A Glorious Weekend on Rainier’s Northern Loop: Day 1
6:45 am, Friday, September 6. I stand in my kitchen, wiping the bleary sleepiness from my eyes as I do a final pass on my backpacking checklist. (I forgot important items – a spoon, a charging cord – too many times this year, so I finally resorted to making and printing a list for every trip.)
Just as I reach the end of the list, I hear a gentle tap on my front door. My six hiking buddies are meeting at my house to carpool to the trailhead, and the first one has arrived. 30 minutes and one coffee stop later, we are on the way to Mount Rainier National Park (MRNP) to hike the Northern Loop Trail.
The Northern Loop
I have wanted to tackle the Wonderland Trail, the 93-mile loop around the entirety of Mount Rainier, ever since I learned of its existence. Unfortunately, the permit lottery has not worked in my favor. Thankfully, my good friend Margaret was able to get permits for the Northern Loop, which is rumored to be a good taste-test for the Wonderland, and beautiful on its own.

The Northern Loop Trail is the top right loop trail on this map, where the arrow indicates. The large loop around Mt Rainier is the Wonderland Trail.
Sources differ widely on how many miles the Northern Loop actually is. I’ve seen sources describe it as anywhere from 30-45 miles with 6000-10,000 feet of gain. I don’t understand the discrepancies, but I do know that our permit calls for about 32 miles and 10,000 feet of gain, and the same amount of loss. It is certainly a challenging hike.
The Northern Loop does overlap with about 11-12 miles of the Wonderland Trail before it veers off and explores some areas north. It includes the Carbon Glacier (lowest-altitude glacier in the lower 48), the Carbon suspension bridge, Grand Park, and many more well-known sights of the park.
In all, it’s a rugged and beautiful way to get a taste of MRNP and the Wonderland Trail.
The Permit Part
MRNP, like many national parks, holds a spring advanced lottery. Successful entrants get a date and time to log in early and hope to get the route/camp/plan of their choice. Then, hikers must actually pick up their permit in person at a ranger station in the park.
We arrive at the White River Ranger Station a little before 10 am. We’ve been warned that lines to pick up permits can be lengthy, but we get through quickly. A September start likely means we’ve avoided the longest lines of the peak summer season. The ranger, who clearly has dealt with the public, quickly and efficiently walks us through the details of our permit:
Sunrise to Mystic Camp – 8.5 miles: Day 1
Mystic Camp to Carbon River – 5 miles: Day 2
Carbon River to James Camp – 7 miles: Day 3
James Camp back to Sunrise – 11 miles: Day 4
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I really appreciate this personalized walk-through. He points out potentially difficult water crossings, recent animal sightings, and wildflower status. He mentions that on Day 3, we will face “the hardest climb in the entire park” up to Yellowstone Cliffs, intel I greatly appreciate.
It can be inconvenient to stop and pick up a permit in person, but the information we receive is invaluable.
We drive a little further up to the Sunrise entrance to the park, greeted by ever more astounding views of Mama Tahoma as we get closer. (Tahoma is the indigenous name for the mountain.) It’s a little smoky today from a nearby fire, but the views are still stunning.
We park in the dirt overnight lot and start gathering ourselves for the hike. Two backpackers nearby notice us and come over. “How much water are you carrying?”
When we each mention 1-2 liters, their faces look relieved. They were planning to take quite a bit more, and are relieved to know they may not need to. They are from somewhere with much less frequent water availability and are thrilled to adjust their expectations. We wish them well and head out on our hike.
Today is “not too bad,” at least compared to Days 3-4. We have about 8.5 total miles to our campsite with about 2000 gain and even more loss. This starts with about 400 feet of immediate gain over .7 mile. It’s a reasonable warm-up for the rest of day, but a bit of a wake-up call. It’s not bad, but does feel tiring. Thankfully, there are amazing views the entire way to Frozen Lake, the first notable waypoint. (Frozen Lake is part of the local watershed and not accessible.)
Ame shoots us all a dirty look as she reaches the top. She’s clearly wary about what she is getting herself into on her fourth ever backpacking trip.
The Group
I am hiking with six friends on this journey today. Most of them are frequent hiking partners as well as friends and colleagues.

