Exploring the backcountry of Mount Rainier National Park, 8.4.22 - 8.7.22

In a backpacker’s world, there is a delicate balance between what you think you need and what you are willing to carry. Newton’s fourth law of gravity states that the more weight you carry, the harder it is to carry it. I considered this conundrum carefully as I prepared for my latest backpacking excursion. I knew that the hike in would be a tough one for me. We would be hiking a distance of roughly nine miles with an elevation gain of around 3,600’. Paring as much unnecessary weight from my pack would be essential if I were to have any hope of success.

With my full array of gear spread out on the living room floor that I would normally attempt to fit into a backpack that is always smaller than the gear warrants, I pondered my options. Being a research fanatic, I had good information on the weather forecast and conditions about where we were headed. Armed with this valuable data, it was time to make some hard decisions. Knowing that the weather forecast called for warm temperatures and clear skies, several items were easy to eliminate right off the bat. Out went the rain jacket, the pack cover, the down puffy, the wool hat and gloves. Even the lows would still going to be in the pleasant range so I made some bold and prudent decisions. Why carry a bunch of clothes that I didn’t really need? Out went the pants, the shirts, the underwear. I kept the socks because I didn’t want to get blisters wearing my hiking boots without them. On that same train of thought, I couldn’t see the need for a bulky sleeping bag. There would be plenty of soft grassy spots to lay down so I jettisoned the sleeping bag, the pad and the tent. Then I began to think about the food situation. Early August is berry season and I figured the berries would be ripe for the picking. Why burden myself with all sorts of foods and cooking gear if I could just “live off the land” and subsist on berries for a few days? So long stove, fuel, freeze-dried meals, snacks and breakfast bars. Now I was making some real progress! The sun doesn’t even go down until long after I’m tired and ready for bed anyway, so the flashlight stayed at home. Knowing the difference between Devil’s Club and ferns, was toilet paper really necessary? I think not. Heck, after looking at my new pile of necessities, I didn’t even really need a backpack as there was so little left to carry! I’m a seasoned, veteran backpacker and I’m fully aware of all the pitfalls that could occur out there in the wilderness. I’m no dummy. It didn’t escape me that having no clothes could be an issue if the sun was beating down so I planned to take sunscreen. I also knew that with no clothes, tent or sleeping bag, mosquitos might possibly present a problem so the Deet stayed in the “take with me” pile. Once complete, I looked at my new set of supplies and patted myself on the back for my judicious decision making.

**My full array of gear for a four day backpack trip**

Mount Rainier National Park is infinitely more than just a big mountain. It is a really big mountain. Below the top third which is covered in glaciers and jagged rock jutting up between them lies an amazingly diverse array of flora, fauna and geology. The more I visit this incredible park, the more strange and wonderful things I come across.

Mount Rainier offers up over 260 miles of trails to hike on. The premier trail in the park is appropriately called the Wonderland Trail and it wraps around the entire mountain in a ninety-three mile circuit. There are many designated campsites along this trail and the overwhelmingly vast majority of backpackers apply for permits to camp in these spots as they hike the Wonderland. Given its popularity, permits can be hard to come by and it is strictly forbidden to camp without a permit or even camp anywhere your permit is not designated for.

Unadvertised and mostly unknown to the general public, there are several areas in the backcountry of Mount Rainier that are approved for camping if you can get a backcountry permit to go there. These areas do not have any trails or campsites. It is pure wilderness. My new friend Dick was aware of one such place and had briefly been to the outskirts of it many years ago. Having told me about his desire to explore it further, we hatched a plan to do a backpack together and hopefully snag a permit to explore this rarely visited area.

On Wednesday, August 3rd, Dick and I drove down to a campground just outside the park boundary of Mount Rainier National Park. Since we would be spending this first night in a designated campground I had clothes on. That afternoon, we drove into the park to the ranger station and requested a permit to camp off trail in the backcountry. The area is so scenic and so special that I am not going to name it, nor will I give specific instructions on how to get there. I’m sure the photos and general information in this report will be a giveaway to some of my hiker friends, but this is not the kind of place you want to get “discovered”. Once we left a designated trail and entered this backcountry zone, we never saw even one person over the course of the next four days. That kind of solitude in an extremely popular national park is getting harder and harder to find and it needs to be treated with the utmost respect and reverence. Never has Leave No Trace been more necessary than in a place of such unparalleled beauty.

