Trip Report

Carbon Glacier — Saturday, Jun. 1, 2013

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich

Trip Report By

Seahiker

Type of Hike

Day hike

Blowdown with path cut through.

Attempted this one back in March and ended up turning around when the postholing got too tough and the trail evaporated. Much better this time including the nice path through the massive blowdown cut by the Rangers. It was very tricky to navigate in March. Got up to an ice cave-like path very close to the glacier 0.4 miles from the suspension bridge. (which is a fun way to entertain/thrill yourself hiking over and back.) On the way back to the car passed several hikers warning about a bear next to the trail. I eventually caught up to a couple who had taken pictures of the bear till it rushed them. They decided that was the end of their journey. I never saw the bear so either I am really noisy or very lucky! Don't forget to add the 10 mile RT from the parking area to Ipsut Campground in your calculations. Those and the extra mile or so of detour to cross the river make for a 17 mile RT day.

Blowdown back in March without path cut through.

Carbon River Glacier view. Only heard one rockslide across the valley in 15 minutes.

Suspension bridge--thrill ride near end of journey.

Comments

Carbon River Glacier Trail - Bear

Seahiker, I think luck may have been on your side in regards to not seeing the bear. We hiked the trail yesterday, and had been warned by two hikers that there was a bear up just off the trail. It was laying down when we saw it, then it got startled by something (I suspect maybe another bear) because it wasn't us and had been looking past us at something. Then it got up and took off running thought it was going to come right up and meet us on the trail, but instead it climbed a tree. On our return from the glacier, we were making noise as we approached the area we had seen the bear earlier when we rounded a corner and it was about 5 feet in front of us on a log above the trail stairing at us with his hair standing straight up on his back. Not a good feeling. I hike with bear spray just in the off chance I might ever need it. We backed up gave it some space and it came down off the log onto the trail in front of us and then walked a bit before leaving the trail but only by about 10 feet. We managed to get safely by the bear and and back to Ipsut Campground. I notified the Rangers this morning and recommended they post a warning sign at the trailhead as that was two really close encounters. Other than that, what a great hike :)

Posted by:

"1BLESSEDX3" on Jun 03, 2013 10:36 AM