Rain was falling as we began our hike on Wonderland trail from Longmire to Narada Falls. The trail is in great shape from the recent work, with extensive new bridge work underway. We encountered a few deer, cheerful NPS staffers, a few hikers and then snow at 3500 feet on this lovely trail which crosses the Nisqually River and tributaries such as Paradise River. We enjoyed close views of the tumbling Madcap and Carter Falls before arriving at Narada Falls for lunch at the hut. Heading back down the trail our yaktrax came in handy for a short distance,the snow quickly turning to slush. Very interesting day we were happy to experience. Stats; 9 miles RT with 1970 ft gain to Narada Falls hut. Maps; GT 269 + 270 Mount Rainier E + W

Drove to the Ohanapecosh area today, I had never been past Reflection Lakes. It was a cloudy/misty morning. The mountain was hiding all day. Did the short hike (3 miles total) to Silver Falls it was pretty enough. But I need more of a challenge. This trail is great for children. I made a few side trips Laughing Water Creek, Narada Falls, & Lousie lake. All very nice places. I'm trying to do as many hikes as I can before fall really arrives. Not much else to report, no bugs.

We decided on a one way hike from Box Canyon to Narada Falls, leaving cars at both trailheads. The road is free from snow for this 9 mile shuttle. If you love water settings, check out this great Wonderland section. The trail begins with the spectacular bridge crossing of Cowlitz River at Box Canyon, then there’s the thundering spray of Martha Falls (very refreshing) the thawing Reflection Lakes, with many streams & falls in between. We all liked this trail as it meandered along Stevens Canyon, offering good views of the steep Steven’s Ridge. We chatted with a park ranger doing trail maintenance en route to Box Canyon, and were surprised to see more deer than hikers on this great trail. We encountered snow after the trail approached the road crossing west of Martha Falls, and enjoyed easily breaking trail as we continued towards Louise and Reflection Lakes, and finally Narada Falls. For a downhill hike with minimal gain, enjoy this trail starting at Narada Falls. Caution in Lakes area: there are numerous thawing snow bridges Stats; from Box Canyon about 8 miles one way, 2400 gain.

Glancing at the reports today (02-01-06), it seems that most of the other folks on this trail Sunday were WTA folks....although I certainly don't remember lagging behind while others broke the trail. My recollection is a little different! :-) My wife and I slept in in the morning, and left the city around 8:30 AM - got to Rainier right in time for the road opening at 11:00 AM. We planned to go to Reflection Lakes from Narada Falls, and got on the trail at about 12:15 PM. The snow was dumping like crazy! It was awesome! The lower part of the trail was in good shape through the trees, but once we hit the upper road, the trail was gone. We had to break trail (to the knees) for a few hundred yards or so, before Satuday's trail showed up again near the trees on Mazama Ridge. We walked up to the ridge saddle, and sat down for lunch. Dug a nice pit with a shelf and hung out in the woods for almost an hour. We were out of the wind, and it was a great time. Visited with a passerby who was heading up the ridge to Paradise - a tough trip on this day. We headed back to Narada (saving the lakes for another day) and saw that our path had been halfway filled in with fresh snowfall. It was really coming down! A nice downhill stroll to the car, and then to Longmire for an early dinner. It was a great day.

The Joanster and I had a second great day in the Park. After a great breakfast at Longmire Inn, we set out in search of youthful memories and trail work with our prodigie. First stop was Narada Falls and a short walk to the overlook. This is an area I skied with a friend in the 70's and Joani visited with her family. Then to Reflection Lake for a short walk along the lake and views of the Mountain. Finally, we did a short hike to Bench Lake on a trail that neither of us had been on. Bench Lake is a bit boggy but the trail to it is easy if dusty. We stopped at an overlook of the Bench Lake with a breeze. The bugs we missed on Sunday came out to greet us but were not in the great numbers that normally would have been expected. There are some excellent views of Unicorn and Castle Peaks from the trail. The only thing worth noting in terms of a caution is that much road work is being done on the Paradise and Steven's Canyon Roads so some patience is in order.