I camped for two nights at Lake George and used that as a base to day hike to some of my favorite spots on the Wonderland via the South Puyallup Trail. I hiked counterclockwise to Emerald Ridge one day and clockwise to Klapatche Park the next.

In summary, the sections I hiked are virtually snow-free and in great shape. Many of the seasonal springs are still flowing, so water was not an issue. Some flowers are just starting to bloom, so the bugs aren't too bad yet. I emerged from 48 hours in the wilderness with only two bites, which I consider a win!

South Puyallup to Emerald Ridge: One tiny patch of snow. A couple sections of the trail are eroding - I don't remember that from my hike in 2021, but they probably aren't new. No blowdowns, and it was smooth sailing up to the ridge.

South Puyallup to Klapatche Park: There are a few blowdows, one of which I needed to crawl under, but none were difficult. The climb up from South Puyallup was easier with a small pack in the morning than with a large pack in the afternoon, but it was still a grind. There are several snow patches near St. Andrews Lake and Klapatche Park, but they presented no issues, although I could see some footsteps that punched through to the rocks. 

It's a beautiful time to be out on the Wonderland right now.

Did an out and back to emerald ridge. What a cool trail! The basalt columns alone were worth the trip. We saw maybe six other people for the entire day. It really has a feel of being some hidden, forgotten corner of the park.

We pushed bikes up westside road to the primary trailhead (not the connector). The trail has signs of being recently maintained (sawdust, no blow downs) which was surprising to me as I didn't know this part of the park received any trail maintenance. 

Only one slightly sketchy section on the ridge, which looks like it will one day be reclaimed by nature. Really gives you a sense of how fragile this area is. 

A few negligible steps in snow the entire time.

Views were unmatched. Goats, marmots, bear footprints, and some unidentified scat. Total day was 17 miles/3300 gain. 

Emerald Ridge is a long day hike that is accessed from the Westside Road in the southwest corner of Rainier National Park.  It is a beautiful almost snowfree hike that is perfect this time of year. The West Side Road is closed to cars at mile 3.  We biked up the Westside Rd 3.8 miles to the South Puyallup Trail. It is moderately steep and gains a total of 1000 feet of elevation. We were able to ride it the entire way (with few breaks to catch our breath).  You just have to tell yourself that the effort is totally worth it for the effortless return trip.  It can easily be done on the hybrid bike but a mountain bike is more stable on the speedy return trip.  There is a bike rack at the top of Emerald Ridge and the trail is just a bit further up the road (just before the Marine Memorial).  

The South Puyallup trail loses 350 feet in the first 0.6miles then starts climbing. The old growth forest here is very pleasant.  At mile 6.0 you cross below some impressive basalt cliffs. They were beautifully illuminated at 4:00 pm on our return trip.  The final 1.5 miles of trail is full of loose rocks and pumice. It's not terrible but it would be easy to turn an ankle. There were a few flat snow patches near the top that were easy to traverse.

The view of Rainier and Tahoma glacier from the viewpoint on Emerald Ridge is really beautiful.  The mountain was encased in clouds when we arrived but luckily is fully emerged just as we finished our lunch.  

On the drive out we had burgers and beer at Rainier Basecamp Bar and Grill in Ashford. This is such a perfect, mellow outdoor setting to recharge after a long day hike.

We only saw 3 people all day.  RT 16.4 miles and 3500 ft elevation gain. Only saw one mosquito on this cool mostly sunny day.

TLDR; Biked 3.5 mi to S. Puyallup trail. Out'n'Back to Emerald Ridge. Some views, fantastic forest, rushing river, many waterfalls coming off the glacier/mountain

Road: Easy. Some slowness getting through the MRNP gates.

Trail description is accurate.  I only saw 2-3 people on the Westside road and 2 others on the hike.  very nice solitude and hiking.  much of the hike in the forest with some of the trail going parallel to the river, which was rushing and made a nice background along w/ chirping birds.  kind of overcast, but able to see the snowcapped tops of some of the peaks.  the colonnade by the S. Puyallup River camp is *awesome* ... such cool geology (geometric basalt columns) bursting out of the ground and later along the river canyon and the wide variety of rocks tells a cool story of glaciers, volcanoes and the forces of nature.  i would have spent more time here taking pics but was trying to move fast on this occasion

Westside Road: biked it. road in great shape; no trees to cross. didnt go past the Marine Memorial, but no issues up to there.  3.5 miles pedaling up, coasted down :)

S. Puyallup trail - a couple of minor blowdowns, but either easily passable or steps cut into them. didnt see any tents at the campsite here.

Emerald Ridge trail (E of S Puyallup camp). Easy to follow. Only one significant erosion/washout of the trail near the last switchback before Emerald Ridge (see pic) - there are 2 adjacent sections of the trail where the trail is down to ~12in wide on loose dirt.  A previous hiker told me about it and they had cut across the switchback to avoid it. i was able to walk through it but it could be a risk.

Flora/Fauna: a few wildflowers at Emerald ridge just beginning. some other spots along the trail too. Saw a few pika and a cute waddling hoary marmot at the top & lots of their holes/dens.  scat and prints from elk

Gear: standard hiking boots, poles. no traction needed. 38mm tires on urban commuter/gravel bike.

15.5 mi total, 7 bike, 8+ on foot. 4.5 hours

With the Tahoma Creek trail closed, I thought I would take the Westside Rd up to Round Pass, head up to Emerald Ridge, down to the suspension bridge and then backtrack to Round Pass for my hike today.

I started by half riding, half walking my bike up to Round Pass. There is a bike rack at the Lake George TH.

Once my bike was locked up, I took the connector trail across Westside Rd and dropped down the 0.6 mi to the South Puyallup trail.  

The connector trail and the S. Puyallup trail are snow free with a couple of blow downs (easy to get over) to the campsites.  Today there was an inversion layer.  Hence, it was raining/misting until I got to the 4,600ft level.  The beginning of the S. Puyallup trail is really green after all of the rain.

There were some snow patches starting around 4,300ft on the way up to Emerald Ridge.  Easy to traverse.  The patches are small enough, you can see the trail and pick it back up easily.

It was blue sky up on Emerald Ridge.  Goats in the distance and the resident marmots kept my interest.  It was so gorgeous on ER, I ended up spending a couple of hours soaking up the sun and solitude.

I never made it to the suspension bridge due to how much time I spent on ER.  Time well spent.

I headed back down the way I came.  I didn’t see anyone until I saw a trail runner at the junction with the connector trail back up to Round Pass.

Mgads, was that you? 

Once back to my bike, it was a quick trip back to my car.  I did see a couple of solo hikers and a couple of groups heading up Westside Rd.