You will regret not seeing Spray and Seattle Parks I can tell you. It is a lovely area - even more so mid week.
Yes, while I would like to do the "official trail" so I can say I did the "official trail" I think it will be ok to do the alternate route simply for pleasure. Hey it's still hiking...
...take nothing but memories and pictures, leave nothing but footprints, and kill only time... (Bette Filley in Discovering the Wonders of the Wonderland Trail)
Look at it this way....the actual "official" trail along part of the Carbon River doesn't exist currently so a detour is just dandy
And honestly it is worth it. It is.
One of the best nights I have spent at Rainier was cross country in upper Seattle Park. It was amazing beyond belief. I had a goat pack spend their evening and morning showing off only a few yards away.
I don't understand
Sarbar, I am not sure I understand what you mean by "cross country." Are you saying that you had a back-country permit to camp off the trail?Originally Posted by sarbar
Look at it this way....the actual "official" trail along part of the Carbon River doesn't exist currently so a detour is just dandy
And honestly it is worth it. It is.
One of the best nights I have spent at Rainier was cross country in upper Seattle Park. It was amazing beyond belief. I had a goat pack spend their evening and morning showing off only a few yards away.
I don't differ with you on the beauty of Spray Park and Seattle Park.
Shutterbug
It's fun to end at Sunrise, because you can celebrate with a tasty ice cream sundae, among other things (burgers and beer?).
Cross country is that - being at least 1/4 though 1/2 mile is better off any trails when camping with the backcountry permit for that. The rangers don't have to give out permits for X/C and you have to know what quadrant to ask for when getting the permit (and some of the rangers are dumb as rocks and don't even know there ARE maps for that under the desk. Sigh.)
It is a wonderful way to explore Rainier though it isn't necessarily easy - especially with finding a flat enough spot to sleep on...lol!
OK...Bringing this thread back to life... I'm working out an itinerary for hiking the Wonderland Trail this summer.
1) Most of the plans I've seen have people spending 10 days on the trail. I'm thinking of trying for seven. Is there some reason for not doing that? Is the normal hiking pace on that trail less than 2 mph?
2) Any particular advantage in going either clockwise or counterclockwise?
Thanks,
Marta
If not NOW, then WHEN?
ME>GA 2006
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3277
Instagram hiking photos: five.leafed.clover
1. The trail is amost all up and down, some pretty steep and rocky. Maybe a few miles total fairly level. You would need to be very fit to do 7 days.
2. The trail is insanely beautiful. A lot of time for staring at scenery is desirable.
Give it a couple more days, at least.
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
I know a few PCT thru hikers who have "taken a break" from the trail and hiked the WT in four days or less. I hiked it in four days after 800 tough miles on the PNT one summer. If you're used to hiking 25 mile days with 7,000'+ gain, no problem!
Most "normal" hikers I met on the trail were hiking a seven to eleven day pace. An experienced thru hiker in decent shape should be able to make seven days. Whether that's the way to do it or not is a different question.
One advantage of a faster pace might be to fit into a window of good weather. That's what I did. I waited for a really nice five-day forecast and went and got a walk-in permit with no problem at all--took less than 15 minutes and I got my first choices.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
Thanks for the feedback!
Our situation: We'd like to keep the total trip time to a week plus the associated weekends, including travel time back and forth to Charlotte. Family in Tacoma will drive us back and forth to the trail.
The walk-in permit idea is very attractive, but coming from the east coast, and meshing schedules with the family in Tacoma pretty much rules that out.
We're both in decent shape and used to backpacking, but aren't world-beater speedhikers. In western NC we usually hike about 15+ miles in an 8-hour hiking day, without hurrying. It's not at all unusual for us to hike from 1700' to 5500' and back down again in a day in the Smokies. The elevation change on the Wonderland Trail looks somewhat similar.
The fact that there are a couple of resupply points along the trail is a fabulous benefit and will do Wonders to keep packweight down.
Again, hiking a lot on the Smokies seems as if it will be good preparation for dealing with the dampness reported on the WT.
So...am I following the usual WB practice of asking for advice and then completely ignoring it?
Actually, what I really wanted to know was: Do people hike the WT in less than 10 days? The answer is yes, and so I think we'll go ahead and aim for a week.
Thanks again!
If not NOW, then WHEN?
ME>GA 2006
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3277
Instagram hiking photos: five.leafed.clover
People definately do it in seven or less. Do have fun however you do your hike.
"It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss
I think that 7-8 days is reasonable if you are an experienced hiker and don't carry too much weight. Look at the map/profiles and plan your days carefully.
Personally I would spend more time on the north and east sides, and less time (hike more miles/day) on the south and west sides. The south side especially is an unrewarding thicket slog and unmemorable woods hike; the west side can be very very buggy and not much for views.
13 mpd at a 2 mph pace means that you would need to hike about 7 hrs/day (start at 9 am, finish at 4 pm). Start late, finish early. That leaves 17 hrs/day for sleeping and camping, which should be more than enough for most people.
