We did this in the opposite direction from Summerland to Box Canyon to get most of the climbing in the exposed sun earlier in the day and get through the popular Summerland section early in the morning. The trail did not disappoint, stunning views, and welcomed water stops between Indian Bar and Summerland. There was no water between Indian Bar and Nickle Creek. We were mostly in the shade at the later part of the day and heat, which was very nice. There were some black biting flies and houseflies but not too bad. We mostly had the trail to ourselves after Summerland.

We did a through-hike along the Wonderland trail starting at the Fryingpan Creek trailhead for Summerland and ending at the Box Canyon trailhead. We staged cars in the morning and started at about 7 a.m. 

We found a few ripe berries on the way up to Summerland but most weren't ready yet. We passed very few people on the trail up to the meadow and enjoyed a break in the group shelter there, which offered a break from the sun and was largely bug-free. There were a few groups of people at the meadow but not too crowded. We passed two volunteers who helpfully mentioned that Indian Bar would be the last source of water until Nickel Creek, so keep that in mind if you do this and are planning on filtering water. The flowers at Summerland are a bit past prime but still enough to enjoy and the mountain views are stunning. 

We continued on the Panhandle Gap for even more incredible views. There was some minor snowfields to cross after the gap but none were an issue and we didn't use any traction, although poles were helpful. The descent to Indian Bar offered some pockets of shade which was much appreciated at that point! The flowers around Indian Bar were incredible, hillsides covered in asters. Lots of monkeyflower blooming at Indian Bar where we stopped to grab some water, a snack in the shadey but fly-filled group shelter, and soak every piece of clothing we could in the ice-cold water before heading out onto the sun again. 

The climb out of Indian Bar is a bit of a grind but nothing too steep and the views are worth it. Sadly, we could see a large smoke plume from the Schneider Springs fire and the view of the mountains was largely hazed over. The descent back down to Box Canyon was mostly a fairly easy grade and not too steep, but the flies were pretty terrible. 

This was an awesome day hike and I'm glad we did it in this direction since it put us in the shade during the hottest part of the day. The mileage on WTA and my Green Trails map made this appear to be a 16-17 mile hike but my Garmin and my friend's pedometer showed 18.5 total, with 4300' gain so just a heads up if you're planning this one. None of the trails are steep up or down though and the views make it easy to keep going! We ran into several groups along the way but mostly had the trail to ourselves the whole day.

We did this in the opposite direction from Summerland to Box Canyon to get most of the climbing in the exposed sun earlier in the day and get through the popular Summerland section early in the morning. The trail did not disappoint, stunning views, and welcomed water stops between Indian Bar and Summerland. There was no water between Indian Bar and Nickle Creek. We were mostly in the shade at the later part of the day and heat, which was very nice. There were some black biting flies and houseflies but not too bad. We mostly had the trail to ourselves after Summerland.

I've been trying to get the missed miles on my failed Wonderland attempt two years ago. So I had come up with a great plan to get a walk up permit on a Friday. If you've ever tried to do this, I'm sure you are laughing. But I did mange to do the hike anyway. (You'll have to read the story- link below or go to slowesthiker.com) Things I don't mention in the story: Bugs at Summerland were almost nonexistent...bugs between Indian Bar and Box Canyon were quite bad. Snow fields in Panhandle Gap were no big deal except for two short spots that felt a little freaky, though everyone was going over them anyway without problems. (Most of them without any traction, though I did put my yaktraks on--mostly to make myself feel better.) There is a big snow traverse near Summerland that you can easily go around, but if anyone gets lured into doing it just because they see tracks, it could be a bad situation as it has a lot of running water under it. Also, if you are thinking of having a friend pick you up at Box Canyon and drive to retrieve your car at White River, be aware that the line to get in can be hours long on the weekends. I was SO glad to avoid this as we drove in after hours with no problem, but leaving on Sunday the line coming in at noon was a solid mile long. 

4 days on the Wonderland trail on a holiday weekend and for parts of it, we were the only humans on the mountain! Amazing to us since we won our permit lottery in March!

Day 1: Summerland TH to Summerland camp:
Most of the trip status has been reported in previous trip reports, but just want to note that this is a really lovely, well-maintained trail that is 99% snow free. There is one big blowdown and one or two snow patches as you climb towards the camp and Summerland meadow. Absolutely stunning, plenty of water along the route so no need to carry a lot, and definitely be sure to look for marmots in the meadow (photo 1)! This section had the most other people on it that we saw, and still was far less trafficked than is typical for this busy trail. 

Day 2: Summerland camp to Panhandle Gap to Indian Bar camp: 
Summerland to Panhandle Gap is traversable by sturdy day-hikers with poles/spikes/GPS, until the last steep ascent to the gap (photo 2). The snow is soft but easy to kick steps into and with some skill and care it is not too treacherous. We saw a few other hikers going this way, but no backpackers besides our group went over the gap. From the gap to Indian Bar, the trail is 100% obscured in snow, and requires constant checking on GPS. There are several steep snowy sections and it would be very easy to get lost out here without GPS so definitely bring a map! We made it down through the brushy meadow to Indian Bar camp which was nearly entirely snowed in. This took quite a few hours due to snow, donning and doffing spikes, etc, so if you are going soon be sure to give yourself plenty of time. At Indian Bar, all but campsite 2 were completely covered in snow, and the group shelter surrounded by several feet. That said, this camp is so stunning and well worth the trek! In the stretch between the gap and the camp, we saw 0 other people, and then only 2 other campers arrived for the night. 

Day 3: Indian Bar camp to Cowlitz Divide to Nickel Creek camp
In the morning, we climbed out of Indian Bar up to the Divide and gained the most stunning views of our trip (photo 3). This section was again completely snow covered and required GPS navigation. If you're using your phone, be sure to bring extra powerbanks (3/4 of our group forgot these!). The views are absolutely unreal, and again we had the place to ourselves. The long traverse down from the divide to Nickel Creek camp was dry as far as drinking water goes, so be sure to load up at Indian Bar. You'll descend through wet snow, spring-like conditions (and we had hot weather the entire time), then eventually a dry forest. We saw 2 day hikers on this section, and 2 backpackers. There are a few blowdowns to navigate in the forest, then Nickel Creek camp is a lovely little respite. Nickel Creek itself is about 0.25mi from the camp and an excellent place to lounge and rinse off. 

Day 4: Nickel Creek camp to Box Canyon 
This is a short, dry, and beautiful stretch of trail. Several blowdowns and debris from the spring remain, so take care going around!

Overall this trip was absolutely majestic. We were so baffled why there weren't tons of other folks out there with us, on one of the most popular sections of the Wonderland during a holiday weekend. If you're considering getting out there and have the permits, gear, knowledge, and GPS skills for snow travel, I enthusiastically recommend! 

Day 4: Nickel Creek to Box Canyon