mikeadam Posted June 19, 2001 Posted June 19, 2001 Caveman and I did a blister festival from Stevens to Stehekin a few years ago. It was something like 110 miles down the PCT. We did it (I think) in late July. The bugs at that time we're horrendous. That sucked. The trail had not been maintained in years and we spent alot of time thrutching through the woods to avoid huge deadfalls. That sucked. We had some green trails maps, but I remember wandering around in the woods a bit on some obscure trail when we missed the real one due to fatigue clouding our judgement. That sucked. I had blisters before we started from wearing new boots in Toulumne/Yosemite the weeks prior to coming up to Washington. That really sucked. I think one of those hiker books has the full scoop. Maybe the glacier area one. When we got out we went straight to the Seattle Hempfest to purge our minds of the nightmare bugs we encountered. That's where we met Gretchen from Berkley, but that's another story... Have fun slogging....can't you get like a backcountry campng permit for Rainier? Or is it a matter of caches? Mike ------------------ ___________ |[][][] []\__ |Shortbus | |_/-\_____/-\_/ 0 0 No Longer Be Ashamed to Say Yeah I ride the shortbus! www.shortbus.net [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 06-19-2001).] [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 06-19-2001).] Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 19, 2001 Posted June 19, 2001 Yeah ah' rememba' dem blisters. De bugs wuz really homeyly. Slap mah fro! 'Sup, dudeghly recommended dough if ya' kin hang wid dat. Dere are some great views. http://www.shortbus.net ===> jive translation [This message has been edited by Cpt.Caveman (edited 06-19-2001).] Quote
Dwayner Posted June 19, 2001 Posted June 19, 2001 Righteous Wonderland-Trekking Dudes: This is kind of a wacky idea but it will work if you're totally honed. You do the Wonderland Trail in 3 days going light and fast with just tennis shoes, ski poles and a lightly equiped medium-sized Camelback. You do around 30/35 miles a day and end up at a drive in camp-site or meet the road at the end of each day. For example, you can go from Longmire counterclockwise to White River in a day if you start early and pace yourself away from burnout. What´s at White River? Babes with beer, steaks, massages and sleeping bags. If you can´t get a site at White River, you have the babes drive you outta of the Park to some other place outside. You then get up early and do it again although I don´t recall what the next road stop is, but the same scenario applies and then on the third day, you end up back in Longmire. All you need is some cooperative li'l hotties with a couple of days time. Just make sure you give them the Golden Eagle card so they don't bitch at you for having to pay. You can even arrange it so you drive up to Longmire and start early Friday, while the nubile-ones finish work at the steno-pool, get their beauty-sleep or whatever and arrive at your day´s end point at their leisure. This way, it´s all over by Sunday night (where your car awaits at Longmire) and you can limp back into work on Monday ready to start stuffin those valu-pak envelopes! I've tried it 3 times. First time, I went with a buddy whose knee blew out at Indian Bar. Gave him lots of codeine and goosed his butt over to Summerland and out the next day. Second time, started way too early (didn´t have a watch, fell asleep, woke up to pee, felt so good that it must be an hour before sunrise....so we took off...it was 10:30 PM!!!), headlamps went out in the middle of Stevens Canyon, we fell off the trail and got hurt. Third time, making great progress but new shoes caused me to walk out in my socks. Didn't have the babes waitin (we were even uglier lookin back then if you can believe that) but it's in they are definitely in the plans for next time which will be this summer. Also, you wanna kick your own ass? Do the Loowit Trail around Mt. St. Helens in one day. From Windy Ridge it´s about 36 miles of brutal but spectacular terrain. Makes me thirsty just thinking about it...a situation easily relieved... - Dwayner P.S. Yes, I am totally honed. Quote
dan_e Posted June 19, 2001 Posted June 19, 2001 That total sucks, I like the old system better. I was there in 1996, I showed up at the ranger station, told them where I wanted to camp and that was it. I think it was mid-June, only one night did I have someone at my camp and they ended up dumping some food on me since they were a bit heavy and I was traveling light as usual. I am not sure what I would do now, I think if you are creative you can find places to camp off the trail. It all depends on how you travel. I just bivy so I can find a place almost anywhere. Good Luck! Quote
Alpine_Tom Posted June 19, 2001 Posted June 19, 2001 There's always the Ptarmigan Traverse. I'd assumed it was a completely hairy-chested undertaking, but according to Ira Spring's book, you can keep to the trails and it's long, but not too brutal. I'm guessing you won't find a lot of solitude there either, though. Quote
Funinthemts Posted June 19, 2001 Author Posted June 19, 2001 Great suggestion!!! We did this last year and it was amazing and relatively quiet. Any other thoughts? quote: Originally posted by mvs: You could go around Glacier Peak. I think this would provide more beauty and solitude. I was in the neighborhood last weekend, and the Buck Creek Pass (east side of the mountain) area was incredible. Quote
