Decided to take a chance and see if we could escape the smoke and haze by going up high for a scramble as weather blogs indicated smoke level at 5-6k'. Chose Echo Rock, approached from Mowich Lake at Mount Rainier. While the weather did clear up higher, we did not fully escape the haze even at 8000'. Even though we were right beside Rainier, and could hear major rockfall every 15 mins, we could only see an outline of the mountain. But turned out to be a good hike and scramble and we saw only a few other people the whole day, with no one going to Echo or Observation Rock as far as I can tell. It wasn't a super strenuous hike compared to what we are used to, but definitely was a little more winded due to the conditions. Partner brought an air quality monitor and measured 160-180 at the trailhead. Unfortunately, he forgot it in his trunk when we left for the hike! We had planned to measure throughout. Stats were 11.5 miles round trip, with 3300' gain. Weather was perfect otherwise, t-shirts and shorts the whole way and no wind. Perched atop Echo Rock, we decided to forgo an Observation Rock scramble due to smoky conditions. It was enough lung damage for one day. Gear included hiking boots, poles, and micro spikes. There's a good 30+ mins of snow travel required, but no harder than Muir snowfield. The snow was pretty firm, so it was good to have spikes in the steeper sections. The scramble portion is volcanic choss with lots of loose stuff, would have been good to wear a helmet in hindsight. 

Road and TH Conditions: Last 15 miles or so is gravel with minor washboard and occasional but infrequent potholes. Can be navigated in most vehicles. I chose to bring the higher clearance vehicle anyway. Was able to maintain a decent speed for the most part. TH is part of the camping area, so in great shape with clean restrooms and garbage facilities, picnic tables, etc. Met almost no one on the road the last 25 miles, but parking lot was surprisingly filled - maybe 15 cars. Still plenty of space. I assume many of them were camping as we saw some tents and groups. 

Trail Conditions: First 4 miles or so is a decent hard dirt path with lots of steps created by logs inserted across the trail, going through forest then into alpine meadows. Following that are boulder fields that alternate between hiking on the rocks and dirt paths. Finally you hit a small snow field up and down, traverse down more rock field and get on the final large snowfield that goes up to the base of Echo on the left and Observation on the right. The scramble up Echo is reasonably straight forward. Once you're in it, the path becomes clear. Lots of chossy rock and loose boulders all over, so you have step delicately. A few class 3 scramble moves here and there. The actual summit was very small, just enough for the 2 of us to take a photo before heading down 20 feet to an open ridge overlooking the outline of Rainier for lunch and a rest. I'm sure the views are amazing when not so hazy. 

I'll start by talking about the drive in and the drive out. The drive in wasn't too bad. We have a sedan and car made it with few problems. Beware that the road has wash boarding in it for most of the both ways with the drive down being worse. We left around after our hike when the sun was starting to set. We actually had to pull over because of the sun directly in our eyes. Now to the parking lot. It was our choice to leave early in the afternoon arriving around 2:30. We knew the lot would be full but didn't anticipate it being that full. Cars were parked on the side of the road for a half a mile past the parking lot. Again, that was our choice on a holiday weekend so that one is on us. We got lucky and found a spot in the parking lot.

Lot's of people at Mowich Lake so we decided to do that on the way back. There is a privy up by the campgrounds and trailhead. It was acceptable for the amount of use it was getting.

When we started our hike we were expecting the worst because of the parking situation. Once we were out on the trail we probably saw in the range of 15-20 people all day. People were courteous with the current situation we have going on stopping and turning away for each other as we passed. Your first option of side trails is Eagle's Cliff. This is a must on a clear day. The second side trail option is for Spray Falls. This is a must. Make sure to walk all the way to the falls and look up to your left. Hopefully it is a clear day for you because this is a spectacular view. Continue on up to Spray Park for around two miles to come upon the meadows. Flowers are past their full bloom but the meadows are still full of color. It was a clear day so we got great views of Echo Rock and Observation Rock. Mount Rainier is spectacular from these valleys. Makes me want to look into that.

It was a pretty warm day so pack plenty of water. Try to go on a clear day. It will be worth the wait.

