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peter707 Member
Joined: 16 Jun 2022 Posts: 133 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle, WA |
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peter707
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Mon Apr 03, 2023 1:54 pm
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I lost the lottery myself, but Claire invited me on a trip since she won! This is what she picked on recreation.gov, mid-August
Start - Longmire
Night 1 - Klapatche Park Camp
Night 2 - So. Mowich River Camp
Night 3 - Dick Creek Camp
Night 4 - Sunrise Camp
Night 5 - Indian Bar Camp
End - Longmire
It is a larger group, so I am interested to add peakbagging (or lakebagging! or bouldering! or anything else!) to each day if time permits. I have no particular goal for what sorts of peaks, I am fine with some class 2 (although prefer to avoid exposed class 3). I am not attached to hitting every spot of the wonderland trail, as long as I get to the campsites (so I'm fine taking say, boroughs down to glacier basin, instead of sunrise -> white river)
Here are my ideas so far:
Day 1:
Pyramid Peak? (time)
Ararat
Iron or Copper? (time/more technical)
https://www.strava.com/routes/3073857721356791504 (16.62 mi, 7,098 ft)
Day 2:
Aurora Peak
Sunset Park lookout site
Sunset Benchmark
https://www.strava.com/routes/3074030957615057546 (15.37 mi, 3,126 ft)
Day 3: (if non-spray-park) - Tolmie Peak
https://www.strava.com/routes/3078596226025088410 (15.91 mi, 5,368 ft)
Day 3: (if spray park) - Mother Mountain, Mt. Pleasant via Knapsack Pass, perhaps adding Fay & East Fay
https://www.strava.com/routes/3074214235645624594 (14.22 mi, 6,983 ft)
Day 4:
Skyscraper Mountain
Fremont Mountain (better on day hike)
Dege Peak (better on day hike)
Antler Peak (poor example for keeping sunrise crowds on-trail)
Burroughs
https://www.strava.com/routes/3078414071221351098 (18.67 mi, 6,686 ft)
Day 4 - Northern Loop Variation?
https://www.strava.com/routes/3078594287744718190 (17.71 mi, 7,142 ft)
Day 5:
Steamboat Prow??(time/glacier - better on separate trip. Adds 4k vert)
Goat Island Mountain? (too far from group - significant off-trail for 5+ miles - better on separate trip)
Banshee Peak
Meany Crest?(time)
Whitman Crest?? (technical/glacier/time)
Little Tahoma???(technical/glacier/time)
knob to the west of panhandle gap (46.85459, -121.65046)?
knob to the east of panhandle gap (Point 6945)?
https://www.strava.com/routes/3078416135520752338 (18.04 mi, 5,468 ft)
Day 6:
Louise Lake?
Bench Lake? (requires some double-backing on the road)
Snow Lake? (requires some double-backing on the road)
Pinnacle Peak (time)
Plumber Peak
https://www.strava.com/routes/3078417147492794272 (22.45 mi, 5,535 ft)
Day 1 and Day 6 are sort of long so I should take it easy on the peakbagging those days. Any ideas, where to go or not go?
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zimmertr TJ Zimmerman
Joined: 24 Jun 2018 Posts: 1215 | TRs | Pics Location: Issaquah |
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zimmertr
TJ Zimmerman
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Mon Apr 03, 2023 2:24 pm
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If given the choice between Skyscraper and Burroughs I would definitely choose Burroughs. From Skyscraper Pass, you can take an easy cross-country route to the saddle between Second and Third Burroughs. Then take the Burroughs trail back to Sunrise/Wonderland. Third Burroughs is one of my favorite places in Washington.
The route from Mowich Lake to Spray Park via Knapsack Pass is many times more scenic than the Wonderland trail. Though it does skip Spray Falls and the lookout point near Eagle's Roost. Which are also cool. Just not as cool IMO. You could also bag Fay Peak, scramble to East Fay Peak, and then descend the gully back to the meadow below Knapsack Pass.
The way-trails to Cat Eye Lake/Flett Glacier terminal moraine and Carbon Glacier lateral moraine would be interesting side trips.
A lot of your peaks require glacier travel (Little Tahoma, Meany Crest, Steamboat Prow, Banshee Peak, etc). So be sure to carefully study their routes before committing to any ideas. Especially if you're already hesitant about class 3.
None of these are official trails and a ranger would probably scold you were they to see you traveling there. I recall in our pre-trip interview with a MRNP ranger they were very intentional in telling us that we should avoid stepping off the official trail as much as possible. Tread carefully (In more ways than one!)
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Carbonj Member
Joined: 12 May 2020 Posts: 56 | TRs | Pics
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Carbonj
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Mon Apr 03, 2023 5:16 pm
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Day 2 go up into sunset park to old lookout site.
peter707
peter707
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jaysway Member
Joined: 16 Jul 2020 Posts: 345 | TRs | Pics
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jaysway
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Tue Apr 04, 2023 10:38 am
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zimmertr wrote: | A lot of your peaks require glacier travel (Little Tahoma, Meany Crest, Steamboat Prow, Banshee Peak, etc). So be sure to carefully study their routes before committing to any ideas. Especially if you're already hesitant about class 3. |
zimmertr your advice here is awesome, but a small correction: Banshee Peak is a Class 1 walkup and does not require any glacier travel. It gets enough traffic that there is a defined trail for most of the way starting at top of Panhandle Gap (46.85505, -121.64606).
peter707, for the stuff around Panhandle Gap, I have not been to the knob to the west of Panhandle Gap (46.85459, -121.65046), but from the looks of it that will have amazing, up-close views of the Fryingpan Glacier and Little Tahoma. I've been up to the knob to the east of panhandle gap (Point 6945), it's an easy Class 2 trip (just enough steepness to make it fun, but not so much to make it too challenging) and it had amazing views of Meany Crest, Summerland, and the glacial-fed tarns below Panhandle Gap. It probably sees the least traffic of the three points you picked. Banshee also has an amazing view, it would be a bit longer of a side trip than Point 6945 but is easier in that it's all hiking with no real steep sections.
