Journey Return

Tuesday, September 10
Wonderland Trail Day #7
Start: Nickel Creek
Stop: Longmire 
14.46 mi
2,662′ ascent
3,430′ descent 

When I went to bed, the moon was rising and shining brightly. And for some reason, the group camp folks were up late walking back and forth with their headlamps lighting up the forest. I awake before my 5:30 am watch alarm and I can hear another hiker rustling. Usually I can see stars through my tent mesh but no matter how hard I try, I can only see darkness. Seven days ago the forecast showed a chance of rain for today. I pack my sleeping bag and clothes inside the waterproof trash compactor bag that’s been at the bottom of my backpack for the last week.

It’s still dark and I follow a little trail through the forest to a toilet with no sides. I send my fax, and then head over to the food pole only to find that the group has blocked in my food bag. I struggle but eventually manage to move the ridiculously heavy food bag to another bar.

I’m on trail by 6:30 am and feeling pretty good. My left quad is ok and the forest trail tread is fairly chill. As the light starts to push through the canopy, I can’t tell if it is cloudy or maybe foggy. It’s about one mile to the silent Box Canyon trailhead where I find a notice about the washed out trail ahead. I look at it briefly but it doesn’t make much sense. I’ve got miles to make so I push on. A sign on the bridge over the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz RIver lists the depth from the top of Box Canyon to the water surface as 115 ft.

I hike along, battling through endless cobwebs. I come to a giant tree across the trail and the only way forward is to shimmy under it. Since I have to take my backpack off anyway, I stop for a peanut butter bar, chips and mocha breakfast break.

I cross over Steven’s Creek before meeting a group of guys who tell me about the washed out trail. They scrambled up the rocks and I tuck that info away just in case it makes sense later. Showing off his gaiters, the guy in the lead asks me and I confirm that I’m wearing dirty girls too.

The trail treads uphill along Steven’s Creek as my left quad starts to hurt. The challenging overgrown and rocky trail doesn’t help matters. I take a standing break while eating a bar and taking my daily morning meds and a large dose of vitamin I (Ibuprofen). My quad is fully starting to seize now and hiking normally is virtually impossible. The only thing that stops the seizing is to stretch it out. And if I can keep my leg straight then my quad won’t clench into a ball.

I reach the washed out trail and detour about 9:30 am just as the fog is starting to clear. There’s sorta a trail that’s been slashed into the hillside which descends straight down to the river bed. I make it down without landing at a heap at the bottom and then see a red flag ahead. From there I follow rock cairns and start to weave my way up through the rocky bed of Steven’s Creek. I can hear Steven’s Canyon Road traffic high above me on the opposite side of the creek.

The photo on the left is looking up at the start of the debris slide. The trail, which was high on this river bank, is completely gone. The detour takes you down close to the nearly clear Steven’s Creek (right photo).

I limp along following cairns until I see flags leading me away from the creek channel. I arrive at a giant talus pile (pictured above) and just stand there. Sure enough, a faint trail emerges switchbacking straight up the rock pile. Now the detour notice makes a whole lot more sense. I slowly make my way up the talus pile and quickly move off rocks that shift under my feet. As I near my reunion with the Wonderland Trail, I can finally see Tahoma shining brightly.

I shuffle along for another 15 minutes before collapsing into a sitting break at the cascading waterfall of Unicorn Creek. I consume my king size payday and the rest of my mocha. I collect water and add some electrolytes. It’s about 10:30 am, and even though I covered quick early miles, I’m only at six miles for the day. I’ve still got at least eight miles to get to Longmire.

I climb the stairs out of Unicorn Creek and soon meet two Dutch hikers who pepper me with questions about the detour. Given the obvious language barrier, I explain multiple times about descending the talus pile and then following the rock cairns. They are scared and I try to reassure them.

I keep climbing and I can hear that I’m approaching a road. The detour sign is posted there as well and now I see that Alternate A was to walk the road or hitchhike. I’m not sure why I didn’t notice that before. Given my current state, that would have been a whole lot easier. But I was feeling fine at Box Canyon and in hindsight, I wouldn’t have considered it.

At the road’s edge I use some large rocks to lean on and stretch out my left thigh. This forces the spasm to stop and I can walk fairly easily across the pavement. The trail heads up and away from the road and my muscle is immediately clenching again. I try to walk through it but the pain is crippling. And the Ibuprofen has not helped in the slightest. The only way forward is to try to keep the muscle from spasming. I try all sorts of different ways of walking and nothing is very successful.