7 days from Longmire to Ohanapecosh (via Spray Park, Sunrise, Owyhigh)

The main tl;dr (Sept 06-13):

• When I left the park (Sept 13), smoke blocked views of Rainier, and tended to hang in valleys with less wind. Could breathe fine and hike normally, though temps were cooler. Weather changes frequently, so this may no longer be relevant anymore.
• A few major, fresh downed trees blocked the trail in multiple spots between South Mowich and Mowich Lake. I reported it on Sep 09; unsure how long that'd take to clear. 
• River Crossings:
  • South Fork Mowich River has a somewhat tricky crossing south of the camp; follow the ribbons; you'll need to cross using two individual logs.
  • West Fork White River (east of Mystic camp) has a steep gravel slope that's easy to slip on.
  • White River (at the campground) has a lot of danger signs, asking people to walk alongside White River Rd. Bridge was fine, though late-season flows can suddenly increase.
  • No other major river hurdles I can recall. All crossings without logs can be done with minimal water exposure if you're skilled at balancing on rocks and have a pole for leverage. 
• Lake Mowich and White River camps both have first-come sites exclusively for backcountry hikers. Drive-in campers cannot use them. This may be helpful if you're unable to make it to your intended camp in time, or want a head start.
• You can call the WIC number starting 7am to request campsites changes on existing permits, though the phone line is slammed. Folks have had success with patrol rangers helping call in requests -- including Summerland and Indian Bar. The permit planning folks have a very meticulous process (they even placed me in a group camp although I'm a solo hiker, perhaps to combine with another solo).
• Sunrise Gift Shop / Snack Bar closed for the season on Sep 16. Longmire is open year-round. 
• Many creeks and smaller ponds have dried up. Large rivers on the west side (Puyallup, Mowich) are too silty to filter from. Check the trail conditions page from the MORA website for latest conditions.
• Not many mosquitoes; flowers mostly gone, and berries soon to follow. 

For more in-depth notes (mostly for my own recap), peruse my wanderings below:

[Day 1] Longmire to Lake George (via Devils Dream; S Puyallup)

Originally was supposed to get dropped off at Westside Road, but that would've made the day a mere 4.4mi. Opted instead for Longmire TH, departing at 9:15am, and crossed the double handrail bridges at Kautz Creek in an hour (2.8mi). Some cairns to follow, but fairly obvious. Devil's Dream (5.6mi) is notoriously mosquito-heavy, but late-season hiking meant they weren't so bad -- the midday sun, though, did bear down hard in the meadows. By 12:15pm, I reached Indian Henry's Patrol Cabin. An hour later, I reached the Tahoma Suspension Bridge (9.2mi), swaying slightly in the wind. The Tahoma Trail is still closed, though you can follow the river to Westside Road; expect it to be a slower though, as you climb rocks, sandbars, and traverse late-season meltflows. 

At around 3pm, I reached the highest point on the segment (12.4mi), following a rocky ridge that jutted towards Tahoma Glacier. The sun bore down hard, but the immense scale of Rainier was a deserved, breathtaking welcome for day 1. As I sped down the shady descent, I passed a number of exasperated Wonderlanders climbing in the opposite direction, also about to get their reprieve on the other side. Within an hour, I turned onto the South Puyallup Trail (14.1mi), and at 4:30pm, turned onto the Round Pass Trail (15.8mi), crossed Westside Road, and arrived at Lake George camp around 5:30pm (17.6mi). 

After setting up camp, I made an MRE dinner, placed it in a daypack, and hiked the mile up to the Gobbler's Knob lookout tower for a dramatic sunset dinner. (If Sunrise is on the east, Gobbler's Knob should definitely be renamed Sunset!) There is cell service at the lookout, with the best service on the trail at the corner underneath the physical tower. 

[Day 2] Lake George to South Puyallup (& daytrip to Klapatche; Denman Falls)

On the map, today would've been my shortest leg, at just 2.9mi. At 10:30am, I backtracked to South Puyallup River camp and dropped my tent and pack. I stuffed a daypack and started climbing up the steep Wonderland northbound around 1pm. The endless switchbacks (from 4030', peaking at 5980') were only slightly shaded, though copious late season salmonberries lined the trail as distractions to catch my breath, often growing into the trail.

Nearly two hours later at 3pm, I reached the peak of switchbacks (7.0mi from Lake George). The sandy path at the top sparkled with some distant volcanic ash glimmering in the sun. Cresting down from the ridge, the rounded cliff walls allowed pika echoes and raven caws to cascade throughout the empty valley, bouncing off loose scree. The first pond at the top was dried up, along with some creeks. St Andrews Lake, a mile after, made for a great lunch break with Rainier as a backdrop, and a much needed water refill. The lake is shallow enough for a potentially warm swim. 

