrived too late to find their van. It’s a long climb up to Mystic Pass from 2600’ to 6000’, but the pain ends with the transition to Moraine Park. Usually there’s a fantastic view of the mountain here, but my namesake Willis Wall, and in fact the whole mountain, was absent in the background. Weird. The rest of the afternoon rolled by with me arriving at Skyscraper Pass while it was still light, yet weirdly eerie with the barest outline of the mountain visible through the smoke and layered vistas. I was alone, Saturday night…in September….transiting the area as it became dark, seeing no one near Sunrise or Sunrise camp. I made my way in the darkness down to White River, once again arriving at 10 PM. Now, my usual place to bivy here is on the side porch of the cabin, but, of course, the entire cabin was cordoned off due to renovations. Right next door, however, was an empty campsite with a nice picnic table and a bear locker. Brings to mind the time I stayed here years ago, on a picnic table, staring up at a blazing star show. I laid out my bivy on the picnic table, putting two rocks on either side. I did not want a recurrence of a few years ago when I fell off a table when orbiting Mt. Baker. Not a good feeling, waking up whist airborne and smashing into the ground in your cocoon. This is one of the reasons I brought the Klymit pad, as it’s wider than the NeoAir and is much harder to roll off. Once the twitchy legs settled down I slept soundly, awaking at 4:30 AM.

Day 3: White River to Cougar Rock. There’s a sign advising hikers to use the alternate route down the road vice the log bridge over the White River. I think this is due in part to the fatality this year of the person crossing the Mowich River on a sketchy bridge that was awash on one end (with no handrail). However, I had confidence that the bridge was OK at 5 AM and indeed, was no problem. Most people don’t realize that it was only a matter of some years ago that the log bridge over the Carbon, and the trail paralleling the river to Fryingpan Creek, was built. Wonderland hikers always had to walk down the road, cross the bridge, and then take a short connector trail to the Wonderland (if you’re wondering why that trail is there). I think I discovered this around 2005 when I was filming for my Wonderland DVD. Well, it’s a beautiful manicured trail up to Summerland, and when I arrived there….it was empty. On Sunday morning in the middle of September. When I left I ran into another group of trail runners that I had seen the day before, and we yo-yo’d until sometime after Panhandle Gap…devoid of snow. Soon after they whisked away and were not to be seen again by this old man. Oh, to move like that. The worst part of the day was enduring the incessant down steps to Indian Bar. You better hope your knees are up to the task, even with poles. When I arrived at Indian Bar there was a group of backpackers enjoying the shelter and I chatted with them. They had stayed at Summerland and were heading for Maple Creek, and in fact I saw them the rest of the day. I was having dinner at Maple Creek when they arrived, around 5:30 PM. Guess I wasn’t moving as quickly as I thought I was, with my 10 pound pack vice their 30 pounders. After Maple Creek it was the “Final Fog” of finishing the trail, climbing out of Stevens Canyon. I always underestimate the length and the difficulty of this climb to Reflection Lake….which was deserted….on Sunday afternoon/night in the middle of September. Just unusual. The Fog: watching footing on the descent with a very rooty trail, waiting for the “pipe” to appear signifying the approach to the Nisqually River, feeling the air change as a way of gauging one’s closeness. I had to chuckle crossing the bridge to the Nisqually; there was a mouse on the bridge, trapped by this towering biped. I stepped back and encouraged him to continue on to the safety of terra firma. Reminded me of the time I stepped aside to let a deer pass on the North Puyallup trail. Or the time I had to gingerly pass a bear on the Cowlitz Divide with little room on either side, who was thankfully too engrossed with eating blueberries. Or the time I was sitting on a rock in Moraine Park in mist and was passed, within 10 feet, by an elk and calf. And the time I turned 8 Y/O Cassie around In Spray Park, telling her “look!” as a cinnamon bear ran past us. Why do I come back to the Wonderland after doing it so many times? The memories are etched in my soul to the point it has become part of me. As the years pass I may have to adjust my itineraries, but I can’t imagine not coming back to this trail and this park; until I can’t.

Click Here for the video journal of my 2020 Wonderland Trail hike.

