CARBON FOOTPRINT

Since Christy and I only took 3 weeks for our trip to Alaska, I was left with an extra week of vacation. I also had a free flight voucher to burn, so I decided to take my week in Seattle in September. That would be the perfect time of year for hiking in the Pacific Northwest, and I’d also be able to visit with my friends, Brian, Jill, and family.

Brian was excited about the chance to do some hiking and backpacking, but he was also a little leery. Regrettably, he had broken his leg in a playground accident in July. After two months, the injury was healed, but Brian hadn’t gotten out much recently. We were both concerned about how much he could handle after being laid up for two months.

A little over a week before my trip was scheduled, I received a surprising work assignment. The boss informed me that there was a job available in Tacoma. It would only take 3 or 4 days, affording me the opportunity to get an early start on my vacation. I jumped at the chance, since I’d be able to squeeze in another hike or two.

I flew to Tacoma early that Monday morning, and by Thursday morning I’d wrapped up my assignment. Brian had to work that week, so I decided to take a quick trip up to Mount Rainier National Park. I’d spend a day and a half there, before heading over to Brian and Jill’s place on Bainbridge Island.

Years ago Christy and I had visited Rainier, but our trip had been limited to a few short dayhikes and a couple of nights of car camping. This time, I wanted to do some backpacking. Specifically, I wanted to experience a taste of the legendary Wonderland Trail. The Wonderland Trail runs some 90 miles, circling Mount Rainier in a single, giant loop. Obviously I wouldn’t have time for all 90 miles. However, after studying the park map, I noticed an appealing loop combining a section of the Wonderland with an alternate trail. My rough plan was to start at Mowich Lake and follow the Wonderland Trail down to the Carbon River. From there I’d hike upstream to the foot of the Carbon Glacier, before returning to Mowich Lake by way of Spray Park.

To pull this route off, I had to get a backcountry permit. Unfortunately there isn’t a ranger station at Mowich Lake, so from Tacoma I headed for the Carbon River Ranger Station. As I headed out of town, I noticed that the clouds from the previous night’s rain were beginning to break up. The weather forecast promised a brief window of nice weather on Thursday afternoon and Friday, before rain returned Friday night. I was hopeful that this forecast would hold up, as the good weather would coincide perfectly with my trip.

I reached the ranger station a bit after 11. I was pleased to find that there were two spots still available at the Carbon River backcountry campground that night. I claimed one of them, paid the $15 park entrance fee, and headed up the winding, dirt road to Mowich Lake. This road has a reputation for being rough, but I have no idea why. I’ve driven paved roads that were in worse condition. The road was in great shape, and I made fantastic time. In fact, on the way out Friday evening, I hit 55mph coming down one straight stretch. That was more the double the posted speed limit, but I was pretty confident I wouldn’t run into any speed traps out there.

Mowich Lake was completely fogged in when I arrived. That helped me make one critical decision, which was picking the direction to do the loop. I knew the most scenic part of the hike would be the alpine country around Spray Park. I decided to save that stretch for Friday, in hopes that visibility would be better.

I got started at 12:30 and hustled down the trail in an effort to ward of the chill. The fog was breaking a bit around the peaks looming above the lake, creating a spooky scene. I didn’t linger long though, as I followed the Wonderland Trail into a dark forest of mossy fir trees.

A gentle climb led to intriguing Ipsut Pass. The pass is in an improbable notch below massive cliffs. I paused there for a snack break, and I watched the clouds breaking up around the cliffs surrounding the Ipsut Creek Valley. Then I started down rocky, steep switchbacks under sudden sunshine. I enjoyed views of the surrounding cliffs as I wound my way down the mountain. Eventually the forest canopy closed in though, and I entered the rain forest. The lower elevations on the west side of Rainier are considered rain forest, which is unusual being so far from the coast. Rainier is so massive though, it creates its own weather, resulting in an impressive amount of precipitation on its “wet” side. In fact, the rain forests stretch all the way to Ohanapecosh, on the southeast side of the mountain.

Hiking under the dense canopy of massive fir and cedar was a treat. A bit later, I reached a bridge spanning a tributary at a small but pleasant waterfall. I met a couple here on their way to Ipsut Creek Campground. They were doing a portion of the Wonderland Trail, and had particularly enjoyed camping at Golden Lakes. I may have to check that area out next time.

From there, I continued down into the Carbon River Valley. At one point I found a very limited view of Ipsut Creek Falls. It may have been possible to climb down for a better look, but my late start meant that I didn’t have time for side explorations. Instead, I dropped on down to a junction with the trail coming in from the Carbon River Ranger Station. I turned right there, and continued to follow the Wonderland Trail along the Carbon River. The Carbon River is a typical glacial stream. It’s wide and braided, featuring broad gravel bars between channels of raging, silty water. The river was an enjoyable companion as I followed an easy trail upstream towards camp.

At a wide bend in the river, I found the trail ahead closed due to flood damage. Here I picked up a replacement route, which required crossing the river on a series of seven seasonal footbridges. The water was absolutely raging through the second channel, and crossing the bridge actually made me a little nervous. However, from the bridge, I was delighted to get my first look at Mount Rainier. The clouds had lifted as promised, and The Mountain was out in all its glory. It towered above me at the head of the valley, its massive glaciers shining in the late afternoon sun.

At the far side of the river channel, a large but errant cairn led me off-track along the rocky riverbank. I wasted a few minutes before realizing my error. On my return to the real trail, I removed the offending cairn in hopes that other hikers won’t also be misled.

