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As a follow up to the prior post on the YoYo attempt, this CW circuit started two days after completion of the CCW hike. This hike had to be segmented due to withdrawing at White River after the second day due to macerated feet. I completed the circuit the next week by positioning myself at White River by bike and hiking back to Cougar Rock, retrieving the bike a few days later. This last segment saw pristine weather and clear skies.
In August of 2024 I attempted a YoYo of the Wonderland, combining two 3 day transits; The first would be CCW from Longmire with a planned one day off, then CW. Well, there were a few snags complicated by weather…I adjusted my permit to have an additional day between the hikes, but wet weather had me withdraw after Day 2 of the CW circuit, getting a ride from a friend back to Longmire from White River. This video covers the first CCW circuit.
I was aiming for a 48 hour transit, but unexpected foul weather forced me to abandon that goal and shelter below Panhandle Gap. It did, however, turn out to be my fastest 3 day hike to date. Authored in 4K. Blog writeup here
Despite a very busy schedule with life events and with most of August taken up by my trip to Africa, I managed to squeeze in my annual 3 day Wonderland Trail hike on September 7-9, 2022. These trips are never easy, but I experienced problems on day 2 that set my schedule back a bit, resulting in one of my longer days since i ran ultras. Day 3 clocked in at 39 miles with 8,900’ of elevation gain. Nonetheless, hardships are always encountered but moments of bliss and outdoor splendor make up for the difficult times. This was my 34th transit of the Wonderland.
his year’s hike of the Wonderland Trail (#33) was in many ways one of my best ones. I was in excellent shape, so I was able to cover the 30 miles or so per day with over 8,000’ of gain with few problems. I went earlier in the season (July 20-22) so spent very little time hiking in the dark (14-15 hour days). It had been a while since I had done a CCW loop so even the views were fresh. I enjoyed excellent weather, escaping the smoke encountered in 2020. All in all an excellent transit without too much suffering, something to embrace at age 66. I’m not sure how much longer I can do a 3 day transit but #33 was very encouraging! Blog write up here.
In 2009 I authored a journey of Mt. Rainier’s Wonderland Trail in 3 days involving pain and suffering. That series is segmented into each day as I talk to the camera and chronicle my sojourn. I was not in good shape that year and endured a bit of suffering, finally finishing on day 3 at 2:20 AM. What a difference….I did the same 3 day journey akin to the series I accomplished in the 90’s, only this time at age 65. However, being recently retired, I had some mileage under my belt and 11 more years of experience. This time around I’ve authored this journey (with some reminiscing) over 3 days with a shoulder mounted GoPro. With age comes wisdom, and this transit was essentially much easier than 2009….although the days were still long, coming in at 17 hours each. Viewer beware….this video is 50 minutes long, so prepare for a lengthy view of my Wonderland Trail hike #32, Enjoy!