After grilling us about our backpacking experience, how we would store our food, how we would handle going to the bathroom and other delightful topics, we were issued a permit. They also told us we might be the only ones back there since no one else had even applied for a permit to camp in that area. I suggested to the ranger that if anyone else should request a permit during the next four days to tell them the area was full up.

The next morning we were up early and made the drive to the trailhead. It was go time. I was ready and rarin’ to go. Armed with nothing more than a bottle of sunscreen in one hand, a bottle of Deet in the other and a pair of hiking boots, we hit the trail.

**Did you really think I was serious about naked backpacking?**

Our adventure began at an entry point to the Wonderland Trail. The weather forecast had called for mostly sunny with a high of around fifty degrees that day but it had drizzled for about an hour just before we had risen for the day. The cool temperatures and cloudy skies were more than welcome for what we had in store. Starting out at a fairly reasonable incline, we made our way through the forest and over a creek, the last water source for many miles. Past the creek we began to climb in earnest, first on a long set of switchbacks and then pretty much straight up along a ridge. We had read reports of how horrible the bugs were and in the forest the skeets were bad enough that we applied Deet which seemed to help. After about five and a half pretty relentless miles of up we began to break out of the trees. Now we began climbing over five or six large hills, first steeply up, then losing precious elevation only to regain it all and then some at the next hump.

After seven miles of climbing we finally reached the highest point of the ridge. Clouds obscured whatever views we might have had which turned out to be a special treat in the end (more on that later). All around the terrain was still very green and lush from all the rain we had this spring and early summer.

**The view from the high point of the ridge**

Dropping off the top of the final knoll, we made our way down, losing about six hundred feet of elevation. Soon we came to where we had calculated our turnoff to be. Using Gaia to help navigate, we left the Wonderland Trail and started heading cross country. Our goal was to reach a lake we had seen on the map about a mile and a half in from where we left the trail. At first we followed a very faint trail but it fizzled out and we mostly relied on map reading and a few game trails to move further into our backcountry zone. At one point we looked way down into a nice basin and saw a black bear making its way through a meadow. Spotting a bear on our first day was a good omen.

By this point my legs were really feeling the miles and the weight of my pack. It was almost six o’clock and after several failed attempts to find the lake we were looking for we decided it was time to just find a good spot to pitch camp. Popping through a gap in a ridge we spotted what looked to be a flat area below us. It had a creek flowing near it so we headed down and decided it looked like a good spot to stop for the night. It was still quite cloudy and even looked like threatening rain at times but we were fortunate that it stayed dry. Dick pointed out a lone mountain goat as we worked our way down to the camp spot. More good mojo.

With camp set up, we filtered water from the creek and moved up to the top of a hill near our camp to cook dinner. As we were eating we heard a noise up in the meadow just above our camp. It sounded like a dead tree being ripped apart and I told Dick it sure sounded like a bear looking for food. Sure enough, a decent sized black bear came out of the trees maybe a hundred fifty yards up the hill from us. The breeze was blowing in our direction so it was unlikely he smelled us or our food. With no need to panic, we ate our dinners and watched the bear for about fifteen minutes make his way across our meadow and disappear off over the ridge we had come in from. Cool!

Since clouds blocked any possible bigger views, we had no idea what there was to see from our camp other than the meadowy basin we were camped in. That was nice enough, what with lush green hillsides and a babbling creek running through it. We decided to name it Sang Basin in honor of the mutual friend who put Dick and I in touch with each other for the first time. Extremely tired from the long hard day, I hit the hay around seven-thirty.

I usually sleep with my tent fly closed so I couldn’t see outside in the early morning. It had been a chilly night so I was waiting for the sun to hit my tent before getting out of bed. Due to being down in the bottom of Sang Basin with a large ridge to the east of my tent, I was getting no sun. By seven-thirty which is really late in my world I just decided to get up regardless. As I unzipped the tent fly and poked my head out of the tent, much to my joyous surprise, not only was it a crystal clear azure sky, but Mount Rainier and Little Tahoma were towering over our camp. In that instant our site went from decent to stellar!

