I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for almost 10 years but have only been to Mount Rainier National Park twice since moving to Portland. Since I started backpacking in 2014, I’ve dreamed of hiking the Wonderland Trail, which circumnavigates the massive 14,411-foot glaciated volcano in 93 impressive miles. With limited time off from work, though, we decided we’d try for permits to backpack the Northern Loop, a 33-mile loop with about 11,000 feet of elevation gain that follows 17.5 or so miles of the Wonderland Trail (from close to Sunrise to the Carbon River) and the 15.5 mile Northern Loop Trail. Now that I’ve had a taste of the Wonderland Trail, it’s high on my list to complete the entire loop (and maybe we’ll have more views next time!).
Despite only seeing Tahoma (Mount Rainier) a few times - at the beginning of our first day, and briefly on our third day - and hiking in mist for much of the second and third days, the area is stunning. I can only imagine what it’d be like on a clear day.
We arrive at the White River Wilderness Information Center around 8:30 am on Friday to pick up our permit. (A permit is required for all overnight stays in the backcountry in Mount Rainier National Park. About 2/3s of permits are available through an advanced reservation lottery system. The rest are made available on the day of. We secured permits through the lottery in the spring and our preferred itinerary was accepted.) The ranger reviewed wilderness regulations and other important information. While I am well-versed in Leave No Trace principles and the Ten Essentials, I appreciated that she took the time to go through everything. Earlier in the week, my brother Myles spoke to a ranger about river crossings (easy) and water sources (plentiful, and at all camps).
We meet Myles and his new-to-backpacking-but-up-for-any-outdoor-adventure girlfriend Hannah at Sunrise early on Friday morning. We’re on the trail by 9:45 am, excited for a weekend in the mountains and away from the worsening news about the spread of the delta variant of covid-19 in the Pacific NW. I’m so grateful for this annual tradition of a summer backpacking trip we have going with Myles.
Day 1: Sunrise to Mystic Camp (9+ miles, 2,000 feet gain)*
*Each day’s subheading is linked to the hike’s Strava activity on my public page.
We start at Sunrise and make our way uphill to the Sourdough Ridge Trail. The views are gorgeous here and I regret not taking more photos. The mountains to the east are socked in with smoke from the Schneider Springs fire. (The ranger said that earlier in the week the smoke was very thick in the park; I cross my fingers that the winds continue to push it east. Thankfully, the AQI forecast appears good but I know the weather/winds in the mountains can be unpredictable.)
Just past Frozen Lake, we hit the junction with the Wonderland Trail.
At a little over 2 miles, we pass the junction with the Northern Loop trail which heads towards Berkeley Park. Over the next mile the trail descends a bit before climbing again. At around 3.5 miles, the trail begins its descent towards Granite Creek, where we stop for lunch. The next 2 miles descend towards Winthrop Creek. The trail is steep and rooty and rocky at times. We encounter about a dozen trail runners over the next hour or so who are completing the Wonderland Trail in three days of running (life goals!). Every runner we encounter has a smile painted across their face. Backpackers, too. Folks are out here living their best lives.
We cross Winthrop Creek over a nice log bridge and begin the climb towards Mystic Camp.
For some reason, my body just feels tired today. The climb (which isn’t that long or steep) feels more challenging than it should be. About a mile before Mystic Camp, we see two women in their 60s who report they are at mile 13 of a 21 mile day. They are SO happy and I think to myself this is reason 9604921 to be healthy in late adulthood. Over the course of the weekend, we cross paths with many backpackers in their 60s and 70s.
We reach Mystic Camp about five hours after we left Sunrise. We set up our tents at the established camp area before wandering further up the trail to check out Mystic Lake (we bring all of our food/scented items rather than hanging it from the bear pole). It’s socked in with low-hanging clouds. (Side note about Mount Rainier NP, every backcountry campground has a bear pole for hanging food and a toilet. Both of these things make backpacking so much easier and better for the environment/wildlife whose home we are visiting.)
I present you with a rare image of this photographer and her favorite hiking partner.
Before heading back to camp, we wander up to the ranger cabin (so cool!). Later, we enjoy wine and dinner in our camp. Every now and then Old Desolate emerges from the clouds. Lindsay and I wander back up to Mystic Lake around sunset to see if the views have changed, but it’s still socked in. I’m dead asleep by 9 pm.
Day 2: Mystic Camp to James Camp (12+ miles, 3,500 ft+ gain)
Eleven hours later (!!) we’re up and out of our tents, ready for a big day. We discuss the loud booms we heard in the middle of the night and decide it must have been the Carbon Glacier calving and ice falling into the river. It’s always so wild to hear a glacier calve (I haven’t heard it since our 2016 backpacking trip on the Berg Lake Trail in British Columbia.)
