Trail was in excellent condition! Started out on bikes with the plan to lock them up at the newest washouts and hike the rest of the way to the falls. So impressed and thankful to NP workers and volunteers who made it possible to get all the way to the footbridges into the campground. Trail was cleared and gravel in place to make it accessible on bikes. As always a beautiful day on the mountain!!

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

1. Trail is hikable with minimal difficulty all the way to the campgrounds. Bicyclists should probably plan to leave their bikes at the second washout (about 4.3 miles from the TH), though I did run into one hiker that got his bike to the campgrounds today.  All bridges are in with top sides squared off heading into Ipsut Creek Campground. Last two don’t have handrails, but I didn’t miss them.
2. The crossing of Ipsut Creek right after the campgrounds is sketchy right now. Need to scramble down a sandy, rocky bank to the creek, then scramble up again the other side.  Neither of these banks are the most structurally sound at the moment.  I was told by a volunteer Ranger that some of what the upcoming WTA trip parties to the area will be addressing is making this crossing safer.
3. Be careful on the spur trail to Ipsut Falls – a portion of the trail is sloughing off into the creek; what remains is held in place only with hopes and spiderwebs. I wouldn’t put any weight on it. As you approach the falls, you duck under a large blowdown. Then there is a tree in a general “J” shape that you need to step over – it’s the portion of the trail immediately after this tree that’s coming down.  Be very careful of where you step.
4. Many different types of flowers to be found along the trail; see Detailed Report for complete list. Nice way to pass the miles!

DETAILED REPORT:

Arrived at the trailhead a little before 8AM to find one other car in the small parking area inside the park (holds about 8 cars).  There is additional parking on the side of the road before you cross the park boundary.  Vault toilets were stocked with TP and hand sanitizer.

I wanted to visit Chenuis Falls while the bridges are in.  Spur trail for crossing the Carbon leaves the Carbon River Trail about 3.7 miles from the TH.  As others have noted, after the third bridge crossing the Carbon River (the longest bridge) there is a trail through the riverbed heading downstream (left) that’s been bordered with river rocks, though it can be hard to see in places.  When you get to the end of the bridge, look to your left – you’ll see a tree with a bit of a root ball lying in the river bed – the trail runs around this downed tree.  Even if you miss the trail, however, you’ll easily be able to get to the falls – just keep heading downstream in the river bed, staying close to the eastern bank.  You can actually see the falls from the main trail on your way in – a little bit before the sign for Chenuis Falls you’ll cross a large wooden bridge with a picnic table set up on the side of the trail almost immediately afterwards.  Look across the river standing near the picnic table and you’ll see the falls through the trees.

I was lucky enough to see three Harlequin Ducks feeding in the pool at the base of the falls when I arrived, which was a very fun treat.  Drank in my fill of the falls, then headed back to continue on to the campgrounds as I wanted to see how trail repairs were coming.

It’s incredible to see how much effort the Rangers, trail crews, and volunteers have put in to getting this trail back into shape.  They really do deserve a HUGE thank you! There is still work to be done, but the difference between now and even just a few weeks ago is immense.

The first washout detour (~3.82 miles from TH) is very well trod at this point, and seems like a normal trail.  Bicyclists will be able to walk their bikes along this detour easily.  The detour for the second washout (about 4.3 miles from the TH) is a bit sketchier – you’re hiking up/ over/ through downed trees that haven’t been cleared up.  Personally, if I was a biker, I would not risk trying to bring my bike through here as I wouldn’t trust myself not to break an ankle trying to do so.  To get it through you’ll need to be able to lift it pretty high in the air while navigating not terribly stable ground cover.  It’s only about 0.5 miles from the end of the second washout to the campground; I’d just hike it.

The campground itself is a work in progress. There are still several blowdowns, including one that completely blocks the trail that goes north (closer to the river) with campsites along it.  Campsites are still usable, you’ll just need to either go to the easter side of the loop or else cut through the campsites to get to the ones closest to the river.  Toilets at the campgrounds were relatively clean and were stocked with TP and sanitizer.  The doors don’t close well on their own; be sure the door completely closes on your way out (or in the case of one of the toilets, latch the door from the outside).

There were two tents set up at one campsite, but I didn’t see anyone else set up while I was there.  I decided to continue on and made the sketchy crossing of Ipsut Creek after some hemming and hawing.  Went over the Ipsut Falls and noticed the trail as you approach the falls is getting washed out – there’s a bit of ground that could look solid if you’re not paying attention but did not look to be capable of holding any weight (I was easily able to move it by pressing on it with my poles).  I was able to hop over this section today, but I would not be surprised if the undermined section gets larger – the creek looks to be taking it out.  As noted in the Executive Summary, as you approach the falls you duck under a large blowdown .  Then there is a tree in a general “J” shape that you need to step over – it’s the portion of the trail immediately after this tree that’s coming down.  Be very careful of where you step.

While in the campgrounds I spoke to a volunteer Ranger that mentioned there’s another serious washout on the Wonderland Trail on the way to the Cabon River campground, the detour for which he said took some bushwacking and tree hopping to get through. He also indicated that the best fording points if you make it to the lower Carbon have supposedly been marked with poles.  I got about 0.75 miles east along the WT before I came to a washout with a very large tree down across the trail.  If I had taken off my pack I could have wiggled under the tree, but I was getting tight on time and I had hoped to head up towards Ipsut Pass a bit as well before leaving, so I turned around at this point.  Went back to the split of the WT and went SW this time towards Ipsut Pass.  Only managed to get about 0.5 miles in (to the view of the smaller falls on Ipsut Creek above Ipsut Falls) and hit my hard stop time, so I turned around.  This portion of the WT was in decent condition, though definitely needed brushing – there were small branches down all over.  There was also a large blowdown just before where I turned around that fell parallel to the trail, but it was easy to get around.

