After another aborted attempt at fastpacking the Wonderland under time constraint (turned around due to illness), I salvaged the day by visiting Paradise...I'm embarrassed to say I had never been inside the new visitor center, so decided to check that out as I was recovering from the morning. Feeling a mite better with more sleep, lunch and Advil in me, I decided to soak up some afternoon fall sun by hiking up the Paradise Glacier trail, which branches off the Skyline Trail. This is another one I had never done and was pleasantly surprised. I parked at a connecting trailhead on the Paradise Valley road and soon found myself at the end of the maintained trail (6100') and boulder hopping amongst fresh snowfall. There is a beautiful waterfall higher up on the Paradise River and once above that, Enchantments like slab hiking right next to the water. Far from the crowds of Paradise yet so near. I climbed to 6700' and decided to turn around there as the afternoon was waning and I was still recovering from the morning's unpleasant exertions. This was about a 7 mile RT with 1300' of gentle climbing, although with tricky footing. Continuing up to the distant ridge would give the hiker views down to the Cowlitz Glacier and across to Little T. Very pleasant and definitely a spirit lifter on another part of the park I had never explored before.
NOTE: I didn't have my usual LX100 with me so these are pix from my iPhone, GoPro Hero 5 or a few frame grabs from video
Browsing your great old TRs and fine fotos, I noticed an error in your text & the very last photo caption. That stream is Stevens Creek. Paradise River headwaters end around McClure Rock behind the steeper, darker slopes on the right photo margin. I call the low, moraine-like ridge between them 'PC Saddle" because it's an obscure (but critical to find in the fog) section of the Puget-Columbia hydrographic divide. This is an example of Rainier glaciers not always being the main source of the stream with the same name. Similarly, Tahoma Glacier mostly drains into the South Puyallup River.
Thanks for the correction…I have noticed mistakes in prior writings also, as I’m sure others have along with yourself. Hopefully with age comes more diligence.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate NWHikers.net earns from qualifying purchases when you use our link(s).
