Wonderland Trail Day 3: Mystic Lake to Carbon River

Aug 11
Mileage: 5 mi
Mystic Lake: 5570 ft
Carbon River: 3195 ft

Guess the ranger was right about the rain starting on Tuesday.  Man, I was really hoping the weather would hold and I awoke to rain beating on my rain-fly at 0630 after another restless night of sleep and weird dreams. It must have been that beef stew I had for dinner.

I thought about getting up but waited to see if the rain would stop and nobody else in camp seemed to be stirring, so they must have had the same idea.  The rain stopped about 0830 and I got up for a loo trip and to get my food from the bear pole since they were both on the other side of camp across the trail.

I wasn't in a big hurry this morning since I had another short day of 5 miles, so I took my time and the sun peaked out so I decided to try and let the tent dry some.  That turned out to be a mistake because about the time some of the last hikers left camp and I started to pack my tent, the rain let loose with a downpour!  Crap, you have to be kidding me!!!  I got the tent packed up and the rain gear on and left camp around 1030 in a rain storm as day 2 of rain was really about to begin.

I headed up the hill to Mystic Lake and it was beautiful even with the rain and fog.  I briefly spoke to 3 guys camped out at the lake which surprised me as I thought you had to camp at the camp sites.  It must have been okay since they were right by the ranger station.

 

Mystic Lake south shore

 

Once on the south end of the lake and passing through a field and bit of a forest the trail headed up hill to Moraine Park.  The wild flowers were out in bloom so the trail uphill was absolutely gorgeous.  The 3 guys at the lake caught up to me at the top and then as suddenly as they appeared one of them headed back downhill.  I never saw them again which surprised me as  I thought they would pass me.  They were hiking to the Northern Loop Trail. 

I made the summit of the hill I was climbing up and there was another trail there but nothing was marked, so I stopped for a snack and updated the POI in the GPS and I knew from looking at the map the night before that it was downhill the rest of the day to the camp and the Carbon River, so I headed that way.  It was about this time playing with the GPS that I realized I had forgot to reset the trip computer at White River and I didn't have the data for just this trip.  Sigh...

Once down on the back side of Old Desolate Mountain there was Moraine Park and again beautiful with all the flowers.  It had also stopped raining for a brief time and I became aware of a weather pattern on the mountain; the rain would clear, maybe a sun break and then the fog would roll back in to bring in more rain.

Trail and wild flowers                                                        Thistle

I ran into 2 guys who were part of a large group heading to Granite Creek and talked with them for a few minutes. One of them was wearing cotton... I have to say it...WTF!...anyone with any sense knows you DO NOT hike in cotton anything!  He was soaking wet from the rain as well, so hope he stayed healthy.   I walked through the park enjoying the visual and scents of the different flowers. Also, it was nice to be on some flat ground as there is not that much of it on this trail.


 Moraine Park

Heading down hill the rain had started again and I ran into another solo hiker from the Norther Loop Trail and guess what, he was in cotton too!  We talked for 10 minutes or so before he stated that he needed to get moving as he was cold!  Well, yeah that happens when you wear wet cotton.  Actually, this day I was surprised on how many hikers I saw with cotton on.  Glad it wasn't me!!!

Downhill I went for probably 3 miles or so it seemed and mostly in the rain.  I was going CCW (counter-clock wise) and those coming CW (clock-wise) I felt sorry for them.  Most of them were bending over from the climb up and most of them called this the "death hike" and was wondering when it would end.

Some of the trail was extremely rocky and slick from the rain, so it slowed me down as that type of trail just kills my knees and feet.  I'm also one not to rush to camp because once you set up and eat there is really not much else to do.

                                                                   

Once I passed Dick's Camp there was a trail detour because of a landslide.  The fog was rolling in and out so I catching glimpses of  the Carbon River and glacier.  The fog stayed out long enough for me to see the river coming out from the glacier and it is pretty cool to see the beginning of a river.

 Beginning of Carbon River from its glacier

                                                                                     

 

Carbon Glacier

Almost at the bottom of the hill, I ran into a couple that had quit their jobs and had met on the AT (Appalachian Trail) and gotten married.  Tina and Eric were very nice and now they were traveling around the US in their car, hiking when they could.  Their web site is footpounder.com

Finally, came to the suspension bridge to cross the Carbon River.  About time the Park Service and the US caught up to the Kiwis.  In New Zealand, most big rivers have suspension bridges, not the log bridges currently on the WLT.  The river was swiftly moving, loud and full of glacier flour, so started across the bridge and since nobody else was around got a few pictures in.

Now the map shows the campground right by the bridge and someone had told me the same thing, uh, no.  It's actually down the trail a 1/2 mile or so.  I arrived in camp at 1530 and I have to say, I did not like this camp at all.  I'm not sure why either.  Maybe it was the fact that the other camps where flat and spread out where Carbon River was narrow and the sites were uphill.  When you come into camp, site #1 is right there with no tree cover so that site was out since it was raining again.  Then the group site is across the trail and looked nice.  Walking further into camp is the bear pole and going straight back was a very treacherous trail to the toilet.  My first though hiking back here, was "Hope I don't get diarrhea and have to run back here"!  Sites 2-4 were UPHILL!!! A very muddy and slick uphill I might add.  I took site #2 and ate lunch and took the tent out to dry it out during rain breaks to no avail.  Getting water required walking back to the stream coming into camp at the junction for Spray Park, so it wasn't exactly convenient.  Since it quit raining for a bit, I went to get water and decided since it was getting late and dark that I would wait a half hour to see if anyone else would show up and if not, move to the group site.  Around 1800, I did just that and moved everything back down the hill and wouldn't you know it as I'm setting up my tent, another down pour.  I have to get better with my timing!

I finished dinner and prepared camp for another wet and cold night.  By time I crawled into the tent, I was still the only one in camp which is weird since the WLT was fully booked for the season.  I had decided since tomorrow was day 4 and I was meeting Dawn for my resupply, I was getting up early and hitting the trail.  I set the alarm for 0500 and again fell into a restless sleep praying for the sun goddess to show her glorious self the next day.