At the start. Clockwise from left: Ruth (me), Julia, Margaret, Lauren, Ame, Willi, and Markdavin. (Photo credit Markdavin Obenza)
Margaret – The wonderful human who was able to acquire the permit and was willing to share it with us all. We are fellow singers and outdoor lovers. Margaret has taught me a ton about the PNW hidden hiking gems.
Markdavin -Margaret’s husband and the director of a few of the professional choirs I sing with. He has been on an incredible fitness journey this year and is now leaving us all in his dust on his way up mountains.
Julia – A fellow singer and talented athlete in her own right who doesn’t ever seem to get winded, somehow.
Willi – Mark’s brother and and accomplished photographer, carrying his heavy camera to catch what I know will be amazing photos of the mountain.
Lauren – Another accomplished singer who has also been on a fitness journey and is quite capable of leaving us all in her dust, as well.
Ame – Lauren’s college friend, joining us for her fourth-ever backpacking trip. She’s in great shape, otherwise we wouldn’t have done this to her, but I secretly hope we don’t destroy her newfound love for the sport on this trip. This is my first time meeting her.
Margaret, Mark, Julia, and Lauren all recently completed the Enchantments thru-hike in one day, and I joined them for the first section of the hike. Everyone here is quite accomplished, and while I am a strong hiker, I am not fast.
I, too, have been on a fitness journey, but of a slower sort. I love walking long distances at slow speeds. Starting on this immediate climb today, I am wary that I will slow everyone else down. I worry they may eventually stop inviting me on these trips. My worries are silly, but they persist. My instinct as a result is to push myself, but rationality wins: I can’t push myself too hard on the first day of a trip. I have to save it for the hard days ahead.
Clockwise We Go!
2.2 miles into our hike, having already seen countless tourists and one very sassy marmot, we arrive at the split for the Northern Loop. Here, hikers can veer north to travel counterclockwise on the loop, or stay westbound on the Wonderland Trail for a clockwise journey. We head west, staying on the Wonderland for another two days.
This direction means that we immediately climb another 400+ feet in .7 miles, but it’s a lovely climb to Skyscraper Pass. This is the first in-our-face view of the mountain. She is a little hazy from the nearby smoke, but she is right there, fully visible. I can’t help but grin. Even living in Seattle, where I see her frequently, this is completely different. This is a massive mountain from any viewpoint, and being this close makes it all the more impressive.
A September Heat Wave
In addition to smoke, the other factor we are dealing with is a final summer heat wave. In parts of the park it will exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit today. At the top of Skyscraper Pass, it is easily in the 80’s. It is nearing lunch time, but we all are in agreement that a shaded lunch near water is in order. The pass is stunning but fully exposed to the hot sun.
For those traveling clockwise on the Loop, the descent following Skyscraper Pass is the first real hint of how spiky MRNP’s trails are. We lose 2200 feet over 3.3 miles before the next climb, which will be quite steep itself. Now, we start to see how the Wonderland tests your knees and quads.
We stop at Granite Creek camp one mile into the descent. The camp itself is shaded and cool, and just past it is the creek with plenty of spots to sit and relax. I make myself an electrolyte drink along with my lunch, feeling the drain of the sun and the effort. (LMNT watermelon salt – seriously so, so delicious.) The break is exactly what we needed, and we restart the climb down to Winthrop Glacier with renewed vigor.
I find myself in a rhythm on the descent, chatting distractedly with Julia and Margaret. The hike starts in the wooded forest, a clear and pleasant trail ahead. That changes as we get closer to the Winthrop Glacier. The trail gets steeper and progressively rockier. The rocks are loose and footing gets insecure. In a moment of distraction, I slip and fall, and Julia follows shortly. We’re both fine, but it’s a reminder that this is no ordinary trail: here, nature is completely in command and will remind you frequently.
On one bend, the view opens through the trees and I get my first view of the glacier.
I have never seen a glacier so close up before.
It is hard to describe, but it looks like an alien landscape. Loose, dark rock covers blue-tinted packed ice, full of wide rivets and gashes. As we continue the hike toward it, the sound of booming rockfall suddenly crashes across the valley. We freeze. This sound, I learn, is common, as the glacier slowly moves and carries rocks with it, rolling off the surface. It reminds me how wild this landscape truly is.