*The Green Tarn above Summerland, Mt. Rainier*

*Ohanapecosh Glaciers, above Indian Bar, Mt. Rainier*

Wonderland Trail Fastpack

October 06, 2015 by Steve

*fall on the Wonderland near Box Canyon*

The weather had finally turned back to what might be considered more typical September Northwest fare, that of clear crisp days and generally ideal conditions. I decided spur of the moment to take advantage of these conditions on some days off to cap off this season with a thru hike of Mt. Rainier's Wonderland Trail. Yes, I know I have spent some time in the Mt. Rainier environs this season, but I haven't actually done a continuous Wonderland hike since 2009 for various reasons. My fitness was peaking, my gear was dialed in, and it didn't take me long to pack for this trip, planning on a max of 3 days with an open itinerary. Now, I've been a good boy and acquired permits for the park when needed this year, but for this trip it really wasn't necessary...I was playing it by ear, so to speak. I planned on perhaps stopping the first night at Mowich Lake campground, which is self registering and car accessible. Wonderland Trail Fastpack photo set

Day 1, September 29: Longmire to Mowich Lake (35 miles/9500' elevation gain)

I started hiking at 8:15 AM from Longmire heading Clockwise on a trail so familiar by now (I have hiked the Wonderland about 30 times) that I wonder why I even bother packing a map. On this trip I took more documentary photos, meaning more diligence capturing creek crossings like Kautz and Pyramid, to compare to earlier years and as reference for the future. As an example, I reviewed video taken after the floods when I hiked the trail in 2007 and these crossings were completely devoid of any vegetation, yet now have alders growing at a rapid rate. The sky was completely clear and as usual I stopped at the ranger cabin at Indian Henry's Hunting Ground for a break and some chow. With this season having been so far ahead from the beginning (reference my hike on June 9/10) I found that fall colors are fading fast and most of the area looks ready for winter, with brown being the predominent hue. However, vibrant patches of reds and golds could still be found on this hike and I made sure to capture them on camera. Today reminded me how much I love hiking in the fall, despite shorter days and more reliance on night hiking when undertaking a trip of this length and difficulty where my days were expected to be in the vicinity of 17 hours. Luckily my body cooperated over the 5 significant climbs that would chacterize this first day, enabling me to enjoy all aspects of the reasons I get outdoors....physical toil, mental rejuvenation, smells and sounds and sights all rolled into one. I especially enjoyed the section transiting St. Andrews Park, despite temperatures that bordered on hot. I was amazed to see that there was still some water in Aurora Lake at Klapatche Park, although I suspect that it had been repumped by more recent rains and inclement weather preceeding my hike, rather than being left over from the entire season. After a significant break here I continued my 2500 foot drop down to the North Puyallup where it was time for...big surprise...another snack break. I tried to eat about every hour and a half to provide a steady stream of calories for this undertaking. From here I started yet another climb to Silver Forest, a place to gauge my progress based on sunset at this time of year. I determined that I was actually ahead of hikes I did even 20 years ago so was pleasantly pleased how I was holding up to this point. However, before the slight descent to Golden Lakes I had to turn on the lights and enjoyed glimpses of the glow of Tacoma from this side of the mountain. Many times I have stopped at Golden Lakes (25 miles to this point), especially if I'm doing a 4 day hike, but I forged on and committed to the 2500 foot drop to the South and North Mowich Rivers, which I transited (obviously) in the dark. As I passed the Mowich River Camp I noted that this would be my usual stopping point for a 3 day hike, but tonight I continued the grind up to the Mowich Lake camp, another 2300 foot climb and the last for the day. When I arrived at Mowich Lake I laid out my bivy on the concrete pad where the (empty) trash cans were, stashed my food in a food locker, used the vault toilet to clean up and bedded down at 1 AM, with my alarm set for 6.

