Panhandle Gap

On 8/19/2014, mentored leader John Eliasson led nine Mountaineer day hikers on a 12 mile round trip to Panhandle Gap following the Wonderland Trail from the Fryingpan Creek/Summerland Trailhead. On this Tuesday, we left a full trailhead parking lot at 9:00 am and reached Panhandle Gap at 12:30 pm. We were back at the trailhead at 4:00 pm. The wildflowers were starting to retreat at the Summerland Meadow but not the wasps which we encountered just below the meadow (no one was bit). There were couple of small patches of compact snow on the last part of trail up to Gap. Using a walking stick and avoiding icy conditions in the early morning and evening made the passage easier.