Sunrise has opened and I decided to do a hike from there before timed entry reservations are needed. Trail condition is good. Only a few minor snow piles that will be gone in a few days. Lots of wildflowers blooming in Berkley Park. Saw bears in Grand Park. Lots of marmots in the Sunrise area.

I didn't use a tracker but based on the topo maps and what if felt like, I think the trip guide's claimed 3700 foot elevation change is overstating it.

Super fun overnight trip to Berkeley Park camp, and a great way to get a sampler of everything Mount Rainier has to offer.  With the new reservation system park entry at 10:30 was a breeze and plenty of parking in the backpacker’s gravel section. 

Sunrise was warm and breezy; we were soon packed and a slow climb up to the top of Sourdough Ridge got most of the grunt work out of the way quickly.  Crowds were mild all the way to the always busy intersection at Frozen Lake and then non-existent for the rest of the first day.  The views were super clear and stupendous, the plants that turn red in the fall were all on fire, such dramatic scenery.  We dropped down first on the Wonderland trail then on the Northern Loop just enjoying the easy ride.  We pushed the pace a little to get to camp for lunch.  There is some discrepancy in mileage on this section and the camp was further than I thought so lunch was late, but the trail down through the park is gorgeous.  Berkeley Park camp is a bit meh.  There was already a large number of tents in the group site and site one was just a satellite to them, creek access is between these two.  Fortunately, we scoped it out a bit and found the more private site two a few more paces down the main trail.  Once set up and fed we set off again with much lighter loads on to our prize for the day - Grand Park.

Again the trail map distances were off but now in our favor as after only an hour or so hiking we were standing at the junction with Grand Park.  The trail between the parks is down then up with some decent elevation gain balanced by some really flat walking as you approach the junction.  We carried on the half mile or so down the Northern Loop trail to the drop-dead view at the overlook then back tracked and headed down Grand Park.  If you've never been here before it's fun to hike down a little ways then turn around to get the full-on in your face mountain view.  We went down as far as the first set of trees at about a half mile then stopped for late afternoon snacks.  Gorgeous time to be there with the back light, and we did not have to share.  After our gawk fest we headed back.  No flowers now but the tawny colors shine in their own right, and the trail side beargrass leaves makes the trail seem fluffy in a Dr Seuss kind of way.

Back late to camp it was all about resting our tired legs with ten plus miles for the day.  Don’t stay in the forested camp all evening though or you will miss the sunset’s changing light on the valley sides, spectacular.  The night at camp was cold as it’s in a low spot and it was still damp from recent rain.  Down everything for the win.

Day two was all about the slow road home.  We set off in warm jackets and ten minutes later shed everything as the sun found us on its way to the 70s.  The trail follows the creek up the valley, and we stopped often just to admire everything, still some flowers especially near the creek and we took a break with  bouquets of monkey flowers decorated with butterflies where the trail finally  leaves the creek for good.  The last spot for water so fill up here.  We dragged our feet some more and took a short turn further west on the Wonderland Trail for lunch on some rocks watching hikers with large packs plod by on their big climb for the day.  Once back at Frozen Lake we dropped down on the trail to Shadow Lake for a quiet return to Sunrise, the only crowds here are the late summer asters covered in butterflies.  The climb up from the lake was summer hot as it’s sheltered but we managed to add on a short distance on the Silver Forest trail to the big view of the mountain with the aquamarine tarn nestled at the base.  Like Pokémon, got to catch them all. 

Total miles for day two was around six, so between 16-18 for the whole trip, all very doable ones.  The only disappointment was finding the day lodge did not sell ice cream, but we toughed out the drive back and stopped at Wapati Outdoors for a winning consolation.

We liked the variety on this trail.    There are views of Mount Rainier from the Sourdough Ridge trail.   As we started on the Northern Loop, we saw a young marmot and a herd of mountain goats.   Along Lodi Creek, there were wildflowers of every color and cascading water.   Then into the shady woods.    And finally the amazing meadow of Grand Park.     We continued on the Lake Eleanor trail for half mile to see the panoramic view of Mount Fremont and Mount Rainier.   The cool weather was very welcome on the hike back to Sunrise.