**Mount Rainier above our camp in Sang Basin**

This would be our first full day in this pristine backcountry zone and we had no agenda. We ate breakfast up on our hill and prepped our day packs for a full day of roaming to our heart’s content. Where should we go? How about thataway? We made it out of camp around nine and followed the left side of Sang Basin up to the top of the basin. After gaining several hundred feet we topped out and rounded the corner to just an awesome view of Rainier. So stunning was this view I nearly sucked wind and it wasn’t from exertion. As a matter of fact, this entire day was just a very long, leisurely stroll through the high country and ranks right up there with the finest days of hiking I have ever had.

**The view of Mount Rainier from the top of Sang Basin**

From our new vantage point of the mountain we spotted a high pinnacle below Whitman Crest. We decided to follow the ridge up as high as we could go to see if the pinnacle was within our ability to summit. If so, it sure looked like it would be a fine vantage point so off we went.

Hiking up along the ridge towards the pinnacle was a joy, with ever expanding views that included Mt. Adams, the Goat Rocks, Mt. Hood way down in Oregon, Mt. St. Helens and the Tatoosh Range which is the southern border of Mount Rainier National Park.

**Can you spot the climbers? One group near the summit and another about mid photo? Click on the photo to enlarge it.**

**The meadows along the ridge were heavenly. Our pinnacle is on the right side of the photo.**

As we got closer to the pinnacle it looked daunting but the ridge continued up and skirted the point on the left so we kept heading up. After a short section with a bit of exposure we side-hilled across the south side to an obvious easy route to the top. The rocky summit was everything we had hoped for. It had the feel of a truly challenging summit (even though it wasn’t that challenging), the views were stupendous in all directions and we were really close to the summit of Rainier (just 7,400’ to go!). Being entirely alone in this vast beautiful off trail area made us feel like we were the first ones to ever scale this pinnacle so we named it Jondick Peak.

**Great shot of Dick on the summit of Jondick Peak**

Off in the distance we could also see the highest point on the Wonderland Trail called Panhandle Gap. From there we could look though Dick’s binoculars and see people coming through the gap on their way down into the deep hole of Indian Bar. East of the Gap was Banshee Peak and the Cowlitz Chimneys. Just incredible scenery everywhere.

I had said that this day held no agenda but opportunity presented itself as we gazed around us from the top of Jondick Peak. The previous day when we couldn’t even see Mount Rainier due to cloud cover, we did eye the long rampart above our camp and knew that if we could get on top of that we would get a commanding view of The Mountain. It was pretty cliffy from our camp view but from the top of Jondick Peak we were looking down at it from the other side and it was an easy stroll from this side so we decided to go there next.

Dropping off the summit, we found an easy descent route to the broad snow covered basin below Little Tahoma. We had also seen a semi-frozen lake below the rampart and decided to go there first and then climb up to the top of the rampart, where we were sure we could look straight down on our camp.

**The rampart from the summit with the frozen lake. Mt. Adams in the background.**

**Crossing over to the frozen lake. Jondick Peak on the right.**

I love lakes that are just starting to thaw. The water around the edges surrounded by ice tends to be an incredible color of blue that I don’t think I see anywhere else. We walked all the way around the lake, taking a side stroll halfway around to a lunch spot in the shade with a great view of the Cowlitz Rocks and an amazing cliff made of basalt columns.

**Semi-frozen tarn in front of basalt cliffs**

After lunch we hiked back up to the frozen tarn to finish walking around it. This side of the lake had a really interesting feature of sun-cupped melting icebergs reflecting in the water with blue shoreline ice sliding under the surface. It was very unique and something you certainly don’t see every day.

From the lake we climbed up a steep creek to the top of the rampart. It had two summits with a long straight ridge between them. From the edge of the ridge we could look down and see our tents in Sang Basin. Directly below us however was a hidden shelf and two little lakes were nestled onto the top of this shelf. No wonder we couldn’t find them. They were on our map but really isolated by this high shelf they were perched on.

