Sunday, September 8
Wonderland Trail Day #5
Start: Yellowstone Cliffs
via Sunrise Visitor Center
Stop: Sunrise Camp
17.20 miles
4,945′ ascent
3,878′ descent
Just as I was going to bed I try to clear my stuffy nose. Either because of the smoke or trail dust or other outdoor factors, my nose has been so congested. I give my nose a good blow which starts a significant nose bleed. I grab my handkerchief and lay down while pinching the bridge of my nose. I can feel the blood pouring down the back of my throat. It eventually clots and I try to fold up my handkerchief in a way that best hides all the blood.
After I fall asleep I awake to a rustling at my backpack which is just outside my tent door. I always place things in a specific way just outside my tent door. I’ve got my trekking poles ready to use as defense with the straps closest to me. The pole straps get saturated with sweat and I don’t want any mice or deer eating them for the salt. Then I have my umbrella right next to my poles, also ready for defense. I have any full water bottles lying there. And finally, my shoes with my backpack over the top of everything.
I reach out and shake my backpack with the hopes of scaring off whatever rodent is out there. I lay there listening for a little while but hear the rustling again. This time I grab my headlamp, sit up, unzip my tent and poke my head out. I find a tiny little mouse trapped inside the outer mesh of my backpack. Nooooo…..don’t eat a hole! I help my little friend escape and silence returns to camp.
A few hours later I awake to a very loud noise approaching and crossing the small creek at camp. Headlamp, sit up, unzip tent, poke out head and relief that it’s just my deer friends. A few hours later, my sleep is shattered by the thunderous crashing of what sounds like a massive rock fall. It sounds so close that I imagine the rocks will crush me at any second. Eventually silence returns except for a few rocks that are still moving down the talus pile. I start to imagine that it was a bear that started the rock fall and I’m sure that any minute now it will arrive in camp.
I eventually fall back asleep until hints of dawn start to brighten the sky. Phew, I made it through the night! I give myself an extra half hour of sleep and rustle to life just after 6 am.
I’m on trail by 7 am and retrace my steps back to the main Northern Loop Trail. The trail climbs gradually before starting to switchback up. I look back at my solo camp for the night which is the slight opening near the middle of the above picture. Not surprising, the trail is a deer super highway and their tracks are everywhere.
I climb briefly through the forest before topping out just before Windy Gap. I haven’t forgotten how yesterdays father son team told me about all the bears around Windy Gap. I hike along the alpine ridge and past small lakes calling out my usual “Hey bear, it’s me Lionheart.” The smoke is thick and the early morning sun is glowing pinkish-red.
Right on cue, there is a bear at Windy Gap muchin’ down on huckleberries. “Hey bear, it’s me Lionheart. Hey bear, it’s me Lionheart.” I walk off trail and uphill from the bear as it looks up briefly to check on me. I circle around and bear friend circles around and we soon pass each other.
Just as I start my descent, there’s a signed junction to go see the natural bridge. Dang, 1.6 miles roundtrip is too far to go check that out. I’ve gotta keep moving in hopes of making it to the Sunrise Visitor’s Center today. I drop back into the forest and I’m able to make good time on the nice trail. Following a short breakfast stop, I meet two guys who want to know if I’ve seen the seven bears of Windy Gap.
After descending nearly 1,000 ft. I stop at Van Horn Creek and load up on ice cold water. The rest of the descent and subsequent climb are dry and I don’t want chalky water from the West Fork of the White River. I reach a signed junction that points to James Camp. I fork in the opposite direction and within a tenth of a mile, I arrive at the bank of Lake James. Well, this is not where I want to be so I head back to the junction. I check the far out app and confirm that I’m now headed in the right direction.
As I get closer to the end of the 2,400 ft. descent I meet an older couple. We share where we each started the day and the woman tries to explain about the river crossing ahead. She describes a single bridge but says not to take it. In about the same area, there’s two bridges and those are the ones. She even tries to draw it on the ground for me. Meanwhile, the husband has disappeared up the trail. It all seems a bit confusing but maybe it will make sense when I get there. Just after the couple I meet a young guy who says he started at Sunrise camp and would finish there. So, he’s running the Northern Loop/Wonderland in one day.
