Gorgeous day to get up and see some of the old mining activity in what is now the protected national park.  So remote and forgotten.

But what was truly exciting to see was all the wildflowers and small wildlife! Everything was blooming.

Bugs were bad down lower near the creeks, but not bad up in the upper basin. 

Great views and wildflowers blooming. Bugs were annoying we forgot spray and wished we had it when we stopped for lunch. Didn’t quite make it to the basin with young hikers but still a fabulous hike with plenty of streams to cool off in on the way down. Parking readily available in the morning and when we left. Lots of open campsites as well on a Thursday.

Road/TH:

Road had just opened to sunrise which caused the whole park to be a mess. Instead of camping at white river we found a pretty sweet spot in the national forest. Lots of nice spots at white river, a little less busier on our way out on the 5th.

Glacier Basin Trail:

The first couple miles are very mellow and chill with only gaining ~1600 vert. We took the entire climb nice and slow to get everyone acclimated. The trail steepens up the morraine after the basin. Once hitting the rockier section there are many ways to go but we opted to veer right then head up the first snowfield at an angle. We roped up more for practice than anything. We headed up and to the left as the snow was slushy but not terrible in the late morning. Dropping from the rocks to the glacier is tricky but from camp ruth area basically drop diagonally to where you see the path we found this to be the easiest way on the way out. Once on the glacier there are two paths, go left and loop around the crevasse, you can go straight but there is a tricky bridge and no need to risk it. 

Camp Schurman:

Camp Schurman was nice and we camped on the snow because a helicopter was expected which meant no camping on rocks. A bathroom and two nice rangers at the buildings. We did have to melt snow for a LONG time so be aware about that if your in a large group

Emmons-Winthrop Glacier:

We got started around 12:30 due to some group members taking a while (this would eventually hurt us). The route is pretty straightforward right now with some crevasses to jump over but nothing too sketchy. Snow is VERY slushy later in the day which caused the bootpack to be horrible at first. After the first 'ridge' it's easier to follow and gets better. There is one tricky catwalk traverse section near the top with a wide crevasse below. However, our whole group felt pretty comfortable with the ascent. We had to turn around ~500 feet below the summit due to time and other group members not feeling great. 

The descent was trickier as our group moved VERY slow and caused the snow to be very slushy and dangerous along with it got very hot on the glacier (I'm pretty badly burnt). So be very careful as it gets slushy in the afternoon. 

Summary:

It was a great trip but very unfortunate to turn back but it was the safe call considering how our group was doing. Just make sure you leave early from camp and everyone has the turn around time in mind. Be careful with crevasses just because it was fine on the way up doesn't mean the same on the way down. Very pretty the whole trip and we even got to see some fireworks as it was the 4th of July!

It was the opening day for Sunrise. We rolled into the park around 12:30 PM and waited for about 1-1.5 hours to get into the park. We took the opportunity to eat lunch while waiting to get in. The parking was totally full near the trailhead and not many folks were leaving. We ended up parking on the side of the road across from the ranger station. There is a very nice bathroom in the campground with flushable toilets, toilet paper, and soap.

The trail had very slight grade which made it enjoyable and not too hard. It alternated between some forests and no cover which kept it interesting and dynamic with good views of the river and valley between the mountains.

Virtually the the trail is snow free up to Glacier Basin camp. There was a single patch that crossed the trail and it was packed down. We were able to cross very easily with just our boots (some might call it the tiniest bit slippery so poles could help if you're very cautious). At the camp we saw overnight campers setting up their tents and daytrippers having lunch on the rock islands on the river. The campground also has toilets. I didn't check them out but they are probably vault toilets. They also are quite a bit away from the camp so be prepared to walk a bit.

Not many wildflowers but spotted them here and there. Tons of butterflies. Some aggressive mosquitoes especially in forested areas. Lots of chipmunks throughout the whole hike. They were very hyper and it was amusing to watch them suddenly pop out of nowhere and zoom around in front of us.

After reaching camp, we continued hiking on the trail. We rested on some rocks and were swarmed by fire ants and other giant ants. Shook them off, no major bites - but unnerving. Continuing on, there is a dry dirt cat walk type of steep hill to climb. I was a little uncomfortable because there is a steep drop off and the ground kept slipping underneath me. Climbing wasn't so bad. Getting down, I had to catch myself from sliding and falling several times. In this area there was a semi-sketch section where on one of the drop off edges the ground gave out, so you have to maneuver a bit around that. I'd expect it to give out in the near future, so maybe they will need to re-route the trail a bit. 

We took the trail all the way to the edge of the basin area (where mountaineers were ascending the mountains in the back) and found a family of 4 mountain goats: a huge male, two females, and a baby. They stayed near the top of the rock formations. We almost missed them until they gave themselves away with the sounds of their hoofing around and the resulting rock fall and dust kicked up. We watched them make their way around the ridge line, grazing on patches of grass. The baby skipped around and made joyful ba sounds :)

On our way down, we accidentally surprised a group of marmots and they ran around like they were in some slapstick comedy skit.

The hike down was very pleasant and we made it back by 8:30 PM - it was still light out. The moon was full on the way back and we got great views of it over Rainier as we approached last light. Overall, it was a very special outing!!

I am young but have a badish knee from an old injury and would say the hike up to the camp was very doable assuming you are comfortable with the gain and mileage. The ground was soft and comfortable to walk on with little to no rocks.

8am, Friday hike, gorgeous weather conditions and the day before Sunrise Road opens. Despite the early start, trail quite busy including many climbing groups. Climber/hiker parking lot full by 8am. In the early part of the trail, there was tree cutting/maintenance happening with crew temporarily holding back hikers for safety during limb cutting. Some wore WTA helmets. Thank you, WTA, for this work!

Alpine views are stunning. As are the eyepopping views of wildflowers, butterflies, frogs and waterfalls. Side trail to Emmons Moraine trail is worth the detour, adds only ~1 mile to the trip to Glacier Basin camp, absorbing view of the moraine lake & valley and the only view of the terminus of Emmons Glacier on this trail. Plus the fun of walking the log bridge over the rushing waters of the Inter Fork.

Back on the Glacier Basin trail, the route is forested interspersed with open areas hosting wildflowers & butterflies, as well as occasional wide open views toward Goat Island Mountain (south) and Mount Ruth (west) with Liberty Cap and more behind. The last half-mile to Glacier Basin camp might feel like work (now you’re more than a mile above sea level) but rewarded with arrival at a broad mountain meadow. Today filled with glacier lilies, marsh marigolds and unimpeded views of St Elmo Pass with climbing groups laboring their way to base camps above Mt Ruth. [More pictures included in linked photo album]  

Flush toilets at White River trailhead were clean & stocked. Backcountry toilet at Glacier Basin camp was … well, it’s a backcountry toilet.