Carbon River

During one of the worst winters for avalanche conditions in recent memory, it's nice to find a trail that is snowy yet safe.  This week's best bet is the Carbon River Road.  Some winters the snow barely touches this place.  This winter is different!  And the white stuff makes walking this road quite a bit of fun.

As a bit of background, Mt. Rainier National Park's Carbon River Road was washed out in several places due to torrential rains in 2006.  This wasn't the Carbon River Road's first wash-out, but it was it's worst. 

As a result, the road is gated at the ranger station, 4.6 miles short of Ipsut Creek Campground and the trailheads to several favorite hiking trails.  Feet and bikes are now allowed on the road and the new portions of trail that bypass the wash-outs.

WTA volunteers spent a week on the Carbon River in March 2007 removing large obstacles and building a reroute that skirts the washed out road. Photo by Dave H.

This area was an absolute mess a year ago.  But thanks to the efforts of lots of volunteers, the major blow-downs are gone and new trail has been built to the campground.  A WTA Volunteer Vacation crew spent a week building new tread here last March (see photo), and a new crew will be back in '08.

Now is a great time to enjoy this easy stroll along the Carbon River and beneath huge old growth Douglas Fir and cedar.  It's snowy, serene and beautiful.  And it's also humbling to witness what a powerful storm can do.  Check out the diameter of the trees that trail crews sawed through and how it is hard to recognize in places that this was ever a road.

Go as far as you'd like - or use this road as a hoping off point to longer hikes to Green Lake (10 miles r.t.), the Carbon River Glacier (about 16 miles r.t. - read up on the reroute before going!), or other trails out of Ipsut Campground.  As of this writing, snowshoes are advised along the road.