Wonderland Trail 2010: the "selfie" 3 day hike

I was an early adopter of helmet cams, and was excited to get hold of one of the first Contour 1080P cameras, back when Contour was VHoldR. This whole series was shot at 60fps, and in those days the best quality at this higher frame rate was 720p, which is what this video is authored in. There was an interesting article in the Seattle Times on the Centennial of Mt. Rainier National Park, "100 things to know."

86. Unverified fact: The original selfie stick was a camera mounted to a trekking pole during a 2012 Wonderland Trail expedition.

Well, the selfie stick is credited in the 1980s to Hiroshi Ueda, who worked for Minolta. And assuming they were referencing me, then they were off by two years. But I recently rediscovered these clips and decided to put them together, offering a unique view of the trail. In my recent Wonderland video for #34, I turned the camera on me but once. Times have changed. On another note, my current 3 day transits of the Wonderland are right in line with 12 years ago and even 30 years ago, time wise, so lucky I am! I hope you enjoy! Music by williswall.

Wonderland Trail in 3 Days (#34): Sep 7-9/2022

My annual Wonderland trek is more than just a hike; it's a life event where I immerse myself in the surroundings and go through all the ups and downs (literally), the highs and the lows, the elation and downright pure suffering that comes with such long days. Also, by doing this one particular hike every year I can gauge how my body and mind are coping with advancing age (now 67). This year offered up a full plate; it wasn't as easy as 2021, where I waltzed around with no particular problems. This year I didn't have the hiking resume but thankfully my aerobic fitness was good thanks to lots of cycling. Daily stats are from Strava.

Day 1: Longmire to White River (34 miles/8468' elev) After acquiring a walk up permit the day prior, I started out just before 5 AM on Wednesday heading CCW. Highlights of the day: Reflection Lake early morning with beautiful skies, the usual incredible views from the Cowlitz Divide, with the sublime environment of Ohanapecosh Park in the late afternoon approaching Panhandle Gap. I had prehydrated my dinner and sat just above Summerland to chow down, which is when I discovered I had left my filter somewhere behind. I am doing the Invisalign teeth thing so I'm having to take those in and out whenever I eat, using the filter to rinse frequently. Luckily I had cell service so called my steadfast buddy who would deliver a filter to me at the Fryingpan Creek trailhead at 9 PM. I still felt good enough to actually run from Summerland to the trailhead, arriving at 8:45 with enough time to clean my feet and ready myself for sleep. My buddy arrived right on time and gave me a ride the short distance up to White River, where I threw down my bivy for the night.

Sunset below Panhandle Gap

Day 2: White River to Mowich Lake (31 miles/7,504' elev) In sum, this was not a good day. All night I felt slightly nauseous and got little sleep. I started the climb to Sunrise feeling decidedly unstrong. Finally, I vomited up the prior evening's undigested meal. At Sunrise I was able to eat a little and drink some water, but the rest of the day was playing catch up for my body. The filter was old and put out but a trickle, so I finally decided to fill a bottle with unfiltered water so I could use Tailwind and try to catch up on hydrating. Since I had gone over Spray Park in 2021, I elected to take the lower route and head up to Mowich Lake via Ipsut Pass. This was the lowest point I've experienced in a long time; the trail is downright crappy, steep, brushy and rocky. I was struggling to make the top, with many an epithet spewing forth from my Invisaligned pie hole. Because of the harder day than expected, I could not make my intended destination of the South Mowich River camp, which did not bode well for day 3, the hardest part of the route. I bedded down and dealt with chilly temperatures in my light bivy and 40 degree quilt.