Lots of flower varieties to enjoy for those looking.  I saw vanillaleaf, foamflower, bunchberry, monkey-flower, yellow violets, salmonberry flowers, fumewort, devil’s club flowers, Oregon grape, false bugbane, star-flowered false Solomon’s seal, salal, thimbleberry, some sort of daisy, dandelions, strawberry bramble, coralroot, candy flower, small flowered buttercups, bigleaf avens, twinflower, what I think was thyme-leaved speedwell, and even a couple trillium hanging on to name a few.

Was a great day to enjoy!  Gaia clocked it at 14.5 miles, +1040 ft.

May sound obvious, but think this loop would be better done when the flowers are blooming and on a clearer day.  Virtually half of this loop is nothing but forest while nice, was pretty monotonous and the payoff with views in clouds and flowers past prime wasn’t worth it to me.  The right season and weather though, it would be spectacular like most other trip reports show.  I’ll make sure to catch it another year and explore more.

I did it this time because was on my way to Alpine Lakes area and wanted to hit up north side of Rainier for some different scenery.   With the side addition of Tolmie, the total mileage of everything was about 18ish miles with 5500 ft. gain?  Sore legs agree.

Road up to Mowich Lake campgrounds good for even a sedan like fine.  A little bumpy, but potholes weren’t bad.

Starting from Mowich Lake TH, going up to Tolmie was nice.  Can see why it’s so popular as the effort/reward ratio is high.  The view was hazy at the lookout and the mountain was obscured, but nice nonetheless with Eunice Lake below.

Now from Tolmie, along the Wonderland Trail covering Ipsut Creek, the suspension bridge, Carbon River Camp, and up to Cataract Valley Camp, it’s virtually forest.  Path is easy to follow and well signed at junctions.  I’m not sure if the Carbon Glacier view from the suspension bridge is no longer viable, or it’s receded to the point where it’s not as noticeable anymore, but I could barely tell.

When it breaks out into heather meadows, then alpine tundra, and finally Spray Park does it get interesting.  Alas, for me, clouds had rolled in and a lot of views were obscured.  I knew flowers would be past their prime but was hoping to sock in some views.  About the only thing blooming was purple gentian.

On the descent, took the quick side trip to Spray Falls.  Pro tip: the rocks are slippery in the middle of the creek so if you attempt to jump to the middle to get a better picture without trees obscuring thinking you’re some sure-footed ninja mountain goat, you may or may not bust your ass and spend a horrifying second thinking your phone slipped out and was rushed away in the rushing creek.

Start Mowich Lake TH: 900 AM

Tolmie Peak: 1025 AM

Suspension Bridge near Carbon River Camp: 200 PM

Cataract Valley Camp: 315 PM

Spray Falls: 600 PM

End Mowich Lake TH: 700 PM

We biked 1 hour to Ipsut Campground, more suitable for a mountain bike due to several rocky washout spots.  For those who are biking, recommend dismounting over the several washout places, as the rocks and loose gravel make bike handling very difficult.  The trail to Ipsut Falls was located at the back of the campground, was easy to find, and in good condition.  The falls were very nice.

Next, we biked back to Chenuis Falls, but the trail was inaccessible because the log bridges were washed out by the river. 

We then had lunch at a picnic table near Chenuis  trailhead--we were not bothered by bugs.  We then went to the Green Lake trail.  It felt long and steep, but we actually made good time.  The roots of some downed trees along the way were amazing.  We skipped Ranger Falls on the way up with the intent to see them on the way down.  We only saw 3 people on the trail.

Green Lake was spectacular, although we could not find a place to actually access the water.  The hike down took less than an hour, including our stop at Ranger Falls, which were stunningly beautiful.

We biked back to the car located where the road ends--it was a much quicker trip back.  Total time was 5 hours.  

Note:  Don't park at the ranger station--you will be two miles away from the end of the road where you can actually start.  People were parked on both sides of the road for about 100 yds, so parking could be an issue on a weekend.

Started out at the ranger station at 0900 and started toward the glacier. The road/trail has been recently maintained by a group of volunteers and all of the early blowdowns have been removed, thanks a ton!

We passed by the trailhead for Chenuis falls about 3.5 mi, the bridge was washed out with no way to cross -- no access via the Carbon Glacier Trail at this time.

We trekked through the intermittent snow, mounting and dismounting yaktraks as needed. There are some spots that are fairly deep, slushy snow and others that are a light dusting.

Ipsut is easily accessible, not a ton to see as many blowdowns have crowded the falls but definitely worth a quick stop to check it out.

Couple of treacherous log crossings along the way, a small viaduct where we passed a couple who let us know they had chosen to turn around. We didn't prod too much and chose to carry on.

We crossed a few avvy chutes that looked safe enough to pass. 

We turned around at the 6.5 mile mark after hearing word that the Lower Carbon River Bridge was washed out. We will definitely attempt this again, probably with a bit more gear and less snow to deter us. Getting to the glacier was a long shot to begin with, but we gave it the best we had.

Made it back to the cars by 1530.