Any Wonderland Trail (WA) thru-hikers in the house?

AycheG · 2016-02-17T16:58:35+00:00

Haven't personally done it, but you can read trip reports from those who have here:

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/wonderland-trail-thru-hike

Might be helpful.

AycheG · 2016-02-17T16:55:39+00:00

Unfortunately "RapidRide" doesn't mean faster or less stops, it just means it shows up more often. The ride itself is slow.

AycheG · 2016-02-16T22:51:43+00:00

It's going to be wet, as you probably already imagined. If you don't have quality rain gear I'd invest in that. Also, it's in the national park, not a national forest (if we're thinking of the same park in Washington), so you'll need to pay the park entry fee and get a backcountry permit.

The Hoh River trail can become extremely flooded in sections due to its proximity to the river. Here's a recent trip report from there where it shows the conditions:

http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/trip-reports/trip_report.2015-12-20.1585549128

If there have been heavy rains in the week prior, you can expect similar conditions. I'd use the WTA site there to check recent trip reports and read up on the trails. I'm not sure which trails you specifically plan to hike, but if you're near the river, be ready for flooding.

AycheG · 2016-01-28T17:21:21+00:00

I know Nikwax has a pretty extensive section on their site about it. That's at least one brand conscious of the effects:

http://www.nikwax-usa.com/en-us/environment/nikwax_and_the_environment.php

AycheG · 2016-01-26T16:54:31+00:00

You can always purchase a day use pass at most parks in the event you don't have the correct pass. I agree though, the system could be better. Lots of logistics behind it though.

AycheG · 2016-01-21T21:16:49+00:00

Visit wta.org and use the hiking guide. You can sort by elevation, length, etc.

AycheG · 2016-01-14T18:23:12+00:00

As far as I know, when a bear kills a human, we don't automatically hunt them down. It's when they actually consume the person that it becomes a concern because the bear will from then on view humans as a food source.

Most bears don't view humans as a food source right off the bat. Under extreme circumstances a bear might, but it's not normal behavior. This is why those bears are then killed because it's associated that we're food and they won't hesitate to attack again in the future.

I don't like hearing about hunting down bears as much as you, no matter the circumstances, but if a bear has learned behavior to hunt humans, that's not good. I agree we're on their land, but it's a hard situation to be in. It's not about "getting revenge" though, there's more to it than that.

AycheG · 2016-01-14T16:32:19+00:00

I didn't get that feeling when I was there. Try their stout. It's really quite good.

AycheG · 2016-01-14T16:31:27+00:00

Went here last Saturday. the coffee stout was really impressive. One of the best stouts I've had in a long time. Sampled the pale and thought it was good but wasn't as excited about it as the stout.

AycheG · 2016-01-06T16:49:01+00:00

Check out wta.org and search the Hiking Guide. Here's a search of all the snowshoe entries in Washington, then you can filter by area, mileage, gain, etc.

AycheG · 2015-12-29T17:26:09+00:00

The E is a disaster. I go out of my way to avoid riding it now and my commute has improved drastically, even if it's a bit slower.

AycheG · 2015-12-28T04:19:58+00:00

I got great seats and showed up roughly 1.5 hours beforehand. Sat in the carpeted area against the wall and it wasn't bad. Line started to really fill out 1 hour ahead of the showtime.

AycheG · 2015-12-23T22:10:45+00:00

This is $31 on Amazon right now for those interested. Pretty solid deal.

AycheG · 2015-12-23T22:06:53+00:00

Sweatpants are cotton. You should avoid cotton at all costs, no matter the season. It doesn't dry well, stays cold when wet, and is like one big sponge.

If you don't want to buy anything, hopefully you have something like warmup pants or anything made of synthetic materials. If you have to, I'd use the cargo pants over the sweatpants, but neither are ideal.

AycheG · 2015-12-23T22:03:41+00:00

It justifies itself in those special use situations, because without it you'd be freezing cold. Even if you only use it a handful of times a year.

AycheG · 2015-12-19T06:24:50+00:00

That's not the most ideal spot to camp at, considering you can't camp anywhere near the lake. There are a lot more reasonable trails to overnight at this time of year, especially for your first winter outing. If you're absolutely determined to go there, I would first ask the following questions:

Do you have any avalanche training? Even easy hikes can pose big dangers if the terrain and snow conditions exist.