Flowers hanging on in September on the Wonderland Trail

Day 3: Mowich Lake to Longmire (39 miles/8,902' elev) On the trail just after 5 had me feeling more normal; I was finally recovering from the prior day. The climb up to Golden Lakes went well and I felt good the rest of the day, trotting the descents and machine like on the subsequent climbs to Klapatche Park, Emerald Ridge and Indian Henry's. The weather was fine but starting to get some smoke, which thankfully doesn't bother me. Klapatche Park was deserted, and I correctly guessed that most of the night's residents were either not there yet or hanging at St Andrews Lake, since Aurora "Lake" was dry. Sure enough, when I arrived at St Andrews Lake there were a few people scattered around enjoying the environs, including me. I proceeded to soak my feet and splash water on my legs and face. This was a nice pick me up and I departed for the South Puyallup, which came quickly as the trail was ripe for trotting. I had assumed that I would be transiting Emerald Ridge in the dark but got lucky in the timing; I was sans headlamp until departing the ridge. There was just enough light provided by the reflecting mountain. This was also the first time I had seen mountain goats in this area, a special treat. It's these early and late times on the trail that offer up unique experiences every time I go out. We all hike our own hike, but I am not much for camping and prefer to be on trail the majority of the day for these very reasons. I also quite enjoy hiking at night, which on this day proved to be too much enjoyment. I still had to descend to the suspension bridge over Tahoma Creek, climb up to Indian Henry's and descend to cross both Kautz and Pyramid Creeks before dropping down to Longmire. Good thing I am familiar with these areas as crossing at night can be somewhat difficult with lack of clues, cairns or tape. In retrospect I was really glad I didn't have to cross the Carbon at night because that whole area was a mess.

At Rampart Ridge the sign says 2 miles to Longmire, which elicited an "Oh f%$k me" after GPS said I had already done 37 miles, but I finally staggered into the parking lot just past 1 AM. Aside from ultras, this was the longest single day push I had done in quite a few years, but I was glad I was able to pull it off. I am so lucky that my health and mechanics are still going strong as I approach 70, enabling me to hit it hard like 30 years ago. Someday I may have to lengthen my trips...but not today.

The following video is a chronicle of my 34th transit of the Wonderland Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park. As usual I rely heavily on a shoulder mounted GoPro Hero 9 with Max lens for video, and my iPhone 13 for photos and video. My advanced age shows in my methods of composition; one only sees my talking head once in the entire piece, I have no vertical video, and the viewing time is 38 minutes. Enjoy!

Wonderland Trail in 3 Days: Jul 20-22/2021 (#33)

Once again I am thankful to be healthy enough to pull off another 3 day transit of Mt. Rainier’s Wonderland Trail. Most of my past Wonderland hikes have been in the fall, so this circuit in July provided some significant contrasts. The longer days meant I spent most of my trail time sans headlamp, putting in 14-15 hour days. I was able to get 6 hours of rest both nights. The flower show was sometimes astounding, with entire meadows carpeted with avalanche lilies and hillsides bursting with myriad colors. The temperatures were mild but not too cold at night; my minimalist fastpack kit was just right for the conditions. I was fit enough to enjoy less suffering than last year and more time enjoying my surroundings. It had been a while since I did a CCW route, so the views were fresh. I also chose the alternate route over Spray Park, last done in 2015. The climbs and descents were different. Everything about this hike was a delight with the exception of occasional periods of persistent mosquitos, something I avoided in my fall hikes. Another downside: trail maintenance on the west side of the mountain was lacking. I encountered a fair number of blowdowns, some requiring crotch -stretching-bark burning gyrations to get around or under behemoth trees. The South Mowich River crossing was still lacking a bridge, requiring a ford (assisted by a steel cable strung across). With the rivers running higher as the day progressed, this posed a problem for people crossing the river later in the day. I crossed at 5:30 AM with mid shin depth, but one report from 8 PM had the water over the cable.

Avalanche lilies along the Wonderland Trail

For my almost 40 years in the park the stats for the Wonderland have been 93 miles with 22,000’ of climb/descent; this is what I based my days on. However, after tracking with GPS and Strava for a few years, the numbers for myself (and others reported on line) consistently come in higher. My totals were 101 miles with over 25,000’ of climb for the 3 days. I sometimes question the accuracy of Strava but I mention it here for people who are using these tools for tracking. My Strava stats: Day 1: Longmire to White River (CCW)-34.77 miles/8,787’…..Day 2: White River to So. Mowich River Camp-31.64 miles/8,198’…..Day 3: So. Mowich River Camp to Longmire-34.91 miles/8,720’. Adjust accordingly to mitigate surprises.

