My 6 Day Adventure Hiking The Wonderland Trail-Day 2

The Spray Park Alternate Route

Packing up as quietly as possible so as not to disturb others in camp, we donned our headlamps and started up the forested trail out of Cataract Valley at 4am. Within the hour, we came out into more open terrain and the sky began to slowly brighten and illuminate the trail enough to turn the headlamps off. The mountains were a black contrast against layers of light blue and pink sky with white mist filling the valleys below.

I arrived at Seattle Park in time to see the tip of Mt. Rainier glow pink but she kept hidden behind the mounds of rock and volcanic cones found in this area. I did a little scrambling up a pile of shale hoping to get a better view, but once up a bit and turning around, decided that the view downward was more spectacular. The grey rocks, both smooth and sharp, with trickles of water and clinging green moss were lit by the growing sun.

The trail was a bit easy to lose in this area because the cairns (spray paint) left by the park rangers from when there were still snowfields do not match up with the actual trail. After a little off trail footwork, we made it up and over towards Spray Park. There were views galore; green fields, trail cut through red crumbly rock, lichen of yellow, mountains on all sides.

Seeing a few boulders on the side of the trail to sit on with views of the mountain, we sat down to eat at 7am. I spoke early to the wildlife not being afraid of humans and so I wasn’t surprised while sitting down and enjoying a little nourishment that it wasn’t long before some birds began to gather on the small trees around me. I was surprised, however, when they began to swoop and dive bomb at my head like the Red Baron himself! I had to keep from dropping my crackers (part of their plan, I’m sure) until they realized I wasn’t offering handouts nor going to be startled enough lose my grip.

I am using the Green Trails foldout map for Mount Rainier/Wonderland for this trip and find myself pulling it out often. Not necessarily to find my way on the trail but to identify the many peaks and ridges along our way. This was going to be a 6 glacier day, as well, and it is fun to figure out which one is which as we go along. Ptarmigan Ridge, Mount Pleasant, Mother Mountain, Echo Rock, Observation Rock, Tillicum Point all vie for our attention as our eyes try to take it all in.

Spray Falls

Down the trail from here, shortly before the Eagle’s Roost camping area, there is a short .1 mile side trip to the Spray Falls. I would definitely suggest taking it, one the best falls on the trail in my opinion. Steve stayed at the small foot bridge close to the junction to readjust things in his pack and I continued on to check out the falls (KK had said they were a don’t miss). You have to rock hop across to get the best view and there is a scramble up the side to where the water pools.

I sat there mesmerized for a short while before I realized Steve wasn’t joining me, so I headed back to the junction to check on him. He was having problems with blisters today, so he had applied duct tape and switched shoes to ease the pain. He had also broken one of his hiking poles coming up out of camp, so the day had started out rough. I moved on with him shortly behind me as we passed Eagles Roost, a campsite perched on the slope below the trail, again with campers breaking camp to start hiking the day.

I paused at the Spray Park alternate junction with Mowich Lake for an early lunch, sitting on a large log on the side of the trail. Steve showed up a short time later, full of energy to push on towards North Puyallup River. He had had to stop a few times because he kept discovering his headlamp turned on in his pack. He had purchased one similar to mine that has a “swipe” function rather than a switch and his pack kept swiping the lamp on. He found a better spot for it and was ready to go.

South Mowich River

It was roughly 10:30am at this point and there were streams of day hikers coming up from Mowich Lake towards Spray Falls and Park. There were moms with babies in carriers, parents with teenagers and young groups of fastpackers. We left them behind as we continued on the Wonderland; this next section is not nearly as scenic as the other direction. Steve was on fire and quickly left me behind.

There is not much to say about the section between the Mowich Lake junction and Golden Lakes except a rambling up and down trail of old growth forest with the wide South Mowich River crossing in the middle. It was the craziest river crossing I have seen in a while, as the park has clearly tried to keep up with an ever changing river flow. I found Steve at the crossing, taking a break before the climb up to Golden Lakes.