Personally I would rather hike longer (7 am start, 6 pm finish) and camp less, but hike your own hike!
After power hiking the WT in 3 days I listened in on rangers at Sunrise advising backpackers to take at least 10 days... obviously the park thinks that 9 mpd is a safe rate for most park visitors. Remember that the average US hiker is not very fit or skilled. I've worked in a Nat Park and I understand their (paranoid) perspective after seeing what some people will do and the trouble they can get into. But that doesn't mean that their view of the average US hiker applies specifically to you.
good luck!
7 days is fine but you can end up missing stuff. Don't forget also one key thing: we are farther North up here so not quite as much daylight (though in summer that isn't such an issue) and the mornings can be very, very cold till the sun comes up.
10 days is long, maybe too long - but if you want to see side things you might consider it. Our trip was a 7 dayer - if I were to re-do I would say 8 days.
For example I really wish we had stayed at Indian Bar and not had to hike from Nickel Creek to Summerland in one day - it wasn't the miles and elevation gain (though both were nasty on a very hot day) but that we missed staying in a kick butt place!
A lot of the WT is photo op so the desire to stop and shoot, or to stop and lay next to the flowers is distracting.
PS: This summer could be fun. Paradise is holding 60" more snow than usual currently for this time of year. It dumped in Jan/Feb like crazy!!!!
It is possible to hike it in 7 days.
It is certainly possible to hike the Wonderland Trail in 7 days.
I have met two different groups of hikers who were hiking it in 48 hours. Both groups said "It is the craziest thing I have ever done."
The thing that makes a 7 day plan challenging is that the camp sites are not evenly spaced. A 7 day schedule means at least one very long, tough day. Two of the most beautiful campsites (Summerland and Indian Bar) are close together. If you include both of them in your plan, 7 days becomes even more difficult.
I have hiked the Wonderland in both directions. There is no particular advantage of hiking one way or the other. The more important consideration is where to start and end the hike. I usually start at Mowich Lake, but have started at Sunrise, Reflection Lakes, Box Canyon and Longmier. A good reason to start and end at Sunrise or Longmier is because you can buy a hamburger at the conclusion of your hike.
Advice on sites -- avoid the "Devil's Dream" site. It has too many bugs. I was discussing it with a Ranger and he confirmed that if the Rangers don't like a hiker, they assign Devil's Dream as their camp site.
Also, avoid the Mowich Lake and Sunrise Camps. Both of them are adjacent to roads, so they tend to attract car campers rather than hikers.
My favorite sites, based on scenery are:
1. Indian Bar (voted by the Rangers as the most beautiful camp site in the National Parks.)
2. Kaplachie Park - An outstanding view of the mountain, and the best chance to see black bears.
3. Summerland - Great views and lots of marmots.
4. Dick Creek -- There are two tent sites at Dick Creek. One of them is great and the other is not. The one I like is right on the edge of a cliff that overlooks the Carbon Glacier.
5. Golden Lakes -- The lakes make it a pretty site, but it occassionaly has a bug problem.
Last edited by Shutterbug; 03-23-2011 at 03:24.
Shutterbug
Thanks for the feedback! I've thrown my hat into the ring (i.e., faxed the reservation request to the Park). We'll see what the Rangers of Fate give us permission to do. Fingers crossed.
If not NOW, then WHEN?
ME>GA 2006
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3277
Instagram hiking photos: five.leafed.clover
In the initial phases of planning a Wonderland hike for late August 2012. Was just wondering how it went for everyone who did it this past summer?
It was essentially impassable the first week of August 2011 because of snow. We did a partial hike, out and back. We met one kid completing the circuit but he was carrying full crampons and ice axe, and had had to use them. By early September the trail was pretty clear.
If not NOW, then WHEN?
ME>GA 2006
http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?trailname=3277
Instagram hiking photos: five.leafed.clover
For variuos reasons, Gem and I have decided to post-pone the JMT trip and do the Wonderland Trail this summer.. Looking at probably 9 days on the Wonderland Trail, folowed up wth a 29.3 mile loop involving the PCT... Still trying to come up with dates...
Judo & I hiked the WT last year - started on Sept 5th. It was absolutely the most "Wonderland" of all trails I have been on. Jaw dropping beautiful. and, we had 9 days of picture perfect weather. not a cloud in the sky, it was almost too hot the entire trip.
Stay at Summerland, it's a beautiful area (we did not and I wish we had), go over spray park . enjoy, I"d go back in a second and hike it again.
Shutterbug,
Your information was very helpful for my trip last year.
I met one guy (near INdian Bar) that was doing a trail run - the entire WT - he sais it would take him 24 - 27 hrs! yikes, I can't imagine doing some of that trail after dark, even though it was a full moon, parts of the trail he would have been on after dark were very sketchy, crumbling off the edge of the cliff.
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