The lake after was also dried, where a couple asked if I had seen any water sources -- I imagine most of the creeks they passed coming from the north were also dried up. Just before Klapatche camp, I turned left onto the St Andrews Trail to head back home towards camp. A shaded and well-groomed trail, I tightened my daypack and made the descent into a quick trail run. At the Westside Road junction, I checked out Denman Falls, a cute attraction just next to the road, with good pools for a splash (if you can handle frigid waters). When Westside Road was in service, this was likely a popular pullout attraction, but now forgotten due to its relative isolation. It's a good water source if you're in the area, too. Heading south on Westside Rd, I noticed the wildfire smoke (on Sept 08) as it turned the evening sky a brilliant crimson, the scent of campfire wafting through the valley.

South Puyallup River is too silty to get water; there's a creek about a half mile west from the camp on the South Puyallup trail, and a smaller trickle a third of a mile across the bridge up the northbound switchbacks. 

[Day 3] S Puyallup to S Mowich (via Westside Rd / N Puyallup Trail)

Because of permit unavailability, this was going to be one of my longer days at 18.3mi, with three major ascents. Since I already visited the segment to Klapatche, I decided to detour via South Puyallup Trail and Westside Road to save my legs, even though it would clock at just over 20 miles. With an estimated hiking time of 12hours, I woke at 6am and left camp just before 7am. 

At 90mins, I reached Denman Falls / junction of St Andrew Creek Trail (4.1mi). After reaching the top of Westside Road, I turned onto the N Puyallup Trail, which formerly was an extension of Westside Road (much longer ago), now reclaimed by trees. Around 3.5hrs, or 10:30am, I reached North Puyallup camp (5.4mi). Two decent vault toilets here overlook the valley. After a half hour break, I continued, crossing some bridges of tributaries to the North Puyallup River (at 75mins / 10.7mi, and 120mins later). By 12:45pm, I reached the top of the segment, and started the descent to Golden Lakes where I had a quick lunch on the calm and sunny shore. 

About 90mins north of Golden Lakes, or about 4miles north of the camp, there are two major treefalls. Both are just under a quarter mile apart, with fresh trees blocking the trail. You'll probably need to take your pack off to get through the branches. About 0.9mi north of the first treefall, another blockage is at the bend of a switchback. I tried to help remove some of the larger branches out of the way, and the next day, left a sticky with the coordinates at the patrol station, next to the cache bins. I also informed some rangers on the trail past Mowich Lake I saw the next day of the sticky. 

South Mowich river has been affected by seasonal runs, with the main log railbridge useless. Follow the colored tags and cross a log, and then look for the next log with a foothold carved into it. A large ribbon on a pole marks the recommended crossing point, which you can do keeping your feet mostly dry. 

At around 5:30pm, or 10.5 hours after I started, I finally arrived at South Mowich Camp (21.1mi). Even though it was longer, detouring via Westside Road definitely helped retain my stamina and reduced the overall hiking time. South Mowich is also too silty to get water from; the closest clean water is north of the camp just before the North Fork Mowich, about a quarter mile. 

[Day 4] South Mowich to Cataract Valley (via Spray Park)

I wanted to spend ample time in Spray Park, so left camp at 630am. By 9am (4.5mi), I reached a quiet Mowich Lake and took a quick walk through the camp area, where drive-in campers were just waking. I emptied my trash and admired the luxury of vault toilets with free toilet paper. I made a light breakfast at the patrol cabin and left my sticky about the downed trees from the previous morning. Caches were fairly full with lots of big buckets, and I left some coffee for future hikers to claim.

Turning onto the Spray Park trail, I met two park rangers doing some trailwork. By 10:30am (7.1mi), I reached Eagle Roost camp, and took the spur for Spray Falls -- which you absolutely should do. A couple turned around at the first falls (with the bridge); I later caught up with them and told them to take a peek at the actual, much larger falls further in. 

Once you break into the meadows at the top, there are a number of bootpaths. Some are to viewpoints, which people trampled over the years through fragile meadows. Some are actual paths, such as the steep path up Hessong Rock and Mt Pleasant, or the Knapsack Pass Trail back to Mowich Lake via First Mother. At 12:30pm (10.4mi), I turned right onto the path for Lee Peak, Echo Rock, and Observation Rock.