Passing him and continuing on, I found a river littered with multiple foot bridges at varying locations along with rock hopping to get to the other side. Although the day had started up high with great views, this area was shrouded in the grey mist of low clouds which kept things a bit cooler than direct sunlight would have and lent an eerie monochromatic tone to the crossing.

Golden Lakes

Just before I had arrived at the camp at Golden Lakes, I had come across an older gentleman sitting down on a step in the trail, gathering the energy for his final push into camp. After chatting about my day and where I was headed, he asked me, “How do you do it? You look like you just started!” I told him briefly about how I worked on lightening my load but mostly it was just one step at a time, like him. This is just as much a mental effort as it is a physical. I set my mind to it, and did everything I could to make it happen.

I told him he had just a short distance to go and he would be there. Sometimes it is like a math problem in my head. Only 1.2 miles to go until here. Only 800 feet elevation gain until there (I LOVE my altimeter watch, best investment EVER). I made it to the lake around 3pm, with its quaint patrol cabin and newly arriving hikers filling their water vessels and settling into camp. I found a nice quiet area by the lake to eat an early dinner, soak my feet and dry out my groundcloth from the night before. I rested while I pondered how long to stay before finishing the last (mostly downhill) 5 miles to North Puyallup River.

North Puyallup

Pushing off around 4pm, the trail was littered with lots of berries to motivate me as I moved through Sunset Park, an exposed burn area and then down the terrain to meet the river below. I passed a few hikers slugging up the hill to Golden Lakes and made a young woman’s day by telling her she was within 30 minutes of camp. She was also battling the mental game; hadn’t seen any signs and was feeling that she may have made a wrong turn.

Coming up on the North Puyallup River camp at 6pm, the camp sits on an abandoned road next to the trail both before and after the river crossing. I was greeted by signs that told me the bathroom was on the other side of the bridge. May have missed that detail when planning but it made sense because the camp is butted up against a cliff wall. Having traveled 22.3 miles today and with no concern for which site was the best, I tossed my things in site #1 and ventured down the trail to seek out the privies.

A fellow hiker (a dad hiking with his wife, daughter and 14 year old granddaughter) gave me some short directions as we crossed paths before the bridge. I must say that walking down and stepping foot on the sturdy wood structure across the river as it flows through a 20 foot canyon and looking up, I knew this was going to be one of my favorite campsites on the trail. Even if I had to walk so far to the bathroom! The water rushes down over large boulders below towering unnamed peaks and old stone walls line the sides from a long ago viewing point when cars could drive up here. It was breathtaking.

On the other side, you can go up to the left for another view point or go right for a choice of three trails. The one on the left is where you come down from the Wonderland clockwise, the one in the middle is the old road and toilet location (this is also the North Puyallup River Trail) and on the right along where folks must have parked their cars in the past is the group site.

Of course, it took me several tries to figure this out because it doesn’t say toilet until you have headed down the old road in the middle. I was also distracted by the two black metal barrels lined with red biohazard bags labeled, “Human Waste”, that were set off next to the viewing point. The toilets here are the big brown plastic ones with no sides.

When I crossed back over to go and set up my tent, I noticed underneath the wide, solid log bridge with handrails, an abandoned single log foot bridge hanging across the canyon. I stared in amazement at the thought that this may have once been the way to cross over this river. All I could think of was that scene in the movie Splash, where Tom Hanks is sitting in the tiny row boat and says, “The little boat???” to the man as he swims away. Except in my version it is, “The little bridge???”

I also noticed a stream just after the bridge toward camp that had a good flow versus the rather stagnant water sources closer to camp. I filled up my water bottles and walked back up to camp where I set up, gave myself a bandanna bath, and changed into my sleep clothes. Only one other hiker made this stop for tonight.

The river’s roaring echo still called to me, so I brought my food bag and sit pad back down to the water to soak my feet in its briskness and resorted my food and garbage to be more efficient the next day. What a wonderful way to spend the evening, with the sun lighting up the peaks above me with color.

Steve arrived about 7:30 and set up his camp, we hung our food and congratulated each other for finishing what would be our longest day. Too tired for much else, we went to sleep with plans of a 6am departure (only 16 miles tomorrow!).