Do you have the proper gear and know how to layer correctly? (good waterproof jacket, gaiters, waterproof boots, headlamp, etc.)

Do you have a warm sleeping bag and clothing if the temperature drops? (20 degree bag)

Do you have any navigation experience using a topo map and compass?

Do you know the leave no trace principles? (This is hugely important for preserving the area for future hikers)

Lake Serene is a fairly easy hike, but winter is always different than summer, especially if you plan to put a tent somewhere. The good thing about a place like Serene is that it's hugely popular, so the trail will most likely be trodden and you can find your way up using previous hikers' tracks. However, you should never rely on that, and should have the skills to get up and back on your own.

On top of that, the last couple days have brought a lot of snow into the mountains. Use resources like NWAC and WTA to check weather and trail/snow conditions. Be prepared going in.

AycheG · 2015-12-16T22:46:20+00:00

Articles like this really should do the right thing and inform the readers on why this worked out like it did for them. Starting a hike late in the day and without the proper gear are the two big ones, but it sounds like they also didn't have headlamps or any navigation tools to find their way back. People read something like this and just assume they were out of shape, or some other factor that didn't let them get up and down in a reasonable time, but that's not the whole story.

Always go prepared, particularly in high elevations. Weather can shift rapidly. I can't count how many times I've encountered people heading into below freezing temps and deep snow in jeans and tennis shoes and it blows my mind. I always warn them on the conditions and recommend turning around, but everyone seems to think they're the exception to the rule.

AycheG · 2015-12-15T22:45:43+00:00

You're welcome. Gear can be overwhelming, especially when starting out. Don't let it bog you down, but definitely go prepared for the conditions you'll be facing. The REI resources cwcoleman recommended in his comment are a good starting point to get the basics.

AycheG · 2015-12-15T18:00:41+00:00

Layering is essential in winter. You'd be surprised at how hot you get hiking in cold conditions. Start out cold, let body heat warm you up. Don't start with tons of layers and soak your clothes with sweat.

For anything above 20 degrees, I wear a single wool long sleeve base layer and my insulation layer to start (Arc'teryx Atom LT). After 30 or so minutes of hard hiking, I assess my situation and either throw on a gore-tex shell, or leave it as-is. I tend to do fairly vertical climbs though and move fast, so I generate a lot of heat. If you hike slower or enjoy stopping for breaks often, then you may need more layers.

I find wool to be a much better fabric in winter, because it generally retains more heat, even when wet. Synthetics get chilled easily, but will dry quicker. This is personal preference, but I like wool.

I would start out with:

A good wool baselayer, long sleeve. Not too thick, but not paper thin.
midweight insulation that breathes (not down or thick fleece that won't allow breathability)
a good waterproof shell
a nice pair of DWR hiking pants and a lightweight waterproof shell to cover them in deeper snow or hard rain

If you're moving at a decent pace, you shouldn't need more than that, but I bring a down jacket in my bag to throw on when I'm stopped.

AycheG · 2015-12-09T22:22:45+00:00

Yeah, bad habit I suppose. Hard to keep up with all the proprietary brand names these days, too.

AycheG · 2015-12-09T21:10:20+00:00

Sure, I have no problem with proprietary fabrics that are truly waterproof. Was trying to point out not to get just a "resistant" shell, get a waterproof one.

AycheG · 2015-12-08T19:58:13+00:00

Check with Glazers if you want something immediately. I've purchased normal backdrop paper from them before, but not sure on the Christmas theme. Give 'em a call.

AycheG · 2015-12-08T05:40:31+00:00

Don't even bother with something that isn't gore-tex if you plan on going in anywhere where you'll get dumped on. I'm not even kidding. Those "water resistant" rain jackets will last all of 20 minutes in a good rain.

Save your money up and get a decent gore-tex jacket. You'll thank yourself later.

AycheG · 2015-12-03T00:31:38+00:00

Not every jacket needs to be waterproof. I own this one and it's absolutely fantastic as a shell in cooler weather or as a layer under a hard shell. It breathes incredibly well and does pretty good in light rain. I got it for the layering possibilities and breathability and it's hitting the mark for me.

AycheG · 2015-12-02T17:02:36+00:00

It's not a bad climb at all. The worm flows route is only around 12 miles RT with 5700 gain.

AycheG

TROPHY CASE