*hiker on the Tahoma Creek suspension bridge*

Day 2, September 30: Mowich Lake to White River (25 miles/6000' elevation gain)

*low angle sun near Skyscraper Pass sets the meadow aglow*

As usual I missed my alarm and woke up to already light skies, but managed to get on the trail by 7:30 AM. There were a few cars in the lot and one tent set up in this most inglorious campground. I took physical stock on the trail and was pleased that my legs were cooperating nicely as I started out on the first miles. Mowich Lake was like glass and when I reached Ipsut Pass the sun was blazing on the rock faces and setting the gold bushes aglow. One of the benefits of doing this trail in the fall is one doesn't have to contend with trail disguising overhanging brush, so my descent into the forest proper was accomplished without hidden rock obstacles causing near face plants. The hike through the old growth was back in cool shade and abundant with flowing water and waterfalls, quite pleasant indeed. What's not pleasant is noting how much elevation I was losing, bottoming out at 2400 feet elevation, as I knew a steady 3600 foot grind-climb to Mystic Pass was in my immediate future. I had to remind myself that this trail throws all kinds of obstacles to pleasantness at you...rocks, roots, huge steps up and down, gravel over rock, muddy trail and so on, and this is just part of the agreement. Suck it up and enjoy the surroundings, and that's exactly what I did. This proved to be another warmish day and I welcomed the less heat producing trek down from Mystic Pass, stopping again at Mystic Lake for another break. On this occasion the sun was beating on my face but I didn't mind and enjoyed the gently lapping waves on the miniature beach as I munched away. This season I've been on this section 4 times already but no matter, familiarity is not a detriment to enjoyment. After a quick stop at Granite Creek camp I predicted that I would be able to transit most of the area around Skyscraper Pass when it was still light, and this proved to be. Near Skyscraper Pass the area above treeline absolutely glowed golden in the low angled sunlight for a scene I hadn't witnessed before. Even after 30 times I can always count on pleasant surprises. But as the sun set, my lack of sleep over the past 3 days was catching up with me, manifesting itself with this strange urge to lie down and take a little nap. At this point, before Sunrise, I decided to stop for the evening at White River after only 25 miles and just sleep as long as I needed. It was still rather early for me and I set out my bivy on the side porch of the White River cabin at 10 PM and closed my eyes.

Day 3, October 1: White River to Longmire (33 miles/6100' elevation gain)

*one of the best vistas in the park: the area above Indian Bar*

The skies were light when I awoke, but that was OK as I finally felt rested. No one was to be seen, the campground was closed and there were only 2 cars in the overnight parking lot. However, the facilities were locked and the water was shut off, so I had to go to the still open vault toilet at the campground entrance for my morning chores. I expected this and still had plenty of water so I cleaned up and headed off for the high country, hitting the trail at 7:30 AM once again. I knew I had a long day ahead of me as I wasn't able to capitalize on my extra mileage on day 1 (for a 3 day trip) due to my short day yesterday. Once I started up the trail I knew my decision was a good one as my body and mind were showing their appreciation for some recovery time. As expected, I ran into some day hikers around Summerland and even Panhandle Gap, but once beyond there I had the trail to myself. Besides, I had pleasant conversation with some and this is all part of the Wonderland experience. It was warm again but I certainly wasn't going to complain, considering the weather my daughter and I contended with in August and the first part of September. I was reminded once again that no lens can capture the grandeur of some of the vistas along the trail, in this case an overlook (above 6000 feet) of the Ohanapecosh valley leading to Indian Bar, hearing the distant whoosh of the cascading myriad waterfalls marking the headwaters of the Ohanapecosh River. An inspiring sight indeed. I noted some further wandering of the river as I neared Indian Bar and took refuge from the sun in the newly shake-clad cool stone shelter there. For some time I had the place to myself until two lads showed up who were doing 59 national parks in 59 weeks, truly a very cool trip. We enjoyed some pleasant banter for awhile but then I was off to finish up another 21 miles for the day. At least the remainder of the trail was benign by Wonderland standards and I made it past Box Canyon still under natural light. Perhaps the one thing I regret about doing Stevens Canyon in the dark is missing the fall colors of the understory, usually fantastic here at this time of year. However, it seems my recompense was Reflection Lake, where a low cloud deck quickly parted to reveal the moon's reflection glistening on the water with both the original and copy surrounded by an orange halo. I enjoyed this in complete solitude despite being right next to the road. After this it was a matter of lasting to the end without my old bod blowing up from the strenuous days behind me, arriving at my vehicle at exactly 1 AM, very satisfied that I could still pull off a 3 day Wonderland hike more than twenty years after I did my first.

If you'd like to read my thoughts on doing this at age 60, go here.

*a different reflection on Reflection Lake*