Basic Backpack - Northern Loop (Mount Rainier)

If you are a backpacking leader with any branch, you are welcome to request leader permission at any time. Otherwise, leader permission requests will be accepted starting May 18. Requests received before this date will not be answered, although you are welcome to ask any questions before and after this date. Anyone who registers without leader permission will be removed from the roster and will not be able to request permission afterwards. Please read all the information below when requesting permission, otherwise your request will not be considered.

A spectacularly rugged and wild loop through the northern area of Mount Rainier National Park, this is a bucket-list route for many people and we are lucky enough to get permits. Traverse parkland meadows, alpine tundra, old-growth forest, glacial moraine, high passes, and low valleys. Here is the WTA description. This is a strenuous route: participants should be comfortable with day-over-day mileage/elevation and have prior experience with multi-night backpacking trips. Basic Backpacking Skills badge required.

Goals, Expectations, & Style

Curious if this trip would be a good fit for you? Please read through these carefully.

Trip Goals

• Come home safely, even if that means we don’t complete the trip as planned
• Minimize our impact on the park infrastructure, other users, and the natural world
• Enjoy a beautiful and challenging route at a pace that allows for side trips and leisurely breaks
• Enjoy downtime in camp and the camaraderie of a multi-day trip

Participant Expectations

• Enjoy backpacking in a group. This is not the right trip for you if you prefer to hike ahead on your own, eat dinner on your own, or... you get the idea. 
• Be able to commit to the dates. This is a likely to be a popular trip. If you cancelled from a lot of backpacking trips in the last two years, this is not the right trip for you and you will probably not receive leader permission. Please note that this is a Saturday - Tuesday trip.
• Be confident on the terrain and with possible challenges of this route at this time of year, including a high-flow river crossing, a very tall suspension bridge, under-resourced infrastructure, mosquitoes, inclement weather, and bear encounters. 
• Travel as one group and stay within visual distance of the group. 
• Have the fitness required for this trip’s daily mileage and elevation gain with a 4-day pack at an easy/moderate pace of 1-1.5 mph uphill and 1.5-2.5 mph downhill.
• Be comfortable with adjusting plans and maintain a kind and collaborative attitude through challenging conditions or situations.
• Communicate any concerns, illness, injury, or issues to the group leader before they become serious. This may include issues that arise before the trip that would impact ability to be successful.
• Abide by decisions made by the group or the trip leader, even if they don’t align with your individual goals.

Travel Style

• Take the opportunities for side trips or long breaks at viewpoints as they arise
• Respect folks who prefer to chat on the trail and folks who prefer to be quiet; ideally everyone on this trip prefers a mix of both. 
• Sit together during dinner, potentially at a spot a short walk from camp if there is a viewpoint or respite from bugs.
• Agree each evening upon a boots-on-trail time for the next day, and adjust your own morning routine accordingly.

ROUTE

We have the group site at all camps, but you should be comfortable sharing limited space and potentially doubling up tent pads. Camps have bear poles, so an Ursack or waterproof sack should be sufficient for food hangs. There are also toilets at backcountry camps, but do bring a trowel and blue bags just in case. This can be peak huckleberry season, which also means bears! We will stay together and make good choices so we do not disturb them. Do not bring bear bells or bear spray. 

Day 1 (Sat): Sunrise to Fire Creek Camp

~7 miles, elevation TBA

Aim to get an early start from Sunrise, but otherwise this day is all berries, meadows, and beautiful vistas!

Day 2: Fire Creek Camp to Carbon River Camp - long day

~13 miles, elevation TBA

Get an early start so we can cross the glacial West Fork White River as early as possible, then some uphills and rolling terrain through the most remote part of the loop. Possible side trips to see the natural bridge (adds 1.8 miles total) or Tyee Peak saddle. Last few miles are mostly downhill, cross famous suspension bridge right before camp.

Day 3: Carbon River Camp to Mystic Lake Camp

~5 miles, +3200/-800

Short, leisurely day will allow for side explorations and enjoying meadows, berries, and lakes.

Day 4 (Tues): Mystic Lake Camp to Sunrise

~ 9 miles, +3000’/-2100

Cross Winthrop Creek, optional side trip to Skyscraper Mountain. Icecream and drinks at Sunrise?

PERMISSON REQUEST AND REGISTRATION

This is a bucket-list trail for many people, and ensuring preparedness and style compatibility are important for a successful trip. Leader permission requests will be accepted starting May 18, or any time if you are a backpacking leader. In your leader permission request, please address:

• Have you completed at least one backpack trip of 2 or more nights in the last two years? This is a requirement. Please do not request permission if this does not apply to you. The trips do not have to be club trips.
• Have you read the complete posting, including all the leader notes, goals, expectations, travel style, and required equipment? Are you committed to starting and completing the trip as described?
• Does any part of the participant expectations cause you concern? Is any part of the travel style different than your preferred style? Please explain.
• We intend to keep the group together at a pace of 1-2.5 mph. This may feel slow to some people and fast to others. What do you think about this pace? 
• What trips have you taken in the last 12 months that have prepared you for a trip like this? 
  For each trip, please provide: mileage, elevation, number of days, and the maximum distance/gain you had in a single day
• Do you have experience with challenging river crossings? Please explain. We will need to cross two large glacial streams.

After registering, please reimburse the leader $37 for the permit cost (Rainier is expensive this year!). If you need to cancel and someone else can take your spot, you will connect with that person to receive a reimbursement from them.

TBA, probably White River Ranger Station around 6:30am or whenever they open.