See my previous blog article for my kit….with food I guestimate 13 pounds. I never needed to carry more than 20 ozs of water, always spiked with Tailwind; the mild temperatures surely helped with this, as there were only a few periods where I was actually sweating. I judge myself to be in decent shape from hiking, biking and skiing. However, my legs were barking at the end of day 1 due to lack of downhill training. Otherwise I had no physical problems. My feet needed no attention and my pack was unnoticeable. Last year in my video of hike #32 I made the statement “maybe these 3 day hikes will become untenable”…. this will surely happen as I get older but I am encouraged by the fact that, at age 66, this was probably my best 3 day hike since the 90’s. For this I am thankful and look forward to next year’s Wonderland Trail Hike #34, whatever form that may take. Happy Hiking!

Mt. Rainier NP: Wonderland Trail hike #32 (9/11-13/2020)

The Wonderland Trail, my old friend, with so many memories associated with it over the years. This year’s hike of the Wonderland, which I count as number 32, was very reminiscent of the series of hikes I did in the 90’s….segmenting each day into approximately 30 milers, although going clockwise getting the meat of the climbs on day 1 (8000’ or so). When starting at Longmire and going clockwise, this means over nighting on day one between Golden Lakes and the North Mowich River camp, then night number two at White River. After so may times doing this hike, each milestone I pass triggers memories of prior hikes. I’ve seen changes over the years, even remembering certain log bridges that have deteriorated, aging naturally as all things do. Could this be my last 3 day Wonderland hike? Make no mistake, covering over 30 miles per day on this trail is strenuous and takes a toll on not just one’s body, but also one’s ability to endure. Maybe not for the trail runners I met along the way, young and fit and covering the same distance each day in many hours less. I had to chuckle thinking that my 17 hour days were what it took the latest FKT runners to do the whole trail. I think there’s something in my makeup that embraces the hardship and difficulties of an endeavor like this, and after just one day of recovery I am already thinking of how I can better prepare for next year’s Wonderland hike #33.

View from Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground, Mt. Rainier

Day 1: Cougar Rock to North Mowich River camp. I started with high hopes of better fitness than in more recent years, having about 300 miles of hiking and 50,000 feet of climbing in August alone, not to mention I have been running during Covid. I started at 5 AM and immediately started down memory lane, coming to the sign at Longmire pointing in each direction. At this point I make a mental note of every river crossing and the changes that have occurred over 35 years, Kautz creek being one example. When I filmed the entire trail in 2012, the river had changed course recently and there was little growth in the plain. Now, alders are 30 feet high and the area is getting choked with underbrush. The bridges I crossed are now discarded, mired in silt and rocks, lonely in their isolation and uselessness. The day progressed with passing all the usual milestones; Devils Dream Camp (just a few campers at 8 AM), Squaw Lake, and the mandatory stop at Indian Henry’s ranger cabin. The rest of the day unfolded with the suspension bridge over Tahoma Creek and transits of Emerald Ridge, the South Puyallup and the climb through St. Andrews Park and some lingering at St. Andrews Lake. Smoke and obscured views would be the norm for this hike. When I stopped at Klapatche Park, it was deserted. Aurora Lake had but a mud puddle in the middle, perhaps refuge for any remaining amphibia. In November last I stood on this lake completely frozen, and I couldn’t help but remember Cassie’s and my transit here at 8 PM some years ago where she was recognized by someone from Chicago. I don’t get that anymore; in past years I would do updates on the Wonderland and almost every year I would get the “Hey, are you Willis Wall?” Now I transit the trail anonymously, and that’s OK with me. On this hike I counted 19 trail runners, more than I have seen over 35 years combined. It’s becoming a thing, I guess, and with the lack of walk up permits this year it’s the only way to do the trail legally without advance permits. Exactly what I did. I did run into a ranger as I was leaving Golden Lakes on Friday night, and we chatted a bit. She told me that the North Mowich River camp wasn’t full and if I needed to stay there (vice going to Mowich Lake) it would be OK. So I did, and when I arrived (after night navigation over the cobbled together Mowich river crossing) the shelter was empty. Perfect for my bivy setup. Plus I had stayed here many times in the past, and nostalgia was in the air.