If you have the time and energy do all three , personally I thought the view from Banshee was more serene than Point 6945 with its rolling meadows, but I thought the view from Point 6945 was more dramatic and unlike Banshee I didn't see a single person when I went up it.
I second zimmertr on Burroughs over Skyscraper, but if you follow zimmertr's advice about that relatively easy cross-country route (which is mostly on a defined trail) why not do both? Skyscraper is a quick hike up from the pass, and you could leave your pack at the pass.
Unless you are trying to add miles and peaks for the sake of seeing more/making the trip more challenging, I would skip Fremont and Dege in favor of Third Burroughs and Skyscraper. The trails going to those peaks are going to be very crowded, plus those peaks are very easy to access from the Sunrise parking lot in the future.
peter707, zimmertr
peter707, zimmertr
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peter707 Member
Joined: 16 Jun 2022 Posts: 133 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle, WA |
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peter707
Member
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Tue Apr 04, 2023 12:53 pm
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Ok, I've made all the adjustments and edited the thread with the result. I left the original ideas in, with some annotation as to why they are skipped. Thanks ZimmerTr, Carbonj, jaysway (and of course, williswall website) for the beta.
I will remove Antler Peak since it's an poor example of an off-trail, with thousands of day-hikers a mile from sunrise who might copy it.
I am deliberately leaving in Knapsack Pass, and the Skyscraper -> Buroughs transition, doing some backcountry travel further from the trailhead.
Day 1: https://www.strava.com/routes/3073857721356791504 (16.62 mi, 7,098 ft)
Day 2: https://www.strava.com/routes/3074030957615057546 (15.37 mi, 3,126 ft)
Day 3: (if spray park) - https://www.strava.com/routes/3074214235645624594 (14.22 mi, 6,983 ft)
Day 4: https://www.strava.com/routes/3078414071221351098 (18.67 mi, 6,686 ft)
Day 5: https://www.strava.com/routes/3078416135520752338 (18.04 mi, 5,468 ft)
Day 6: https://www.strava.com/routes/3078417147492794272 (22.45 mi, 5,535 ft)
jaysway
jaysway
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Bruce Albert Member
Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 160 | TRs | Pics
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peter707 wrote: | I left the original ideas in, with some annotation as to why they are skipped. |
If the weather is fair your limitation will be time alone. Side trip possibilities are limitless. Wander, gawk, and enjoy!
I have one specific observation. Goat Island Mountain is pretty far off route for your trip, but wander up there sometime when you have a day to spare. It's really pretty up there.
peter707
peter707
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williswall poser
Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 1963 | TRs | Pics Location: Redmond |
Meany Crest can be reached without stepping on the Fryingpan Glacier, but not worth the effort. I am assuming you are in great shape, as doing the wonderland in 6 days in itself can be taxing, especially on the days with 7000' of vert, and that doesn't include the time peak bagging. For instance, it takes some time to go up Sunset Park to the lookout area...this is best enjoyed late evening for the alpenglow.
I might also add that Steamboat Prow can be reached by transiting the ridge (Mt Ruth side), avoiding the Inter Glacier. Again, a time consuming venture. But hey, see how it goes, and if you have the energy and time get in whatever you can; any peak bagging or off trail would be icing on the cake.
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williswall poser
Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 1963 | TRs | Pics Location: Redmond |
zimmertr wrote: | None of these are official trails and a ranger would probably scold you were they to see you traveling there. |
There is nothing that prohibits one from heading off trail all over the park. I've done it for years and rangers that I have run into have never given me grief...if anything they provide beta or want to go there themselves. Rangers rightly discourage WT backpackers from stepping off trail due to impact.
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peter707 Member
Joined: 16 Jun 2022 Posts: 133 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle, WA |
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peter707
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Wed Apr 05, 2023 12:41 am
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RE: williswall wrote: | I am assuming you are in great shape, as doing the wonderland in 6 days in itself can be taxing, especially on the days with 7000' of vert, and that doesn't include the time peak bagging. |
I'll be training this spring for the vertical gain, and I kept up with running this winter. Assuming no injuries, I will be in good shape for some 7000' days. It will be a question of weather, eating, and pacing that will decide how much it makes sense to add, I'll stay flexible. Thanks for the information about which points are reachable via ridge instead of glaciers.
I was thinking about day 4 a bit more. I've been to Skyscraper Mtn via Skyscraper pass, Boroughs, and Fremont Lookout before. So perhaps to mix it up, I could try out the Northern Loop upper half, and rejoin Wonderland Trail via Skyscraper Pass. Northern Loop is on my list, and this could be a great time to do it.
I added a possibility:
Day 4 - Northern Loop Variation?
https://www.strava.com/routes/3078594287744718190 (17.71 mi, 7,142 ft)
The main downside is that I'd be split from my group for most of the day, increasing the odds of some unexpected itinerary change causing havoc.
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