It’s 0530 and it’s time to get up. I Get out of the sleeping bag and get dressed. My clothes are dry, cold and I stink real bad. I pack all my “need to stay dry” gear into my dry bag. Put on my shoes and I’m out of the tent. Get my food bag from the bear pole and start on another 4 star breakfast. One last day of cold Maple & brown sugar oatmeal and Classic French Vanilla Carnation Breakfast Essentials Powder. I’ll drink this during the first part of the day. Take down and pack the tent, the fly, the ground cloth & the rest of my gear.

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Mystic Camp to Granite Creek is only 5.5 miles up the trail. I’m past that by 10:00. The junction for the Northern Loop is just 3.3 miles up the trail. After another .7 miles you are at the 4 way junction for Mt. Fremont, Sourdough Ridge, The Wonderland, and Sunrise Visitor Center. Now I’m running into day hikers. The problem with day hikers/people is I like to talk. And I’ll talk to anyone/everyone. I even talked to a group of guys with the “Cascades Butterfly Project” .

2.1 miles from Sunrise to White River Campground and its all down hill (1,927′ Elev Loss). I’m 1/2 way down the hill when I run into some day hikers out for a walk. The two of them are out of water, not on their Campground Kiosk map and “lost”. Out comes my iPhone and I turn on the Guthook app. I give them the “good news”. It’s only 85 deg, only a mile to go and only 1,000′ of elevation to gain. With a huff they were off. If hindsight was close to 20/20, I would find a creek and filter some water for them.

I’m at the White River Campground and my VW is in the parking lot. I have done the Wonderland Trail. No, I didn’t get the FKT, but I didn’t get dead or hurt. I’ll take this as +. 11.78 Miles, 2,848′ Elev gain, 3,980 Elev. loss, time 6:07 . Time to change my clothes, walk to the White River, soak my feet and have a snack. With that done it’s time to drive home…..

Mt. Rainier / Wonderland Trail was great, I’ll be back!