My two friends and I embarked on the Wonderland Trail on August 6th, and finished on the 16th, of 2005. Along the way, we took many pictures and video, chronicling our trip around Mount Rainier. Every day was beautiful and sunny, and we met people from every walk of life. With this page, I hope to show some of the sights of the trail. It's not called the "Wonderland" by accident.....
Day 4 White River Campground to Summerland
Today, as we know we don’t have a big hike, we start late, and get out of camp around 9:00am. Neat trail that runs along the banks of the White River from camp to Frying Pan creek trailhead, as it winds through old growth.
Then, shortly after hitting the junction with the Frying Pan creek trailhead, the trail widens to freeway proportions!!! Looks like 5 or 6 hikers could walk abreast here! Then, it starts to climb, and after appx. 2000ft of elevation gain, we are in Summerland!
It’s pretty here, and the views are very nice, but after all the hype, and waiting so anxiously for 2 years to get here to see it, it was kind of a let down, I thought. I guess I was just expecting a little more…We got in camp around 12:50pm and we took campsite #2. Very pretty from the site, as it sits on top of a knoll, big views all the way around.
Notice quite a few day hikers wandering through and about Summerland. We see the guys from Oregon again, as they are filling up with water out of Frying Pan creek that runs through the meadow, at the base of the Meany Crest. Nice outhouse here, no stink!! They even have some hand sanitizer mounted inside for all to use…Group shelter is nice, made out of rock, really fits in well with the surroundings.
We nap again around 3 to 4, I always seem to sleep like a baby during these little naps, sleep comes to me easier and more deeply than at night…The fact that we have just finished a hike, and being able to lay down on something soft, and hear the breeze blowing gently through the tent while feeling the warmth of the afternoon sun, probably has a lot to do with it…
Boy, did those noodles taste good!! Couldn’t remember a time when I looked so forward to a bowl of Top Ramen noodles!
Still, as good as the sleep was, I felt as stiff as a board when I woke up, took quite a few minutes after getting up to work the kinks out! We ate at 6:00pm, our routine, but I still felt hungry. Dug into the reserves, eating a package of Top Ramen, and more jerky. Boy, did those noodles taste good!! Couldn’t remember a time when I looked so forward to a bowl of Top Ramen noodles!
We’re only 1 day out from being re-supplied, hope this trek doesn’t become “Dave’s Starvation Diet!” Russ and Ed have left to the creek to get some water for tomorrow’s breakfast, so I’ll be leaving to join them, taking the camera to see if I can get some pictures of the sun going down on the Mountain. In bed by 9:00pm.
2005-08-06