Absolutely beautiful! The trail is in good shape, it's 4 feet wide dry and smooth to the main creek crossing.Two can walk abreast easily the whole way, which is a bit strange on a trail, I guess it's maintained that way due to heavy use. The bridges are in good shape. Above the creek crossing there is some rapidly melting snow patches on the switchbacks, not dangerous, none very large. Mud patches exist near the snow. The avalance lilies are in in full bloom on the hillside,in some places it is like a sea of lilies. THe summerland meadows are mostly snowfree, the marmots are very tame. We did not hike beyond summerland to the gap, but we could see people crossing a large snowfield to do so. I should note that the National Park day use fee has to be paid for this area,and the trailhead parking is restricted, no dogs are allowed, and portion of the road to Sunrise that goes along the White river is the bumpiest paved road I think I have ever been on. Nausea-inducing roller-coaster type bumpiness, not a problem for the car, mostly for the passengers. However, the jaw-dropping Mt. Ranier scenery makes up for all that.

Summerland Avalanche Lilies and Marmot photo shoot 7-1-09
I set out for Sunrise today not knowing which trail I would pick, I stopped at the ranger station and after chatting with the rangers and they said the marmots are out at Summerland so it was an easy choice for me. I started up at 9:15, way later than I should have for a hot day! I forgot what summer hiking was like, you got to start earlier and bring more water! I will remember that going forward. By 10:00 it was hot in the shade even. I stopped and chatted with a nice woman Michelle and her two sons, I think. They were camping at White River and going to do part of the Wonderland trail in August. I told them some other trails to do in the area. We frog hopped over each other a few times and they set up towards Panhandle gap. Trail is in great shape, about 6 spots of steep snow but nothing too bad, bugs are starting to come out. I had lunch on my favorite rock and watched the marmots for a long time. We had a bit of a photo shot. I was in heaven! I could watch these guys all day! One guy said he saw a bear around 11:00 in the meadow to the right of the big bridge. I didn’t see any today…bummer.
Today was definitely an epic hike for me. 9 miles of bliss - 6 hours car to car. The photo shoots really slow me down. I can’t wait to go back in a month or so when snow is melted and flowers are out.

Set out with Brooklake hikers (4 of us) on trail in cool but clear conditions. At 0.1 mile the trail joins the Wonderland trail. Trail is thru forest along Fryingpan Creek. Nice views at about 2 miles down to the creek as it crashes thru narrow gorge. At 3 miles the trail crosses the creek and steepens as the trail switchbacks to Summerland. Nice views of the Rainier summit and Little Tahoma before the trail heads back into the forest. We arrived at the shelter at Summerland and nobody else was there! Had lunch and took in awesome views. Not a lot of wildlife other than gray jays and chipmunks trying to get some food. After lunch 3 of the 4 of us decided to head up to Panhandle Gap (however, Ricky, who had decided to head back to the car, would later be talked into changing his mind by a nice female NP Ranger who was heading up that way!) The trail up to the Gap was icy in places but mostly with rocks exposed for footing. Brooks, streams, and waterfalls were all partially frozen with pretty ice crystal and icicle formations. Some fresh powder on trail near the Gap. The slope just before Panhandle Gap was shaded, very windy, and very cold! But worth it for the awesome views. Views of Mt Adams, and Mt Hood and other points south and east as well as, of course, Rainier, Little Tahoma, etc. We scrambled up a knob just above Panhandle Gap. Heading down we ran into Ricky, who we expected not to see until the car, with the Ranger. She was heading up to Indian Bar (and back to Summerland the same day!). Marielle decided to go up with Ricky. We waited at the Summerland shelter for their return. Talked to a group who were setting up camp in the shelter. They were going to attempt some of the Cowlitz Chimneys tomorrow. After R & M's return we headed back. Probably 12 miles on the day + or -. Great hike. Would like to come back here earlier next year to see the wildflowers in bloom. Definitely better weather than when we hiked it in Oct 2006, cloudy all day then.

We took our homestay student from Japan on the Summerland trail at Mount Rainier and then hiked to Panhandle Gap to see the views from there. We appreciated very much the new footlog over the creek on the way to Panhandle Gap. There was no snow at all on the trail to Summerland and only a small, level, easily traversed patch as we began to ascend toward Panhandle Gap; I did not want to check this under trail issues.

The fall colors were out. Flowers were gone except for some pearly everlasting, alpine asters toward the end of their bloom, and gentian. We saw lots of marmots on the rocks above the meadow at Summerland. When we got to Panhandle Gap, we saw goats on a hillside in the distance through binoculars. We had views of Mount Rainier from various points along the trail and a view of Mount Adams from Panhandle Gap. The day was beautiful with a cloudless blue sky and a slight breeze.