Once all the way across the river, I climbed the far bank before reaching a junction with the northern loop. I stayed right here, and climbed through the woods above the river. According to the map, I should have passed near the base of a waterfall on charmingly-named Spunkwash Creek. The stream was small though, and if there was a waterfall, it was lost among the huge boulders and fallen trees along the hillside. I pressed on, and a bit later reached a high suspension bridge over the river. From here, I had my first view of the Carbon Glacier. The Carbon Glacier is well-named, as it is brown from the dirt and rocks covering the ice. It’s not a particularly pretty glacier, but I decided to hike up and have a closer look at it after setting up camp.

I found the Carbon River Campsites just beyond a suspension bridge spanning a nice cascade on Cataract Creek. I was glad that the sites were closer to the creek, because I certainly didn’t want to get my drinking water from the silty river! I set up camp at the first site, which was small but adequate for my tent. At this point it was already 6:30. I knew the sun would set in less than an hour, but I still wanted a better look at the glacier. With a long, difficult hike planned for Friday, I decided against saving it for the morning. Instead, I hurried back across the suspension bridge and up the Wonderland Trail towards the base of the glacier.

It was a hearty climb, but at least it was brief. Before long, I reached an open view of the glacier spilling down from the peak high above. The glacier still wasn’t pretty, but The Mountain certainly was. When I arrived, it was catching the last light of day in an impressive display of alpenglow. I enjoyed the show for a few minutes before the glow began to fade. Then I started back to camp, racing the oncoming darkness. I made it back in the last of the days light and started working on dinner. In an effort to keep things simple, I’d only brought a freeze dried dinner. My Kung Pao Chicken turned out to be mostly rice, but at least it was warm and filling. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to provide much nutrition or energy. I struggled quite a bit on the climb to Spray Park the next day.

After dinner, I hung my food on the bear pole. There I met another hiker who had also come from Mowich Lake that day. He had left early that morning, and had enjoyed beautiful, clear weather at Spray Park. Apparently the fog had lingered around Mowich Lake, while the upper portions of the mountain had been out in the clear. I could only hope that the fine weather would last through the next day.

It got cold that evening, and I didn’t stay up long. I bailed for the tent shortly after dinner, with plans to get up early the next morning.

THE MOUNTAIN

I was up early the next morning, despite the cold. I had a tough time getting going, but I still made it out of camp shortly after 8. After pausing briefly to photograph the cascade on Cataract Creek, I started up the trail towards Seattle Park. A grueling climb through the woods brought me to the Cataract Valley camping area, but my work had just begun. Beyond, the climb continued, although the scenery began to change. Before long I was wandering through open meadows split by tumbling streams. I enjoyed a number of small but elegant waterfalls, and even allowed myself a 30-minute break to pick Huckleberries. Although most went into my mouth, I saved some in a ziplock. I thought they’d make a nice addition to pancakes at some point during the next week.

I resumed the climb, passing through more open parks. As I gained elevation, Mount Rainier began to peek out above the surrounding hillsides. Finally I reached an unnamed pass above Spray Park. A minor peak blocks the view of Rainier from here, but an unofficial trail climbs it. I headed that way, looking for a scenic spot for lunch. It was a good choice, as once I crested the ridge, I was treated to an unimpeded view of Mount Rainier high above. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and the vista north along the Cascades was nearly as dramatic. Glacier Peak and snowy Mount Baker loomed in the distance above a vast sea of rugged peaks.

After lunch, I noticed that the trail I’d followed continued ahead, towards The Mountain. Curious, I decided to follow it. I wandered up the path for awhile, before the ridge on my left caught my eye. It wasn’t very high, but it was guarded by a steep slope of large boulders. It occurred to me though that from the ridge, I might get a birds-eye view of the Carbon Glacier. I scrambled up, carefully, and reached the crest a few minutes later. I couldn’t see much from there, so I traversed across the slope to the east. After a couple of minutes, I found what I was looking for. Far below, I spotted the Carbon Glacier spilling down the mountainside. It was a cool view, worth the extra effort to get there.

By the time I returned to my lunch spot, it was almost 3pm. I still had a ways to go, so I gathered my gear and headed back down to the trail. As soon as I reached it, I met a couple of hikers going the other way. It was the first people I’d seen all day, but it wouldn’t be the last. In fact, the last few miles of trail were extremely busy, both with backpackers and dayhikers coming from Mowich Lake.

I hiked down through the meadows of Spray Park, enjoying nearly constant views of Rainier. Huckleberry bushes and late summer flowers provided some color before the fun ended at an abrupt descent into the woods. A punishing downhill followed, as I dropped all the way down to Spray Creek. Here I took a brief side trip over to a view of Spray Falls. I almost skipped it, as I was tired and ready to head out. I’m glad I didn’t though, as Spray Falls is quite impressive. It tumbles over a high cliff, before fanning out in an elegant drop across a broad, mossy rock wall. Lighting conditions weren’t very good, but I attempted some photos anyway. After all, there’s no telling when I’ll get the chance to visit this spot again.

I backtracked to the main trail and headed for Mowich Lake. Oddly, most of the rest of the hike was uphill, which was puzzling after suffering through that incredible descent from Spray Park. I was grumbling about this when I reached another side trail to Eagle Cliff. It was a very short trail, so I decided to give it a quick look. When I reached the overlook, the dramatic view of Mount Rainier made me catch my breath. I’d been looking at The Mountain all day, but from here, it was still a jaw dropping view.

From there, I slogged my way back to Mowich Lake. Once back at the car, I headed down the mountain, bound for Tacoma and the Olympic Peninsula.

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