THE WONDERLAND TRAIL DAY 2 :: MT. RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, WA :: We were still in good spirits as we began our second day on The Wonderland Trail, although the mood was dampened a bit by the wet and heavy fog. The trek to Klapatche Park was misty, rainy and cold, but also thrilling and beautiful. From Golden Lakes, we climbed to a wide, grassy hilltop speared by the silver trunks of dead, skeletal trees. In the thick fog, we paused to admire this stark scene. Jacob was inspired to dance.
A long descent through thick forests brought us to a crossing at North Puyallup River, which cascades and plunges down the Mountain in a series of impressive waterfalls. After a brief break, we ascended the steep climb to Klapatche Park, made worse by the fields of snow still present across the bare slopes and nearly vertical gullies. The route was easy to find, thanks to the prints of hikers before us, mostly coming from the opposite, easier direction. The snow made the rain more miserable and slowed us down, but it was actually perfect for hiking through. Perhaps a week earlier, it would have been too icy for our boots. A week later, it would have been too punchy.
We finally reached Klapatche Park and Aurora Lake, still socked in by the fog. We setup camp and tried our best to dry our soaking wet clothes and stay warm. Most of the Wonderland’s campsites forbid fires, so this was especially difficult. We took turns taking shots of David’s foul grog and entertained ourselves with a game Jacob and Jayson invented. Taking turns, we came up with original insults beginning with the next letter in the alphabet. After going through the alphabet several times, I was told my lips were turning blue. It was time to crawl into my bag and take a nap.
Fortunately, the clouds started to break as we all hibernated in our tents. Patches of blue sky started to appear and we sought shafts of sunlight to bask in. Across the lake and through the trees, we took notice of some interesting rock formations on the other side of the ravine. We thought they resembled the monoliths in Yosemite and excitedly began shooting photos of them. Unknown to us was that behind the higher clouds, Mt. Rainier was looming a full vertical mile directly above these “monoliths”. They were soon dwarfed as the Mountain broke through its shroud. We were awed that something so large and so close could be so hidden.
The view of Rainier reflecting in Aurora Lake was quite a sight, and I swear, the reconstituted beef stroganoff I had for dinner was one of the best tasting and most satisfying meals I have ever savored. Finally, I was warm again. I just needed some food – something I was beginning to realize I hadn’t packed enough of. Studying the calorie content of my beef jerky, gorp, chocolate bars and dehydrated meals, I realized I barely had 2500 calories per day. The problem was, I was easily going to burn through at least 5000 per day, perhaps much more.
A long descent through thick forests brought us to a crossing at North Puyallup River, which cascades and plunges down the Mountain in a series of impressive waterfalls. After a brief break, we ascended the steep climb to Klapatche Park, made worse by the fields of snow still present across the bare slopes and nearly vertical gullies. The route was easy to find, thanks to the prints of hikers before us, mostly coming from the opposite, easier direction. The snow made the rain more miserable and slowed us down, but it was actually perfect for hiking through. Perhaps a week earlier, it would have been too icy for our boots. A week later, it would have been too punchy.
We finally reached Klapatche Park and Aurora Lake, still socked in by the fog. We setup camp and tried our best to dry our soaking wet clothes and stay warm. Most of the Wonderland’s campsites forbid fires, so this was especially difficult. We took turns taking shots of David’s foul grog and entertained ourselves with a game Jacob and Jayson invented. Taking turns, we came up with original insults beginning with the next letter in the alphabet. After going through the alphabet several times, I was told my lips were turning blue. It was time to crawl into my bag and take a nap.
Fortunately, the clouds started to break as we all hibernated in our tents. Patches of blue sky started to appear and we sought shafts of sunlight to bask in. Across the lake and through the trees, we took notice of some interesting rock formations on the other side of the ravine. We thought they resembled the monoliths in Yosemite and excitedly began shooting photos of them. Unknown to us was that behind the higher clouds, Mt. Rainier was looming a full vertical mile directly above these “monoliths”. They were soon dwarfed as the Mountain broke through its shroud. We were awed that something so large and so close could be so hidden.
The view of Rainier reflecting in Aurora Lake was quite a sight, and I swear, the reconstituted beef stroganoff I had for dinner was one of the best tasting and most satisfying meals I have ever savored. Finally, I was warm again. I just needed some food – something I was beginning to realize I hadn’t packed enough of. Studying the calorie content of my beef jerky, gorp, chocolate bars and dehydrated meals, I realized I barely had 2500 calories per day. The problem was, I was easily going to burn through at least 5000 per day, perhaps much more.
Nice pics! I think next time we pack jars of peanut butter…
Wonderful clarity and pictures. Need to get me one of those UltraWides sometime. Can’t wait for the third day’s set.