St. Andrews Lake, Mt. Rainier

Silver Forest, this time with day light

Day 2: North Mowich River camp to White River. I should mention what I had for equipment….I used my Zimmerbuilt custom Big Step pack, a Klymit 3/4 length pad, a Borah Gear Cuben Bivy (4.7 ozs) and a Nunatak 40 degree quilt. I carried the original version of the Zpacks pocket tarp (3 ozs) and some stakes for safety, although the weather forecast over my 3 day hike was for no rain. My go to jacket is an OR hooded Polartech Alpha Ascendant, plus I had spare socks, hat and misc. clothing items. I’m always wearing some iteration of Inov8 trail runners. What with food and and a filled 24 oz water bottle, my total pack weight was somewhere around 10-12 pounds. This light pack weight is one of the key reasons I can pull off this kind of endeavor at my age. So with another 5 AM start, I transited Mowich Lake….fairly full campground, and the most people I had seen. One of the reasons was the supported groups of trail runners all stayed here, and there were some Wonderland backpackers also in the dedicated spots…not my first choice for sure. When I reached Ipsut Pass the smoke was thicker than the day before and views were even more indistinct. I had a nice chat with one of the trail runners (waiting for his 3 partners to catch up) at the junction at 2600’. They passed me somewhere on the climb past the Carbon suspension bridge, not to be seen again. They promised me a beer at White River but I arrived too late to find their van. It’s a long climb up to Mystic Pass from 2600’ to 6000’, but the pain ends with the transition to Moraine Park. Usually there’s a fantastic view of the mountain here, but my namesake Willis Wall, and in fact the whole mountain, was absent in the background. Weird. The rest of the afternoon rolled by with me arriving at Skyscraper Pass while it was still light, yet weirdly eerie with the barest outline of the mountain visible through the smoke and layered vistas. I was alone, Saturday night…in September….transiting the area as it became dark, seeing no one near Sunrise or Sunrise camp. I made my way in the darkness down to White River, once again arriving at 10 PM. Now, my usual place to bivy here is on the side porch of the cabin, but, of course, the entire cabin was cordoned off due to renovations. Right next door, however, was an empty campsite with a nice picnic table and a bear locker. Brings to mind the time I stayed here years ago, on a picnic table, staring up at a blazing star show. I laid out my bivy on the picnic table, putting two rocks on either side. I did not want a recurrence of a few years ago when I fell off a table when orbiting Mt. Baker. Not a good feeling, waking up whist airborne and smashing into the ground in your cocoon. This is one of the reasons I brought the Klymit pad, as it’s wider than the NeoAir and is much harder to roll off. Once the twitchy legs settled down I slept soundly, awaking at 4:30 AM.

Day 2: Mowich Lake, Mt. Rainier

Eerie Mystic Lake in the smoke

Layers from Skyscraper Pass

Day 3: White River to Cougar Rock. There’s a sign advising hikers to use the alternate route down the road vice the log bridge over the White River. I think this is due in part to the fatality this year of the person crossing the Mowich River on a sketchy bridge that was awash on one end (with no handrail). However, I had confidence that the bridge was OK at 5 AM and indeed, was no problem. Most people don’t realize that it was only a matter of some years ago that the log bridge over the Carbon, and the trail paralleling the river to Fryingpan Creek, was built. Wonderland hikers always had to walk down the road, cross the bridge, and then take a short connector trail to the Wonderland (if you’re wondering why that trail is there). I think I discovered this around 2005 when I was filming for my Wonderland DVD. Well, it’s a beautiful manicured trail up to Summerland, and when I arrived there….it was empty. On Sunday morning in the middle of September. When I left I ran into another group of trail runners that I had seen the day before, and we yo-yo’d until sometime after Panhandle Gap…devoid of snow. Soon after they whisked away and were not to be seen again by this old man. Oh, to move like that. The worst part of the day was enduring the incessant down steps to Indian Bar. You better hope your knees are up to the task, even with poles. When I arrived at Indian Bar there was a group of backpackers enjoying the shelter and I chatted with them. They had stayed at Summerland and were heading for Maple Creek, and in fact I saw them the rest of the day. I was having dinner at Maple Creek when they arrived, around 5:30 PM. Guess I wasn’t moving as quickly as I thought I was, with my 10 pound pack vice their 30 pounders. After Maple Creek it was the “Final Fog” of finishing the trail, climbing out of Stevens Canyon. I always underestimate the length and the difficulty of this climb to Reflection Lake….which was deserted….on Sunday afternoon/night in the middle of September. Just unusual. The Fog: watching footing on the descent with a very rooty trail, waiting for the “pipe” to appear signifying the approach to the Nisqually River, feeling the air change as a way of gauging one’s closeness. I had to chuckle crossing the bridge to the Nisqually; there was a mouse on the bridge, trapped by this towering biped. I stepped back and encouraged him to continue on to the safety of terra firma. Reminded me of the time I stepped aside to let a deer pass on the North Puyallup trail. Or the time I had to gingerly pass a bear on the Cowlitz Divide with little room on either side, who was thankfully too engrossed with eating blueberries. Or the time I was sitting on a rock in Moraine Park in mist and was passed, within 10 feet, by an elk and calf. And the time I turned 8 Y/O Cassie around In Spray Park, telling her “look!” as a cinnamon bear ran past us. Why do I come back to the Wonderland after doing it so many times? The memories are etched in my soul to the point it has become part of me. As the years pass I may have to adjust my itineraries, but I can’t imagine not coming back to this trail and this park; until I can’t.

