Wonderland

A WALK AROUND RAINIER

In late June of 2019, 5 members of our pack attempted The Wonderland.

A 93 mile loop around the base of mount Rainier, climbing the outer ridges of Seattle’s favorite mountain. The highest climbs, reaching over 6,000 feet, reward you with a view no camera could every truly capture. The plateaus are riddled with wildlife and offer a short rest from the elevation. While the slopes make you question why in your sanity are you going down just to go back up. Yet somehow, every tedious climb was worth it.

Due to the combined efforts of the trail conditions, acute mountain sickness, and a slow starting morning we did not make it completely through the hike. We did however successfully complete 58% of the Wonderland trail.

We skipped the 34 miles from Indian Bar to Ipsut Creek.

This was NOT an easy choice. But as we stood on a brief flat spot, with multiple pack members showing altitude sickness symptoms, looking up at more mountain and not enough sunlight left in the sky, we decided, for the good of the pack, to skip the northeast quadrant of the mountain.

Instead of continuing to Indian Bar, we headed back down to where we had camped the night before. Then the next morning we met our ride, who thankfully, was able to respond to our unexpected needs.

After spending one night in our own beds, we returned to the mountain at Ipsut Creek. From there we continued the loop back to Longmire where we had originally started.

The wonderland trail is on par with the most difficult parts of the PCT. Even though we did not complete the entire trail, we hiked 74 miles in just under 5 days. That is averaging 14.8 miles per day and we still had the time of our lives.

This hike was a huge confidence booster and a pivotal moment for the pack. We all fell further in love with the trail and have a taste for true through hiking. After this amazing experience there is only one thing on our mind. The PCT.