Backpacking the Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park is a great way to test the thru-hiking waters to see if it’s for you. Joan and I visited Mount Rainier National Park for the first time in 2018, as we were scouting trails for the Pacific Northwest Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. We were awestruck by this […]
Essential Wonderland Trail Resources
If you want to hike the Wonderland Trail, it pays to do your homework. There were a number of resources we used help us plan, prepare, and successfully hike the Wonderland Trail. First up is the wonderful book Hiking the Wonderland Trail by Tami Asars. I used the paperback version as I was researching the […]
Wonderland Trail Day 12: Indian Bar to Maple Creek
Day 12 would start with a foggy climb with no views, then take us plummeting downward 3,805 feet to camp at Maple Creek, our final campsite for the trip. Before we headed out, we took one more look at the ravine at Indian Bar, then started the climb up to Cowlitz Divide. The divide begins […]
Wonderland Trail Day 10: Sunrise to Summerland
For Day 10 on the Wonderland Trail, we returned to double-digit mileage after three short days. Our legs were well rested, and we were looking forward to seeing Summerland. The trail begins by heading along the rum of the canyon, then turns and drops 2,000 feet in two miles to White River Campground. There is […]
Wonderland Trail Day 9: Granite Creek to Sunrise
Day 9 on the Wonderland Trail was our final low mileage day. We would be hiking over scenic Skyscraper Pass, through wildflower-laden Berkeley Park and down to our destination: Sunrise Camp.  Sunrise Camp is about a mile from the Sunrise Information Center, a grill that serves cheeseburgers, a small market, and our final resupply point. We […]
Essential Planning Resources for the High Sierra Trail
Backpacking the High Sierra Trail takes months of planning and preparation, but it’s also a lot of fun. Reviewing the maps, planning your itinerary, plotting your campsites and filling out your gear helps build the anticipation. Here are a few essential resources that will help make your thru-hike on the High Sierra Trail a success. […]
Finishing the High Sierra Trail – Outpost Camp to Whitney Portal
We were in no hurry to get up and do this last 5 miles or so down to the portal – but when you’ve got Whitney hikers coming up all night long with headlamps blasting, you tend to not get the week’s best sleep. We finally got going at 8am and headed down. It’s quite a […]
Hiking the High Sierra Trail – Guitar Lake to Mt Whitney and Outpost Camp
DAY SEVEN on the High Sierra Trail –We decided to get up at 4:30 a.m. and begin hiking between 5:30 and 6 a.m. at sunrise. We had no interest in hiking in the dark and trying for the summit at sunrise – for our first time up, we wanted to see everything. We hit the […]
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