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Wonderland Trail Day 11: Summerland to Indian Bar

August 15, 2019 By Jeff Hester Leave a Comment

Two of the most-wanted camps on the Wonderland Trail are Summerland and Indian Bar. They lie just five miles apart. And our itinerary included both of them.

Day 11: Indian Bar
Distance: 5 miles
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation +/-: 874’/2,002′
The sunrise from our camp at Summerland was a spectacular send off for the day. We’d be climbing 874′ to the highest point on the Wonderland Trail: 6,750′ high Panhandle Gap.

The climb was just over a mile and steep.

Sunrise at Summerland Camp

Sunrise at Summerland

This section of the trail is above the timberline and the scenery very different from most of the Wonderland Trail. There are creek crossings, snow fields, and aquamarine tarns that reminded me of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Climbing to Panhandle Gap
Climbing to Panhandle Gap
Bridge below Panhandle Gap
Water crossing
Snowy patch approaching Panhandle Gap on the Wonderland Trail
Snowfield near the gap

We stopped at Panhandle Gap for a break, where the wind whipped at us, forcing us to head just downhill where we were partially sheltered.

View North from Panhandle Gap on the Wonderland Trail

Looking north from Panhandle Gap

View south from Panhandle Gap on the Wonderland Trail

Looking south from Panhandle Gap

From the gap, the trail does a bit of roller-coaster routine for the next two miles, finally reaching a ridgeline which begins the descent. The final 1.5 miles drops 1,600 feet, and you can actually pick out the Indian Bar shelter from far away.

Indian Bar in the distance

Can you spot the shelter at Indian Bar beyond the ridge?

We had a warm, bluebird day and meadows filled with wildflowers as we descended into the canyon.

Wildflowers and Derek above Indian Bar on the Wonderland Trail

We had the group site in Indian Bar as well–the nicest shelter yet! This one actually had wooden platform bunk beds. The hike took us just over three hours, leaving us plenty of time to soak our feet in the cold water of the Ohanapecosh River.

Indian Bar Shelter
Soaking my feet at Indian Bar
Inside the Indian Bar Shelter
Inside the Indian Bar Shelter

Our next camp would at Maple Creek, and our final night on the Wonderland Trail. At this point, I admit I was starting to look forward to celebrating the completion with a pizza and beer.

Summerland to Indian Bar Trail Map and Elevation Profile

© OpenStreetMap contributors
Download

Originally hiked on August 15, 2019 with Derek and Jason.

Back to Day 10  |  Continue to Day 12, Indian Bar to Maple Creek

Related

Filed Under: Trail Guides, Wonderland Trail Tagged With: Backpacking, Mount Rainier National Park, strenuous, Washington, Wonderland Trail

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Jeff H

About Jeff Hester

I'm an avid hiker and backpacker. My wife Joan and I are on the trails every weekend. I started SoCal Hiker to share my passion for outdoor adventure.

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Planning Your Wonderland Trail Hike

  • Overview of the Wonderland Trail
  • Essential Wonderland Trail Resources
  • Wonderland Trail Discussion Forum
  • Mushrooms of the Wonderland Trail

Day-By-Day on the Wonderland Trail

Longmire to Mowich Lake

  • Day 1: Devil’s Dream
  • Day 2: North Puyallup River
  • Day 3: Golden Lakes
  • Day 4: South Mowich River
  • Day 5: Mowich Lake (Eagle’s Roost)


Mowich Lake to Sunrise

  • Day 6: Dick Creek
  • Day 7: Mystic Camp
  • Day 8: Granite Creek
  • Day 9: Sunrise


Sunrise to Longmire

  • Day 10: Summerland
  • Day 11: Indian Bar
  • Day 12: Maple Creek
  • Day 13: Longmire

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