To add to this reminder, we find a bridge hovering mere inches over the wild, rushing water of the Winthrop Creek. The glacier melt is milky and fast, lapping over the edges of the skinny bridge. Where some trails have large, sturdy bridges, here the spring runoff and oft-changing glacial landscape makes that difficult. Bridges don’t last. This bridge has only been here a few years and is made of local downed trees.
Each year, as the snowmelt allows rangers access to the trail again, they make note of what bridges did and didn’t survive the winter. They try to return and add bridges at all of the difficult crossings, but that sometimes doesn’t happen until August. Early season hikers frequently face extremely difficult choices as a result.

Mark crosses the river first. You can see how close the water is to the bridge. Photo credit Margaret Obenza.
I don’t have a fear of heights, but crossing this bridge with just one handrail over the quickly rushing runoff makes my stomach turn. One wrong step on the slippery, skinny surface, and that’s it.
The river crossings are the part of the Wonderland Trail that I worry most about. That’s why I opted not to go for a solo walk-up permit this year. The Northern Loop may just be a small taste of the overall Wonderland, but I hope it will show me whether I can do the whole trail solo next year. This bridge was a good test.
Mystic Camp
There are other crossings today on forks of this creek, but they are much simpler. In this glacial valley, the land is wilder, carved and re-carved by the glacial meltwater. Parts are sandy and loose, and cairns are the only guide across the landscape. Soon enough, we start climbing again, our last trial until camp.
At the tail-end of our day’s hike, we are more spread out. Mark and Willi take off up the hill immediately, and Julia and Margaret are shortly behind. I find myself alone on this short climb for the first time today. My earlier worries of being left behind surface, but the truth is, it’s nice to have some peace. I cannot talk while I climb anyway, so I can just go my own pace. This climb isn’t messing around, either. Switchbacks clearly are optional to these trail-builders.
I come around a bend to see the faster folks gathered at the sign for the Mystic Group Camp, our site for the night. And what a site it is!
Of all three campsites we have on this trip, this is by far the nicest group site. It’s a double group site, though we are the only ones who occupy it tonight. It has its own privy and water source, a clear, bubbling creek in the back. We are far removed from the other sites.
It’s perfect.
We set up camp and decide to head up to Mystic Lake to catch the sunset before dinner. Before we go, though, we need to acquaint ourselves with the bear pole. In all my hiking, I’ve only ever used a bear can, an Ursack, or a traditional bear hang. This is completely new.
In the middle of the campsite is a tall pole with a smaller pole hanging off of it. At the top are six short poles sticking out, like petals of a flower. We each navigate using the smaller pole to place our food bags on one of the hangs. It works! I appreciate the ability to carry a lighter weight food bag on this trip as a result.
The sunset over the lake is hazy but made more vivid by the smoke. We return to camp to eat our dinners. It is still hot, but quickly cools during dinner, a leisurely affair. With only a 5 mile, mostly descending day tomorrow, we can take it easy and sleep in. When some folks decide to return to the lake for stargazing, I gladly crawl into my tent, ready for another beautiful day.
Day 1 Mileage: 8.8 miles
Elevation gain/loss: 1930 gain/ 2820 descent
Highlight: Winthrop Glacier
Lowlight: Too hot and smoky
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Comments 4
Ruth, you can definitely solo the Wonderland Trail next year! I did it earlier this year and it was amazing. You can check out my blog of it here on The Trek. — George Sibley
Awesome! I just found your posts and look forward to reading them!
Hi Ruth!! It’s us, the guys from the South asking how much water you were bringing. Thanks for the advice!! We were quite relieved to not carry our normal 6-8 liters. I was reading your article, and thought “boy that sounds familiar”, but when I saw your pictures, I knew! We had a great trip too! Thanks again and happy trails!
Hi! Awesome to ‘see’ you again! Tune in for Day 3’s blog, where you return (if briefly).
I love the way backpackers help each other, and am glad we helped you carry less water! If I ever come out your way, I’ll definitely need lots of tips.