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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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On Wonderland Trail’s centennial, 50 things to know

The Columbian
Published:

TACOMA — It’s arguably Washington’s most famous trail: Ninety-three miles of ups and downs looping around Mount Rainier.

As the Wonderland Trail celebrates its centennial this summer, we offer 50 things hikers ought to know about the trail:

1 — The park finished linking trails in 1915 to form the loop around the mountain in an effort to make patrolling easier for rangers. The Wonderland Trail quickly became popular with hikers.

2 — It was about 1920 when visitors and park staff started referring to the loop as the Wonderland Trail.

3 — The majority of hikers give themselves 10 or more days to finish the Wonderland.

4 — Backpackers are allowed a maximum of 15 days (14 nights) to hike the trail.

5 — The best part of the Wonderland Trail is a nap on the bank of Mystic Lake.

6 — Rainier suspended reservation requests this spring after receiving a record 2,600 backcountry permit requests, a 225 percent increase from pre-2013 averages.

7 — In April, park officials blamed media coverage for the sudden dramatic increase in permit requests.

8 — While reservations for overnight Wonderland trips are suspended, walk-up reservations, which can be secured not earlier than a day before departure, are still available.

9 — The Wonderland has been designated a National Recreation Trail.

10 — The park holds about 30 percent of backcountry space for walk-up permits and distributes them on a first come, first served basis.

11 — If you’re planning ahead to next summer, the permitting process starts March 15.

12 — All permits received March 15-April 1 are treated equally.

13 — If you can’t get a permit, sections of the Wonderland make ideal day trips. Permits aren’t required for day trips.

14 — When in doubt about how long you’ll need for the hike, give yourself extra time.

15 — A loop on the Wonderland means climbing more than 22,000 feet, equivalent to about 2 ½ trips from Paradise to the Summit of Mount Rainier.

16 — Glacier-fed creeks are perfect for soaking tired feet.

17 — The Dick Creek vault toilet has a view even more powerful than its smell.

18 — In 1973, park superintendent Daniel Tobin announced a backcountry management plan that forbade the use of horses and campfires along the trail and required permits for multi-day trips.

19 — The Wonderland offers a vast variety of views of Rainier, some so different it’s hard to believe it’s the same mountain.

20 — Hiking counterclockwise instead of clockwise could slightly increase your odds of scoring a permit.

21 — However, counterclockwise means slightly steeper uphill stretches.

22 — Tami Asars, author of “Hiking the Wonderland Trail” (The Mountaineers Books, $21.95), says clockwise is “the lesser of two evils” and recommends it for newbies.

23 — Whichever direction you go, starting from the White River Campground allows you to get a big climb out of the way while your legs are fresh.

24 — In 2012, Okanogan’s Jason Vaughan reportedly traveled the trail twice, once in each direction, in less than 90 hours.

25 — If you have a friend on the trail, you can deliver an Overload Burger from Elbe’s Scaleburgers to the Longmire Trailhead in less than 30 minutes.

26 — Never cut switchbacks. It might shave a few steps off your hike, but it can damage vegetation and change the way water flows (causing trail damage) when it rains in the area.

27 — The section on the west side of the mountain tends to offer the longest stretches without seeing other hikers.

28 — If you go, don’t skimp on socks.

29 — Focus on hydration as you plan. Make note of water sources along the trail and consider packing electrolyte mix or tablets to add to your water. Also pack a water purification system.

30 — The best part of the Wonderland Trail is eating lunch at the snout of the Carbon Glacier.

31 — A Wonderland permit is $20 for a party of up to 12 people.

32 — Starting your trip on a Friday isn’t recommended. Most people request Friday starting dates increasing competition for permits.

33 — Chances of landing a permit increase later in the season.

34 — Hikers have two route options in the northwest corner of the park: Going high over Spray Park or following Ipsut Creek over Ipsut Pass.

35 — The Spray Park and Ipsut Pass options have about the same mileage, but Spray Park adds more climbing.

36 — The best part of the Wonderland Trail is the berries along the trail.

37 — On Sept. 11, 2003, a former Western Washington University student, Skye Thompson, set what was believed to be a record by completing the trail in 25 hours, 45 minutes. His run was filmed for the 2005 TV documentary “The Wonderland Project.”

38 — The next day, John Stamstad of Seattle ran the trail in 24:01.

39 — Canadian Gary Robbins ran the trail July 1-2 in 18:52 and is believed to be the current record holder.

40 — Local trail runners often complete the trail in three or four days.

41 — Don’t bury toilet paper unless you use the natural kind (moss, grass, pine cones, etc.).

42 — The more you eat the lighter your pack.

43 — Don’t worry, it’s almost impossible to gain weight hiking the Wonderland.

44 — Trekking poles are ideal hiking partners for the Wonderland. A 1999 study in the Journal of Sports Medicine says using poles on 25-degree downhill grade lessens the compressive force on knees 12-25 percent.

45 — The trail was an important tool for monitoring forest fires before park fire lookouts were constructed in the early 1930s.

46 — The best part of the Wonderland Trail is swapping stories with the ranger at the Golden Lakes ranger station.

47 — The lighter your pack, the easier the hike. Scrutinize everything you take.

48 — The smaller your belly, the easier the hike. Definitely get in shape before taking on the Wonderland. There’s no shortage of training trails around Southwest Washington.

49 — Spam tastes better than you’d think after a 14-mile day.

50 —If you have a friend on the trail, you can deliver a Cruiser’s Special from Packwood’s Cruiser’s Pizza to the Box Canyon Trailhead in less than 35 minutes.

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