I approach the roar of the West Fork of the White River. I hit one little bridge and then have to find my way through dried river channel. The path is not super obvious but I look for foot prints or flags. I weave around and then find a notice from July warning of the dangerous crossing. I follow the river channel a little farther downstream as the path takes a sharp left turn. Slightly hidden behind tree foliage is a large fallen tree sticking out and I catch my left knee on it. I stop immediately whimpering and doubled over in pain. I stay like this for the next minute. I’ve only slightly broken the skin and the pain is diminishing so I’m on my way again. (Now, 2.5 weeks later it’s still black and blue and a bit tender.)
I see one long log bridge and look around to make sense of the directions given to me. I cannot figure out what that lady was trying to tell me. I take the long log and then cross some loose logs that connect to another log bridge. As I near the end of the log bridge, I can see two hikers coming my direction. I hop off the log bridge into the trees and greet them. They don’t say a word. I follow a path through the forest that just kind of ends. I think about how I was able to see them when I was on the bridge. I wouldn’t have been able to see them if this was the right path. I retrace my steps and follow another path that heads back out to the braided stream. I head upstream, now on an obvious path which again seems to just end. I look around for cairns and find an almost hidden log bridge to my left. I add a rock to a stump at my side that might assist future hikers. One more bridge and I’m back in the forest. Now having completed the whole crossing I replay what the lady told me. Still, none clue.
The trail tread is pleasant as I follow the gradual gradient up river. Just before the switchbacks start, I stop for second breakfast. I shovel in an energy bar, finish off my chocolate coffee and suck down some electrolyte water. The squirrels are busy with their winter preparations dropping cones from the trees. But one stops long enough to pose and give me a quick hello. The gradient of the switchbacks is favorable and I’m able to make good time. As I pass the junction with Fire Creek Camp, the trail steepens and I’m forced to slow my pace. I climb for almost two more miles and I’m grateful to see the light coming through the trees. After about 2,500 ft. of climbing, I finally pop out of the forest at what should be a spectacular view of Tahoma and the White River. But she is virtually hidden by all the smoke. There’s a few day hikers there on a rock taking in the non view. I say hi to them but they don’t respond.
I push ahead on the flat trail and look at my watch. It’s almost 1 pm and I still have 5.5-6 miles to make it to the Sunrise Visitor Center before they close at 5 pm. If I’m lucky, my Wonderland pace is 2 mph. I opt for a quick break instead of a longer lunch. Throw down another bar and more electrolyte water and I’m on my way. Seemingly out of place, the Grand Park is a large flat meadow with the Lake Eleanor Trail headed through it.
The trail descends into Berkeley Park which is a lush and beautiful area. Lots of Cascade Asters, Broadleaf Lupine and the rushing Lodi Creek. It’s 2 pm and the 11 miles, 3,900 ft. gain, and 3,400 ft. loss are starting to catch up with me. I drag myself along as the trail starts climbing back towards the Wonderland Trail. I meet several hiker groups who bounce by smelling of laundry detergent. One young group stops in the trail but doesn’t give me space to pass so I’m forced to yield. I cross a little tributary and decide to stop and get some water. I lay my bottle into the ice cold water and it instantly freezes my hand. I suck it down and it’s so refreshing. I decide to fill up my other bottle and then I’m on my way.
I tiredly look up and can see that the trail will circle around the giant bowl in front me. Suddenly, there is a large animal that scurries across the trail and into a giant hole. Another one runs past and it seems like it is following me uphill through the forest. The Hoary Marmots are everywhere! And I’ve been wondering when I would finally get to see them. They whistle like pika but their call is much louder and sustained. Marmot whistles ring out high and low from the bowl. The marmots of Washington are much darker than those in California.
It’s about 3pm when I finally rejoin the Wonderland Trail. And I’m still climbing. I hike almost a mile to a trail junction and tourist central. There are people everywhere and it’s a bit of a shock to the system. I take about five minutes at the junction to decide which direction I should go. It’s .9 miles downhill to Sunrise Camp. I’ve got a picture of a map that shows some kind of connector between the Wonderland Trail and Sunrise Visitor Center. I decide it’s best to stay high and maybe I can use that connector to get back to camp.