Click Here for the video journal of my 2020 Wonderland Trail hike.

The Green Tarn above Summerland, Mt. Rainier

The Wonderland Trail on Sep 13, 2020

Ohanapecosh Glaciers, above Indian Bar, Mt. Rainier

Mowich Lake Loop 10/24/2015

lenticulars formed in unsettled skies

I had a choice today: go solo and knock off Echo and Observation Rocks at Mt Rainier National Park, completing the points on the Grand Tour. Or enjoying the day with my buddy Craig, who hasn't been out hiking in two years and is recovering from bronchitis. I chose the latter and I'm glad I did, despite the Mowich Lake road imminent closing in a few days, essentially cutting off easy access to this area for this season. I did manage one peak in the process, Fay Peak (6492') on the way to Knapsack Pass, which I practically sprinted up so as not to make Craig wait too long. I also left the trail in lower Spray Park to check out the saddle between Mt Pleasant and Hessong Rock, although climbing either of those peaks would have taken too much time while Craig was waiting. This was a great day overall, mostly from the camaraderie, theme based jokes and banter while enjoying decent weather. The hike was not so strenuous as to bring Craig to tears. His cough subsided as the day wore on, we took plenty of time to linger and shoot pix, the trail on the loop back was downhill and mild, and we made it to my vehicle just as it was getting dark. I've done a bit of solo hiking this year and just getting out with an old friend and inhaling nature's healing vapors was just the ticket. Check out the complete photo set.

This map shows the GPS track over Knapsack Pass via Fay Peak, at just over 5 miles and 3100 feet of elevation gain. The loop was completed on the main trail shown back to Mowich Lake for another 3.5 miles, making this loop a total of 8.5 miles long.

GPS track of Knapsack Pass/Fay Peak portion

Wonderland Trail: West 57 miles

just a ridiculous flower showWhat better way to really do a conditions report on the Wonderland Trail than actually hiking the better portion of it? My June 9/10 clockwise hike from Longmire to Sunrise can be summed up thusly: for snow and general conditions, it's like August. For trail maintenance, it's like June (iow, nada). This is probably the only time I would consider hiking the Wonderland a "wilderness experience" due to the fact that one of the major access points is not open until June 19 (Mowich Lake road) and both crossings over the Mowich Rivers are out. Throw in blowdown and a few eradicated sections of trail, schwacking and log crossing the Mowich rivers, and negotiating some snow at Skyscraper Pass, and the traditional backpackers that come to hike the Wonderland from all over might be discouraged at the moment. Every park I transited above 5000 feet was bursting at the seams with a riot of flowers. Unfortunately, those hiking the trail during the more "normal" season starting in July will probably not enjoy the spectacle I witnessed, but at least the trail crews should have fixed the problems I've mentioned. One thing's for sure, Wonderland hikers coming this summer will enjoy a snow free trail.

This link to a trip report I posted on NWHikers provides some details about the trip, including the difficulties enocountered, along with myriad photos. The photo album can also be viewed on the Willis Wall facebook page. The following video will give the reader a good idea of the August like conditions I experienced and perhaps an incentive for people with a date for the trail.