The weather was an unsure thing, but the mountain was calling. I had my snowshoes and spikes packed and ready, but my hiking boots did the job perfectly (super cool since I have been trialing new hiking shoes-my first pair of waterproof boots). Unless there's a new load of snow, there should be a nice packed trail the whole way to Carter Falls. I would pack spikes/traction since the high foot traffic had the trail becoming smooth icy snow on my return trip to the car. The bridge is in good shape and there's an avalanche chute closer to the falls with a couple rollerball sections on the slope. Leaving the park there were two different areas with active deer near or crossing the road. Take care and happy hiking!

I got to spend a wonderful late afternoon/early evening on the mountain with my 14 year old today. We hit the Longmire Museum first to chech out trail conditions up to Carter Falls (spikes recommended up to the falls, snowshoes after that). After checking out all the little critters they have on display we donned our spikes and hit the trail. There are a couple trees down. One you may have to straddle if you're not mega tall. It's icy and crunchy in places, sticky in others, and slippery in the sunshine at the end of the day. The bridge is in great condition along with the trail. There are a few narrow sections where falling would land you in moving water. There is also an avalanche chute on the way to the falls after the bridge. On the other side of the water there's evidence of unstable snow/past avalanches on the steep slopes. Just a couple rollerballs on the trail side. The falls are the prettiest I've seen them with snow and ice all over the place. Due to the later sunsets, we didn't need our headlamps, but they were packed and ready in case. The drive home was filled with all the colors. Happy trekking.

The gate to Paradise was open again today but there was a winter storm forecasted and the gate would be closing even earlier than normal so I opted to not drive all the way up. Plus, as much as I love the diversity, I am really not fit for the crowds up there. :)

I parked in the pullouts where the Cougar Rock Campground road crosses (by Carter Falls trailhead) and spent awhile meandering the unadulterated snow and solitude.  The snow was heavier than up at Paradise so it was much more of a workout but I didn't care as I had it all to myself!

I looped around on the east side first and then crossed the road to loop around on the west side for a few miles. It is always interesting to see the picnic tables, barbeques and bear boxes peaking out from the depths of the snow and know that car camping and the dog days of summer are a ways off!

The snow began to fall in earnest after a couple hours so I turned back for the car.  I will definitely repeat this trek again, so close to Longmire but few people.  If the gate had been closed, I could easily have started from Longmire on the Wonderland.

I spent a long weekend in Ashford with plans to visit the park every day. I arrived around lunch on Friday so I hung out around Longmire as the gate to Paradise was closed, looking for something I hadn't done before or didn't have cougar sightings (Rampart).  The avalanche warning was considerable for pretty much the whole weekend so that knocked Eagle Peak off my list, too.

Although I have hiked the Wonderland, I hadn't done it snow-covered so I thought I would head up the Wonderland towards Carter Falls.  The trail was compact snow so I just wore trail runners and had poles.  There were some really nice views out at the Nisqually: sunny to the South, grey towards the mountain.

The trail stayed compact all the way to where the Wonderland drops down to the Nisqually.  The Cougar Rock campground looked excellent for snowshoeing, however, so I made plans to return another day with them.

The snow was deep and pristine across to the bridge over the Nisqually to continue on the Wonderland so I also opted to return for that crossing.  I followed some postholing on the berm along the road for awhile before turning around and retracing my steps.  Overall a good outing that burned some hours before checking into the Whittaker Bunkhouse.

What a glorious day it was today! My son joined me for a trip down to Mount Rainier. We did the Wonderland Trail from Longmire to Cougar Rock. We had planned to snowshoe, but the trail was packed down enough today that we didn’t need them. I was happy to have my Microspikes on, but my son and most other people were fine in boots.

The snow was powdery and crunchy, and the temps hovered just under freezing. That sunshine was really fabulous, though. The trail is pretty much in the trees the whole way, but when we got to Cougar Rock we went out and sat near the river where it was sunny. It felt so good to just sit there and gaze at the wispy clouds flowing around The Mountain. The bridge is currently in and looks to be in good shape. We decided we didn’t feel like continuing on to Carter Falls. Next time, I guess.

There are a few trees down over the trail, but they are all east enough to get around or over.

We added on a loop around the Trail of the Shadows after we got back to Longmire. It’s always interesting.

The roads down to the park were clear and dry, but once in the park there was a lot of ice. Go slow and you’ll be ok. Don’t forget you must have chains in your car to enter the park, the rangers ask about it. Restrooms were open at Longmire, though the sink wasn’t running, so maybe have some hand sanitizer with you.