**Magenta Paintbrush and basalt cliffs**

After hanging out on the rampart we finally had to tear ourselves away and head back to our camp. Despite having wandered for around six miles throughout the day, we were back in plenty of time for dinner and to watch the sun go down. Another great aspect of our camp was our view south to the Goat Rocks, Mt. Adams and the Tatoosh Range right from our dining room!

Since I did lug my tripod all the way up there, I figured I should get some use out of it so I got up at 11:30PM to see some stars. It was a three quarter moon which lit up the ghost trees in the basin and the mountain itself but I kind’ve wish I would have waited another hour when the moon had set.

After I was done shooting night photos I went back to bed and set my alarm for 5:30AM so I could catch the sunrise. It had been a warmer night than the first night and getting up out of my cozy sleeping bag wasn’t too difficult, not to mention I was very excited to see the sun hit the mountain from our camp. I got up and set up my tripod right by my tent. Looking up the hill, a herd of maybe twenty elk were grazing right above my position. They didn’t seem to be bothered by me snapping photos but they did eventually scamper off over the ridge. The sunrise was incredible and so worth getting up for.

**Spectacular sunrise on Mount Rainier**

Our previous day had been so incredible and we had covered so much ground we weren’t sure we could top such a day. On our maps there was a lake just below the shelf lakes and not far at all from our camp that was supposed to be the largest lake in the zone so we thought we should go find it. The lake lay on the same contour line as our camp so we climbed over the hill on the edge of the basin and dropped down into a different basin. It was very clear we were in the right spot but there was no lake. Had it dried up? The area where the lake was supposed to be didn’t seem flat enough to have held a lake.

Despite having no lake there, the basin was very green and lush. Little creeks gurgled throughout the basin and high up at the head was a huge waterfall, perhaps seventy feet high with plenty of water coming off it. It has a name but I am omitting that as an identifier. We wandered up the basin and climbed up to the base of the falls close enough to enjoy the mist from the falls.

After visiting Mystery Lake Basin we felt like we had pretty much explored the best of the area from where we were camped. It was time for a change in scenery. We also thought that since the next day we had to pack all the way out and drive home, it might be nice to shave a mile or two off our last day by camping in the direction we came in from.

We packed up our camp, pleased with the fact that we really couldn’t tell anyone had been here and worked our way out of Sang Basin and up over the ridge. We took a slightly different line but basically followed our route in towards where we had left the main trail. Eventually we found a spot with a water source that gave us epic views of Mount Rainier that were also a bit different from where we had previously camped. Pleased with our new spot, we set up camp for one last night and basically relaxed all afternoon. After dinner as the sun was getting lower, Dick spotted a large herd of mountain goats grazing on a steep grassy hill across the valley from us. As we watched them through the binoculars, two of them climbed an impossibly steep rock cliff way up higher on their way to who knows where. I’m always amazed at their agility on cliffs.

Since the next morning was pack out day, I once again set the alarm for 5:30AM. This time Dick also got up and we both watched in reverent awe as the sun kissed the top of Rainier and then slowly bathed the cliffs in a soft pink glow. It was a wonderful way to wrap up an amazing trip.

**Climbers approaching the summit at dawn**

Our hike out went fast and smooth. Bugs were way less bothersome than feared. We only used Deet on the way in and the way out in the forest section. Weather had been absolutely perfect, even the cloudy, cool hike in day. We lucked out. Seeing no other people the entire time was also a huge bonus and the feeling of being the only ones there just added a whole level of coolness. Dick and I just met last year and had only been on two day hikes and we had never backpacked together. We got along extremely well and seemed to be very compatible in our styles and interests. It was a pleasure to backpack with him.

As for the area we travelled, in my years of visiting Mount Rainier National Park, I have seen the mountain from many angles, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it look more beautiful than it did from the places we were on this trip. It is a truly special place to be and I just hope that future visitors treat the place with the respect it so richly deserves.

Exploring the backcountry of Mount Rainier National Park, 8.4.22 - 8.7.22

Ptarmigan Ridge, Coleman Pinnacle and Goat Lake, solo backpack, 8.30.22-8.31.22

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