Craig Posted June 20, 2001 Posted June 20, 2001 To Funinthemts: Getting permits for the designated camp sites around the Wonderland Trail sounds like a problem. I'm sure the Park is doing the best they can. Probably explaining to them the "hole" in their system would be better than exploiting it. Anyway, one easy way around this permit problem is to use "cross-country" permits. Yes, this is an actual thing. There are special "cross-country" permits that you can get instead of permits for the designated camp sites. They may have more restrictions than this (ask the Park), but to use "cross-country" sites: (1) You need a permit, (2) your group must be five people or less, (3) you must practice minimum impact, (4) camps must be at least 1/4 mile from any trails, (5) camp on rocks and snow instead of meadows, and (6) avoid getting waste in water-ways, duh. Doing it this way pretty much means you can go at your own pace, and without huge/sucky permit problems. The only drawback is a little off-trail navigation, and a 1/2 mile of off-trail hiking per day. If you do a little planning (which it sounds like you have), you could even pull off "view" spots. (Reference: First 20 or so pages of Ira Spring's "50 Hikes in MRNP") Have fun. [This message has been edited by Craig (edited 06-21-2001).] Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 20, 2001 Posted June 20, 2001 quote: Originally posted by Craig: To Funinthemts: I'm sure the Park is doing the best they can. Probably explaining to them the "hole" in their system would better than exploiting it. You must have some faith in government. WOW! I can tell you Joe over there does not give a crap about it most likely... Quote
Funinthemts Posted June 20, 2001 Author Posted June 20, 2001 Has anyone out there experienced the National Park Service's back country reservation system for the Wonderland Trail? They let you call in your reservation 2 months in advance of your trip's beginning date. It seemed like a good method until I called and was told that all of the campsites were booked for the dates I wanted (and even all the dates I didn't want, but would have accepted). HOW? Well, say you wanted your trip to start on Aug. 16th. The earliest you can call in for a res. is June 16th, however the people that started their trips earlier have all of the sites booked all through August and September. I had planned to do the trail this summer (was well read and even had the food purchased)only to find out that their is no availability. This leaves one option for people looking to get camping permits on the trail... "fake booking". The only way I see to get around the unjust system is to make a 'four week' reservation for a 'two week' trek and only use the last two weeks. Sadly this limits everyone, but it is the only way that you can do the mountain trail unless you take a bivy sack and dive into the bushes. Does anyone know why they don't start booking for the whole summer instead of this two month system? I really do appreciate the designated camp site concept and I am 150% an advocate of "less impact", but it is really sad that in the process of trying to protect the mountains we have tangled up in red tape and frustration for all. Now, it's just another Disneyland... get your tickets here, anyone up for Space Mountain? PS...(Does anyone have another suggestion of where to do a good 100 mile hike in the Cascades?) [This message has been edited by Funinthemts (edited 06-19-2001).] [This message has been edited by Funinthemts (edited 06-19-2001).] Quote
mvs Posted June 20, 2001 Posted June 20, 2001 You could go around Glacier Peak. I think this would provide more beauty and solitude. I was in the neighborhood last weekend, and the Buck Creek Pass (east side of the mountain) area was incredible. Quote
Cpt.Caveman Posted June 20, 2001 Posted June 20, 2001 Yeah it is a long hike from Stevens pass to the next one ~100 miles. Check out the bugs at Cady Pass Quote
Juneriver Posted June 20, 2001 Posted June 20, 2001 [This message has been edited by Juneriver (edited 06-20-2001).] Quote
Beck Posted June 20, 2001 Posted June 20, 2001 Try the Bailey Range Traverse- you'll not see many people, that's for sure, but it make for great high country wandering. Quote
kashmir Posted June 20, 2001 Posted June 20, 2001 listen up "hikers" dont plan on using the "cross country" zones as overflow when backcountry camps are full. these areas have limits too... hey if these areas didnt have limits are such "harsh" permit regulations Mount Rainier would look like the forest service full of all your nice fire rings litter and gross hunter camps. The purpose of the park sevice is to preserve and to protect and not to exploit this awesome area. the more and more people want to do the trail the harder it is going to be to join those numbers. the limits in the National Park will not change to accomidate the thousands of people that want to do the trail..... hey if magic mountain is full for this round,,,,guess what you have to wait until the next one! Quote
dan_e Posted June 21, 2001 Posted June 21, 2001 Oh yeah and they do a great job as we can all tell from the paved path that leads from Paradise and the thousands of people stomping on the surrounding meadows! Why doesn't the NPS limit the amount of visitors? Hikers are only a small fraction of the total people using the park. There are people (myself included) that know how to camp with minimal to no impact. Why should we suffer because, as you should know "the masses are asses"! The NPS needs to find a more flexible and creative solution to this problem. Quote
mikeadam Posted June 21, 2001 Posted June 21, 2001 Kashmir, I didn't realize my tax dollars were getting sent to your HIGH opinion court so you could tell "hikers" (as if hiking should be referred to in some derogatory manner) just how much you OWN/MANAGE/POLICE the wilderness down there. I don't see many stipulations other than space available being placed on the amount of people flooding the various paved areas on "Magic Mountain". Something like 90% of all people visiting a national park will never travel further than 100 yards from a paved confluence anyway. Are those the 'good guys' in the white hats? As far as NPS. It's my opinion that Dan Osman is dead because of the NPS in Yosemite's fine efforts to manage wilderness and those that choose to use it. Seems pretty exploited to me, it just depends on who's pocketbook you ask. BOO! Mike Adamson P.S. RIGHT ON DANE! Quote
Alex Posted June 22, 2001 Posted June 22, 2001 One suggestion, if you have climbing experience, is to to the high route around Mt Rainier....basically involves a hell of alot o sidehilling and glacier crossing...but really nice...I think the traverse is pretty commonly done and is well-treated in one of those fold-out Rainier guides you can get at REI otherwise, the Olympics have epic traverses, days and days above treeline. Ptarmigan traverse as someone mentioned. You could always go to the Land o' Dru and do the Pemberton icecap. Or Pickets Traverse, N to S or S to N. I tried in 99, but ran away... Alex Quote
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