The Wonderland Trail close to Mt Rainier. Photograph: Alamy Length 93 milesRoute A circuit around Mount Rainier, Washington, giving views of all sides of the Cascades highest volcanoBy Peter Potterfield
Rising from its lowland valleys like a vision, 4,392-metre Mount Rainier is the highest of all the snow-clad volcanoes of the Cascade Range. And the 93-mile Wonderland trail offers a truly intimate connection with Rainier, as the route makes a complete circuit of this magic mountain through the moody, rugged wilderness at its feet.
The simple desire to climb Rainier was the very thing that brought me to the Pacific Northwest decades ago. There I was, puking on the summit with the other pilgrims who had climbed too high, too fast. Only later did I realise that time spent in the backcountry around the mountain can be even more rewarding. The allure here is the tremendous variety of terrain, which makes for fascinating backcountry travel.
To hike all 93 miles of the Wonderland, a designated Recreation Trail, is to take in all the majestic nuances of Mount Rainiers domain. The 360-degree view of the mountain, under volatile weather and changing light, is reason enough to come. The cathedral-like ancient forests of Douglas fir and western hemlock, the expanses of lovely alpine meadows (locally called parks), the high volcanic ridges, and the 35 cubic miles of ice draping the rocky flanks of the mountain all combine for a landscape unique in the lower 48 states. At high points along the route, such as Panhandle Gap, the hiker is taken deep into the alpine zone, into the realm of ice and snow far above the trees.
Just be prepared to do a little work. Distinctive radial ridges called cleavers reach from high on Rainier right into the surrounding backcountry. These ridges create serious topography, a successive series of obstructing ridgelines above valleys deeply dug by raging glacial torrents. These require multiple climbs above 2,000 metres from deep green valleys, taking the hiker into a high, austere wilderness of ice and rock. Going up and over these ridges means the backcountry traveller who makes a complete circuit gains more than 6,000 metres of elevation in those 93 miles.
Not everyone has the time or inclination to hike for months on the longer-distance trails. In my opinion, shorter trails such as the Wonderland bring the biggest reward for time and effort applied.
Most hikers set out from the village of Longmire and do the Wonderland in 12-14 days, a period that allows for a relaxed pace, time to appreciate the scenery, and a rain day or two. You can do all in a single push, or in sections over several seasons even over a decade in two- or three-day stints. The trail is usually hikable from mid-July through September, but depending on the previous winters snowfall, trails above 1,800 metres may be covered in snow into August.
For a day-by-day, camp-by-camp description of the Wonderland trail, including exit points, supply strategies and maps, see Classic Hikes of the World (Norton, 28.99). For more information on permits and trail conditions, see nps.gov/mora.
Peter Potterfield is the author of Classic Hikes of North America and Classic Hikes of the World
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