I steam out at full speed ahead on the Sourdough Ridge Trail zipping by tourists and blocking their squirrel pictures. Everyone is getting their smokey selfies. I roll into Sunrise at about 4pm and a ranger immediately stops me. I assume the ranger is going to ask me for my permit but he asks me where I started today. He’s happy to hear that I’ve been on the Northern Loop and asks me if I saw two hikers in distress. I quickly replay all the hikers I saw and spoke to and none of them seemed distressed or had asked for help. He thanks me and then I beeline straight to the gift shop/cafe.
The parking lot and visitor center is grand central and teeming with people. I would leave my backpack outside but the balcony area is full of people. I find a spot inside and grab a shopping basket. First of all, the cafe is closed down for the season. Next, the coolers are virtually empty. Guess they start to shut everything down after Labor Day. At first I’m trying to find prices for things but then realize that it doesn’t matter. I pick up a package of fiorucci hard salami cranberry mozzarella, two small bags of fritos, four nature valley peanut butter bars, king size snickers, king size payday, sharing size peanut m&m’s, blue diamond smokehouse almonds, and an ice cold mug root beer. I pay $31.54 for my resupply. The cashier asks me if I want a bag because she’s worried that I don’t want to carry it. But I confirm that I definitely want the bag as a souvenir for my $31.54!
I do a quick walk through of the visitor center and then find a table outside to sort my resupply. The fiorucci salami cheese cranberry ‘cigars’ have a lot of packaging so I eat them on the spot. OMG so good! I toy with the idea of going back for more. I pop open the mug root beer and let it sizzle down my throat. I open the bags of fritos and dump them into the good crisps can I’ve been using to hold my chips. I dump the can of almonds into my mixed bag of almonds, craisins and pretzels. I try a few and yum! So much flavor and salt! I empty out my ziploc trash bag into the fritos bags. The remaining snacks I dump into my 5-gallon paint strainer food bag. I neatly fold the blue Mt. Rainier souvenir bag and place it into my backpack on top of my clothes. Then the food bag goes in and I’m ready to roll. I’m so focused on the task at hand that I forget to take any pictures. But here’s a few from the internet.
I dump my trash and recycle and then hit up the bathroom. I decide that it’s best not to ask which is the shortest distance to Sunrise Camp. When I had been high on the Sourdough Ridge Trail I could see people walking on a road. And I feel like this road is my most direct route and will take me close to the Wonderland Trail. I reach the edge of the parking lot and find the ‘service road.’ The Wonderland Trail signage points in the opposite direction. So I feel like I’m sneaking down the service road even though there are other tourists walking on it. I’m ready to bushwhack if necessary because the far out app doesn’t show the road connecting to anything. I’m relieved when I approach the end of the road and see an official junction with the Wonderland Trail. Just .4 miles to Sunrise Camp. Yesss!
At the junction and minutes before 5 pm, two hikers approach me whom I recognize from Eagle’s Roost Camp. I confirm that I’ve just come from the store and that it closes at 5 pm. The guy was hoping to get a beer. There were actually a few still left in the cooler. For some reason, they want additional snacks even though they have a resupply 3 miles down the trail at White River Camp. We walk the short distance to Sunrise Camp together while they tell me about being nurses. They also talk about needing to get water down the trail at Shadow Lake. Dang, I didn’t even think about double checking while I was at the visitors center and had access to water.
It seems as if everyone is already in camp. Spot 2/3 is still available. It takes me a while to figure out that spot 2 is like two campsites and site 3 is very tiny and tilted. I take spot 2 because it has the best seating. I’m kinda dazed from the day and fumble around my campsite. But I do get everything set up before 6 pm. Two young hikers roll in and set their packs down in site 3 without saying anything to me. After being gone for a few minutes, they return, pick up their packs and walk off. Guess they found somewhere else to camp. Works for me! Mostly, the campsites are well hidden from each other. Site 3 is empty and I can only kind of see one other camp. But several times I can hear someone using an electric pump for their air mattress. Makes me laugh because of the stark difference from last night’s Yellowstone Cliffs Camp!
I decide that I have enough water to make it through the night. You know me and lake water. Thank goodness for my fill up on the climb out of Berkeley Camp! I can collect water early in the morning and make my coffee then. Now it’s time for dinner. I eat and I eat. Fritos, smokey almonds, energy bars and the whole sharing size of m&m’s. It’s 8 pm and I’m ready to sleep for I have a long day tomorrow.
Journey Return 