I drag myself up the trail where I catch up with a Sooty Grouse. Ironically, this grouse has a bit of a limp too. We shuffle up the trail together for quite a distance before she finally veers off the side.

The trail tops out near the road and follows at its edge around a large bend. It bends back into the forest and I cross high over Sunbeam Creek. The trail emerges back onto the road’s edge. I stretch out my quad and get it to stop spasming. I walk along the pavement being ever so careful not to reactivate the spasm. I pretend to walk along like all is well and normal. Unfortunately, Tahoma is hiding behind clouds and is unavailable for reflection at Reflection Lakes. There are lots of tourists in cars who get out for selfies and pictures. Some people are enjoying snacks atop the rock wall and I walk by seemingly unnoticed.

I stop for a moment to check the map. The trail dips away from the road towards the lake but quickly returns to the road. So I opt to keep walking on the flat road where I can almost walk normally. I consider sticking with the road but it looks like it’s probably longer than the trail. I also contemplate asking for a ride to Longmire but damn it, I’m so close. It’s just after noon and I should have about another 6 miles.

As the trail descends away from the road I see a few day hikers coming my way. Nothing to see here – just a person walking totally normal. I descend over a mile until I’m at a signed junction for Narada Falls. I want to check it out but change my mind after the trail starts to climb away from Wonderland.

The descending trail becomes just giant steps and I consciously put my right foot on the top of the step and then lower my straightened left leg down. I let my left leg land on the ground with a jolting force. It feels pretty good so I keep doing it. I don’t know if this does the trick or if my muscle spasm has finally exhausted itself, but it seems to stop.

Since this area is so close to tourist centers, the trail is highly manicured and pretty flat. I proceed with caution terrified that I will take one wrong step and reactivate the spasm. I can reduce the trail gradient by walking slightly sideways. So as I walk downhill, I also move to my right. And when I run out of trail I move back to my left.

I pass the trail junction to Paradise River and then take a peak at Carter Falls. There are many day hikers in this area since it’s not too far from a trailhead. I have about 3 miles until Longmire, so I just keep moving forward and convincing myself that I can do this. It’s 2pm and I’m shocked to see what appears to be a black snake crossing the trail. It quickly slithers off the trail and out of sight and I have no clue what kind it is.

I follow the Paradise River down for another mile until I cross a log bridge of the Nisqually River. I walk for another 40 minutes with Nisqually rushing to my left. When I hit the junction to Longmire I am nearly in tears. The day’s exertions bubble up and I am so amazed and grateful that I managed to make it. It’s 2:55 pm, almost exactly 6 full days or 145 hours since I left Longmire. Time for a trail sign selfie and Rainier beer to toast the moment.

First order of business is to check on my truck which thankfully is still there and in one piece. Then, with all my trail dirt and stink, I hit up the gift shop. They only have one thing that specifically mentions the Wonderland Trail. Next I head over to the Longmire Inn with hopes of sipping a beer on their Tahoma-viewing balcony. But they don’t start service until 4:30 pm so I opt to get a really expensive beer out of their lobby cooler. I head back over to the Wilderness Information Center to thank the rangers and to use their WiFi. Perhaps not totally kosher, I sip my lite Rainier beer on a wooden bench while sending out a few messages.

Okay, it’s time to find somewhere to stay tonight. Anything in the close vicinity is way too expensive. I decide to head back to I5 and get a bit south to be closer to Mt. St. Helens (Loowit). At the junction of Highways 12 and 7 is the tiny town of Morton. I spot a grocery store and decide I need to get some salad. I wander around kind of dazed and pick up two salad bowls that even come with chips. I return to the parking lot and google the pizza place I saw down the road. But they are closed today. Across the street looks like a walk-up burger joint and that will do. I order a cheeseburger basket. Not sure why I didn’t get like a double cheeseburger or a bacon cheeseburger or the biggest burger they sell. Seated in the cab of my truck and still wearing my stinky hiking clothes, I inhale the best fuckin’ food ever.

I point my truck West on Hwy 12 and it immediately starts to rain. What a blessing! I find my way to a Best Western in Kelso and they’ve still got a room for me. I can only use my right leg to lift me up one step at a time as I haul my gear to an upstairs room. I dig out fresh clothes and then it’s time for my first hot shower in eight days.