Though a path is well established, it easily gets lost in the rockfields with folks tramping through the delicate succulents. I met a day hiker coming down who said it took about 4.5 hours, but didn't make it all the way up Observation. Echo is snow free; the latter will need poles and spikes. There are glacial pools and meltstreams if you reach the tips of the patches comprising Flett Glacier. There's also a number of "helpful" cairns that seem to have been placed by various folks, following various bootpaths that are hard to see. Make sure you have coordinates or a detailed topo map for exploring to make sure you're headed to the right rock -- though you can visually triangulate with Echo and Observation towering nearby. Try to stick to bootpaths to protect the fragile plants. Mosquitoes were probs the most annoying here than anywhere on my trek! I easily spent over 4hrs here, so be mindful of the time.

I refilled water at a meltstream so icy and crisp, Evian water feels bland in comparison. Making my way down to the Wonderland, a couple large Himalayan-style cairn piles, and a (very) short stretch of hiking in the snow mark the crest into the dry Seattle Park. A small creek crossing later, you might get wet splashing through, but I jumped across fine. By 5:30pm (19.5mi) I arrived at Cataract Valley camp, and waved to the four parties already set up, all of which I passed earlier on the trails during the day. It was nice saying hi to "the village" of folks I've been playing trail tag with over the past few days. A creek running right through the camp was a great place to chat as we filled water. 

I got the farthest campsite (past the group camp and toilet), but was next to a talus field that echoed with pika squeaks into the night. Some mice or chipmunks rummaged through my washed cookware during the night, which I rinsed again the next morning (hantavirus!). 

[Day 5] Cataract Valley to Sunrise 

This was by far the longest day out of the entire trek, also about 20miles. Mystic was available when I requested my permit, but unfortunately that changed when I got my approval email. I woke at 5am, and left camp around 6am. By 7:15am (2.4mi) I reached the Carbon River Suspension Bridge. The trail climbs up to the left of the Carbon Glacier, with a torrential rush of meltwater, and the occasionally echoes of rocks falling down the glacier's face. Around 9:30am (7.0mi), the trail opens into a meadow with a single boulder in the center that's likely been a pedestal for plentiful Wonderland photo ops. The valley caught some amazing rays of morning sunlight, bouncing off Teton-like ridges to the left. After reaching the peak of the trail a half hour later, I reached Mystic Lake at 10:30am and whipped up some lunch. 

The West Fork White River was 20mins later, with a short ramp of loose gravel down to the actual crossing. Winthrop Creek followed about an hour after, with a handrail logbridge. At 2:15pm (13.8mi), I passed Granite Creek camp, and an hour later (3:15pm, 15.6mi) broke out from the fourth (!!) ascent of the day at Skyscraper Pass.

As I crossed over the dramatic ridge, a tiny Fremont Lookout sat perched on a distant ridge. Berkeley Park, the Burroughs, and the dry meadows of Sunrise emerged, a stark contrast to the forests of the past few days. Dayhikers also multiplied quickly, with small children joining the trail after the 5-way intersection near Frozen Lake. 

I continued on towards Sunrise Visitor Center, where I found a fairly deserted parking lot for an early September at 4pm. Info bulletins about regional wildfires (and the closure of Hwy 410) caught me up on the fire situation since I went off the grid earlier that week. I picked up my food cache, where some needed treats (fresh fruit!) were welcome. I stopped by the snack bar and picked up an iced tea and ice cream bar, but due to the fires, their phone lines were down and credit card info had to be written by hand. T-Mobile uses a tower on the southern edge of the parking lot, which I used to send a few texts. 

Back onto the trail where a few deer blocked my path, munching on their dinner. Less than 1.5mi ended at Sunrise camp, where I popped my tent to a surprisingly quiet night with overcast stars and constellations. For having started the day at Spray Park, I knocked out quickly. 

[Day 6] Sunrise to Tamanos Creek (via White River)

Given the exhausting day prior, I left camp at a late 9:30am, and made a quick stop at Sunrise Visitor Center again. I tried calling the WIC to see if I could land a spot at Summerland or Indian Bar, but gave up after about 10 attempts at clogged lines and dropped calls. The ranger station couldn't help, but I wasn't particularly in need of the reroute -- I'll be back sometime again. 