Today will be tough. After a long descent along Moraine Creek and the Carbon Glacier, we will have a tough climb to Windy Gap along the Northern Loop Trail towards the end of the day.
After a breakfast of oatmeal and coffee - if you’ve read my posts about backpacking, I’m sure this is shocking to you ;-) - we pack up and get a late start by 9:30 am. My legs feel surprisingly good today. We reach Mystic Lake and are delighted by the views! The lake is glass-still, sky is blue, and the lower part of Tahoma is just visible.
It’s amazing how fast weather can change in the mountains. The views are very short-lived as fog rolls in just as we reach the other side of the lake and the climb towards the high point on the Wonderland Trail in this area.
The next 5 miles is a steady descent (have I said we’re descending yet?) along Moraine Creek towards the Carbon Glacier and Carbon River. It’s socked in with fog. Blue sky emerges just after Dick Creek when we stop for a snack.
I’m shocked by how massive the Carbon Glacier is. Views remain (no Tahoma though) as we hike along the glacier/river. We pass the suspension bridge over Carbon River before heading into a lovely forested section of the Wonderland Trail. We stop to filter water at a creek before the big climb. As I’m about to fill up my water, I slip on rocks and completely wipe out. I’m shocked to realize that I’m not injured and nothing hurts (thanks glute for breaking my fall). This could have been so much worse.
Around mile 6, we reach the junction with the Northern Loop Trail and the 4.5 mile climb with about 3,000 feet of gain begins. The climb is steep and incessant. The first two miles are switchbacks and then the final few are just a push uphill. The forest is dark and foggy. It feels like it should be late in the day despite it being mid-day.
We encounter only two other hikers on this entire climb. After 3.5 miles of climbing we stop for a late lunch (it was overdue - we are wiped!). Within minutes of stopping, I become very chilled so I’m glad to start climbing again to warm up.
Apparently Windy Gap and the surrounding area is supposed to be stunning (with views of Yellowstone Cliffs and the nearby jagged mountains) but the fog is thick and visibility is poor. The trail switchbacks some more as we make the final climb to Windy Gap.
The last two miles of descent towards James Camp go quickly. We reach James Camp seven hours after departing Mystic Camp. I’m ready for dinner (and some wine!) and bed. By dark, we’re in our tents.
Day 3: James Camp to Sunrise (12+ miles, 4,000 ft elevation gain)
The 5:30 am alarm is brutal considering it’s still dark out. We have a long day ahead: about 12 miles, 4,000 or so feet of elevation gain, and a drive back to Portland (which ends up taking 4+ hours due to construction). We’re on the trail just after 7 am after a breakfast of - you guessed it - oatmeal and coffee. Over the next two miles, we lose about 1,200 ft on the descent to the West Fork of the White River crossing. The crossing is easy - thankfully there is a log bridge in place as the river is swift.
The next 4 miles is a consistent climb (about 2,500 ft of gain) towards Grand Park. While this is a big climb, it feels easier than yesterday’s climb to Windy Gap. Hannah sets a mean pace. We stop at a viewpoint just before Grand Park. On a clear day, this is supposed to be one of the great Tahoma viewpoints with the West Fork carving its way through the mountains below. For a moment, it appears as if the clouds might lift, but the mountain remains elusive. The bottom of the Winthrop Glacier is just visible, but that’s all that Tahoma will give us today. Rather than be disappointed, I enjoy watching the fog move through the valley and dance through the treetops as the light changes.
We reach Grand Park after a little more than 6 miles. We can see Rainier’s peak through the trees. (I now regret that I didn’t hike a ways down the Lake Eleanor Trail - I think the views of the mountain would have been stunning, but alas, we’ll just have to return some day!)
We stop for lunch near Lodi Creek before reaching Berkeley Park. At this point, we start seeing a lot more day hikers and backpackers coming from the Sunrise area.
Berkeley Park is stunning even in low hanging clouds. I can imagine how gorgeous this area is earlier in the summer when wildflowers are at their peak.
The last few miles from Berekely Park are a bit of a slog. As we climb towards the junction with the Wonderland Trail, fog moves up the valley and soon the visibility is poor. The temperature drops significantly.
About seven hours after we left James Camp, we arrive back at Sunrise. The Northern Loop was challenging and beautiful even on a mostly cloudy/foggy weekend. (I’ll take clouds over wildfire smoke any day!) My first backpacking trip in Mount Rainier National Park has me now dreaming of backpacking (or running over a few days!) the entire Wonderland Trail someday. This place is truly spectacular.
Mount Rainier National Park is the traditional land of the Cowlitz, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin Island, and Yakama tribes.