A beautiful hike with a chance for solitude near Sunrise! I suppose this is nearing the end of wildflower season as I could see many flowers have already gone to seed, but there is still a dazzling beautiful display. Berkeley Park is so wonderfully lush as the trail follows the babbling creek, and then after a forested section of ups and downs you pop out at the wide open Grand Park. I only went as far as the intersection with the Lake Eleanor trail but I think I could have walked a little farther along across Grand Park for a more open view back at Rainier. This route, turning around at that intersection, was 12 miles round trip. It is good to keep in mind that all the elevation gain is on the way back, so remember to conserve some energy, snacks and water to make it back up to the parking lot! 

This week four of us hiked the Northern Loop in the counter-clockwise direction - 35.6 miles and 10,000 ft of gain.  We did a three day itinerary, which worked very well.  Overall, bugs were not an issue on the trip, though there were some annoying ones at Fire Creek and Carbon River camps.  They weren't anything a rainjacket couldn't keep you protected from.  The bugs were likely kept down by the cooler temperatures and breeze throughout our trip.

Day 1 - Sunrise to Fire Creek Camp (7.5 miles, +1,100 ft, -2,850 ft). This part of the trail flew by - mostly downhill with easy tread. The flowers are out in Berkeley Park, though they are not as numerous as in other years. Still, now is a good time to see them. Views into Grand Park were excellent, as expected, as were the views of Rainier and the Sluiskin mountains from the viewpoint just after.  Fire Creek camp was quiet with large campsites, fitting two tents comfortably.

Day 2 - Fire Creek to Carbon River Camp with a detour to the Natural Bridge (13 miles, +4,200 ft, -5,500 ft). This was probably the most challenging day for us, with two long and steep descents bookending a long steep ascent in the middle. But the trail is well-graded and the final descent to the Carbon River, while long, is not too bad on the knees.  We picked Fire Creek camp so we could get an early start on crossing the White River. As it turned out we didn't start that early, but were down by the river by around 10am, which was fine.  Crossing the river takes some searching.  We ended up crossing on a mixture of old bridges, logs, and rocks without getting our feet wet along the path that was a little north of where the NL trail meets the river.  While this proved a good way to cross the river, it may not have been the best overall because we found ourselves at a dead end facing the forest too far north from where the trail resumed on the other side.  We bushwhacked a couple hundred yards through the trees and found the trail again.  This was the only real part of the entire loop with "challenging" trail.  Just be prepared for some route finding.  We did run into another backpacker who found a way across the river farther south and which seemed to connect the two ends of the trail.  So take your time and look around for the route that works best for you. Climbing out of the White River, we paused at Van Horn Creek near James Camp for water and lunch.  Surprisingly, there weren't any mosquitos during our visit - I've heard horror stories for years about this area. We then went up to Windy Gap where we took a side trip to see the Natural Bridge, which was worth the extra climb and about 1.5 miles in distance.  We then headed down to the Carbon River camp, which was uneventful.

Day 3 - Carbon River to Sunrise (14.5 miles, +6,100 ft, -3,000 ft). This day was an inverse of the second day and we thought easier with more climbing than descending.  We started with the long approach up the Carbon River toward Moraine Park and Mystic Lake.  The tread is good, but the elevation gain is unrelenting (3,000+ ft in 4.5 miles). We just took our time.  Moraine Park is a nice diversion.  We lucked out with overcast skies, cooler temps, and a stiff breeze during our climb - though with the clouds clearing right on queue for a perfect view of Rainier through Moraine Park.  Mystic Lake was a good spot for our lunch break before the descent back down to the White River and Winthrop Creek. The West Fork of the White River between Mystic Lake and Winthrop Creek is not bridged.  We arrived around 1330 and didn't have trouble rock hopping across.  Winthrop Creek is bridged and easy to cross.  Then began the final long ascent to Skyscraper Pass (we paused at Granite Creek for a snack and water).  At Skyscraper, we got some good views and saw the heard of mountain goats that hangs out in that area to motivate us for the final stretch back to Sunrise.  It was also very rewarding to be able to see the circuit we had hiked over the preceding two days from this vantage point.  Having made it to Skyscraper and after our second major climb of the day, the rest of the trail down to Sunrise felt pretty easy.

Overall this was a great trip and we thought two and half days a good amount of time to achieve it without having too much down-time at camps.