WONDERLAND ENHANCEMENT VIDEOS

The following videos are available as background information and may help with a hiker’s planning. The Overflight video is not as comprehensive as the 2006 DVD version available for viewing here.

The North Puyallup Trail runs 3 miles from the end of the West Side Road at Klapatche Point to the intersection with the Wonderland Trail at the North Puyallup Camp. This trail was the road and driveable until 1987, when it was decommissioned and changed to trail status. This accounts for the stone walls that frequently line the trail and the wide swath you are walking on. This video is a sampling of the trail filmed on October 18, 2023.

The Eagle Peak Trail is an excellent trainer, climbing steadily from its start at 2800’ to 5100’, then is steeper from 5100’ to the “end of maintained trail” sign at 5800’ for getting the heart rate up. At 7.5 miles round trip, with 3,000’ of elevation gain/loss, this trail is about perfect to train one’s uphill and downhill legs. Three circuits in a day of the Eagle Peak Trail will put one in good stead for long days on the Wonderland. The last part of this video is a time lapse of the entire trail.

BACKPACKING STRATEGIES: HIKING MORE THAN 20 MILES PER DAY In this 40 minute video I talk about techniques, equipment, training and attitude that I use to cover longer distances, essentially more than 20 miles per day. I reference Mt. Rainier's Wonderland Trail, specifically 3 and 4 day trips. With an aging body but many lessons learned over the years thru fastpacking and ultrarunning, I share my thoughts on tackling long distances without spending an inordinate amount of time in the gym. The section on equipment is now dated (an ongoing process) but the philosophy remains the same. I am still able to pull off a 3 day Wonderland Trek in my late 60’s.