Smoke was definitely starting to thicken. It took me about an hour to get down to White River campground, with an uncooperative ankle upset at the strain of yesterday. On the way down I saw a large barred owl, and stopped midtrail to admire it. Two trail runners -- even though I pointed it out -- sidestepped me and ran right past, sending it fleeing. I wish they had walked for just that 10 feet ...

By 11:45am, I reached White River campground and noticed that like Mowich Lake, there were walk-in sites exclusively for backcountry hikers. At the actual river, a number of signs encouraged hikers to detour around the camp on White River Road, but the handrail logbridge was barely splashed by the water. An hour later (1pm), I reached the Fryingpan TH. Since Tamanos Creek is on the Owyhigh Lakes Trail, I would need to walk alongside the busy Sunrise Road (the ranger station said it is indeed ok to walk alongside roads). The low crowds from the Hwy 410 closure, and some one-lane road maintenance made it a low-stress 0.7mi roadway hike. 

It took about two hours to climb the empty Owyhigh Lakes trail to Tamanos Creek. Like much of the southeast side of the park, there was absolutely no water en route. After setting up camp around 3:30pm, I made the half-mile walk south to the Owyhigh Lakes (ponds, really). A bootpath led to the lakes where you can get water, though it isn't the most attractive source.

[Day 7] Tamanos Creek to Ohanapecosh 

I requested that my permit end at Ohana, where my housemate would stake out a campsite and wait for my arrival to shuttle me home.

I left Tamanos Creek at around 7am, with my ankles painfully keeping me up at night. I put two socks on the sore leg, and kept it elevated on my backpack during the night, which helped somewhat during the day. It may have been a good thing I couldn't secure Summerland or Indian Bar given the steep ascent on that segment of the Wonderland. If I was continuing my trek for more days, I would've definitely made this a rest day.

Smoke definitely increased substantially, but since I was following a river, I didn't really have views of Rainier to obscure, and somewhat of a constant breeze flowing through. By 9:30am, I reached the junction for the Eastside Trail; from here, you can head north past Tipsoo Lake and join the PCT. Deer Creek camp, at just two spots -- is a beautiful campground next to a secluded and misty part of the Ohanapecosh River, if you can manage to land a night here. I made lunch at a small cascade next to the bridge connecting to the 0.3mi spur to Hwy 123. 

The Eastside Trail is relatively flat and well established, with basically no elevation gain. I made a number of stops to take in the beautiful pools of emerald and azure water of the river, including Stafford Falls around noon (8.8mi). The smoke, mixed with the morning mist, made for a foggy trek in the style of stereotypical Pacific Northwest. 

Around 1:45pm, I heard folks playing in the river, as I neared the Grove of the Patriarchs. Just before the end of the Eastside Trail, a wasp stung my good leg, which left me a tired stumbling mess as I walked past families with my heavy packload. By the time I reached the suspension bridge, I probably looked like some awkward flex, lugging an immense survival pack while other folks were in t-shirts and flip flops.

At around 3pm, I reached the actual campground, and found a note waiting for me at the main bulletin board. Post-Labor Day, and wildfire smoke blotting out the sun, the crowds were much lighter than usual, but were comparatively chaotic compared to the quiet trails I had over the previous week. 

A late season trek, totally worth it given the few mosquitoes, decent weather (no rain! nothing above 85 degrees!), and relatively quiet park post-Labor Day. I was lucky to end right as the smoke built up, but the park fared well with some constant wind and the elevation.

This was a beautiful hike.  When we arrived into Spray Park, it was like walking into a Fairy Tale...It reminded me of some scenes from the movie Maleficent (when she was not mean and grumpy).  The bugs were crazy and constant, but a the evidence of beautiful meadows and wildflowers every where.  There was a constant buzzing noise.  Maybe they were fairies and not bugs?  Lots of bug spray, long sleeve shirt and pants, hood up on my hoodie and I managed to spend about an hour in the park with only 13 bites.  It was worth it.  Other hikers mentioned they saw a bear and cubs.  I didn't get the privilege this time.  I highly recommend checking this place out.  It is a sight to see. 

The road is NOT closed 5 miles before the trailhead and it was in relatively great shape - hardly any potholes.

This hike is one of my favorites and this year's trip was exceptional, with a cobalt blue sky and lots of wildflowers in bloom. The only down-side was that the bugs were exceptional also, making it unpleasant to hang out and enjoy the stunning views of the Mountain (even stopping to take pictures, I felt rushed by the need to wave away mosquitoes).