MYSTIC LAKE -- the name alone is enough to pique a hiker's interest with visions of emerald meadows, desolate moraines and shimmering mists. This enigmatic lake in Mount Rainier National Park is reached via the world-class Wonderland Trail and was given its name by two visiting professors because of a mysterious whirlpool they observed near the outlet of the lake.
The 95-mile-long Wonderland Trail encircles Mount Rainier and is a favorite of backpackers, but day hikers can do the Wonderland a few miles at a time and still sample some of the finest scenery the park has to offer.
Luck was with us. When we set Sept. 4 as the date for this Mountaineers club hike, we didn't know that the Carbon River Road would be closed Sept. 6-16. That doesn't mean you can't get to the trailhead during the closure, but you'll have to hike or bike that five-mile road to Ipsut Creek Campground, where the hike begins. Since days are growing shorter and Mystic Lake is 15 miles round trip, you should hold off until the road reopens so you can start at the trailhead and spend more time at the lake.
When you set foot on the trail, you may feel that something catastrophic has just occurred -- or is about to. Here is nature in the raw, as she rearranges the course of the Carbon River to suit her moods, washing out the Carbon River Road and the trail. Winter storms, floods and avalanches hit the Carbon River valley with regularity and just as regularly the Park Service rebuilds sections of the road, and the hikers keep coming.
The trail begins at the end of the Carbon River Road at 2,300 feet in elevation. In .1 mile, a short spur leads to a viewpoint of Ipsut Falls and in about .2 mile you'll come to the Wonderland Trail junction -- stay left. The right fork climbs to Ipsut Pass and Mowich Lake. At times you are hiking on duff, pebbles or glacier-scoured sand.
It is a trail that is never finished -- you'll skirt the river where the trail is undercut by floods and hike past piles of debris bordering the trail where high winds have broken giant conifers into splinters.
In about 1.5 miles we got our first look at the Carbon Glacier and its icy face, streaked with brown sediments. At the moment, Mount Rainier was visible but was wearing a stack of lenticular clouds like a hat. Such clouds herald changing weather -- usually for the worse. At two miles the junction for the Northern Loop Trail is reached. Stay right.
As we hiked we couldn't help but note the contrast between the majesty of primeval forest and the chaos of the Carbon River. The trail along the river is a remnant of an eight-mile road built in the 1920s, when plans were initiated to construct an "Around the Mountain" road. The road would have tunneled beneath Ipsut Pass to the Mowich River, but it was impossible to engineer and the Park Service scrapped the plan upon urging of forward-thinking conservationists. The upper part of the road eventually washed out and was abandoned.
At about 2.8 miles we passed the spur leading to Carbon River Camp just before the trail descended to cross Cataract Creek on a footbridge. A short distance from the creek, a junction marks where a trail climbs to Seattle Park -- stay left. The trail climbs a small hill to the suspension bridge crossing the Carbon River just below the glacier. The brown rubble of the moraine loomed above us like a crumbling cake as Mount Rainier slowly disappeared, dissolving into clouds.
If you are a beginning hiker and have not been faced with a suspension bridge, you may feel apprehensive, but these bridges are much sturdier than they appear and the swaying is only natural. A couple of our hikers were anxious about the bridge but broke into grins as they crossed it. Heck, it's fun!
Beyond the bridge, the rocky trail climbs between cliffs and the glacier, winding through pockets of vine maple, evergreens and crossing talus slopes. On a clear day there are views every step of the way, and when it is overcast you still can look down to the ongoing saga of the Carbon Glacier and see where chunks of ice have broken off. Later in the season, when ice forms on the cliffs, you'll need to hurry along this stretch as there is danger of rock fall.
In about 1.2 miles from the suspension bridge, we crossed Dick Creek and a bit beyond, Dick Creek Camp (4,185 feet) at the end of a switchback. The two sites overlook the Carbon River valley, a backpacker's dream. A short path leads to a composting toilet.
The next stretch was steep with numerous switchbacks through forest, but the trail is not rocky and is easy on the feet. A waterfall is passed near the end of the climb, though in early September the water was little more than a freshet. Still, it is an idyllic spot to linger as the white water splays out over the moss-slathered rocks, pouring into a small pool.
Beyond the waterfall, the Wonderland Trail levels off in high meadows and crosses Moraine Creek on a log bridge. Here a few monkeyflowers are still in bloom, clinging to boulders near the stream.
In Moraine Park we admired a hoary marmot sitting on a rock, looking rather nonchalant and in no hurry to hide as we approached. Finally, he waddled importantly away. Each boulder in this vast meadow seemed to host a marmot or two. Hoary marmots (Marmota caligata) are the sentinels of high meadows and spend hours seemingly gazing at the scenery.
Marmots are chunky by September, after a summer feast that lasts some 60 days. As their metabolism slows, they put on layers of fat and rely on these reserves during a lengthy hibernation period in deep burrows. Sometimes they pad their chamber nest with soft grasses. The young are born in spring and emerge from the burrows in late July -- they are weaned almost as soon as they emerge.
Most hikers cannot resist watching the antics of marmots and we are no exception. Apparently marmots are very sociable within their colony and begin their day by going from burrow to burrow to rub noses and cheeks, and touch mouths when they greet each other.
The meadows are just starting to turn yellow and are filled with late-summer flowers, notably blue gentians. We also noticed asters, harebells, arnica and profusions of pearly everlasting. By the way, you are likely to see bears as this is also prime huckleberry season on Mount Rainier.
The meadow is vast, with views of the rugged spires of Old Desolate Mountain, but no amount of wishing could clear away the stubborn clouds for bigger views -- it was no comfort to read in a trail description that the views of Rainier's precipitous north face are spectacular from Moraine Park. From the meadow, the trail climbs two forested hills to Mystic Pass, about 400 feet above Mystic Lake, though you cannot see the lake from the pass.
Mystic Lake, at 5,700 feet, is only .8 mile away and well worth the elevation loss and gain. The lake is bordered by subalpine trees on one side and a sprawling meadow on the other and lies between Mineral Peak and Old Desolate. Both peaks are considered scrambles by mountaineers.
Mystic Camp is nearby, one of several backcountry sites on the Wonderland Trail. To preserve the fragile shoreline of the lake, the camp is situated in a forested area, downhill and east of the lake.
It felt like winter, so we bundled up as we ate lunch, amazed at the courage of a hiker taking a dip on the other side of the frigid lake -- even watching him made us shiver. Just about the time we finished lunch, a fine drizzle began to fall, so we packed up and headed out. Though we were weary, it was mostly downhill hiking and we made good time, gladly standing aside to let backpackers pass as they toiled with their monster packs toward the heavenly realms of Moraine Park and beyond.
It began to rain in earnest near the trailhead and there was the usual friendly chaos as we maneuvered about inside our cars trying to peel off wet clothes and get into dry ones. High spirits were restored upon the arrival of hot food and drink in Buckley.
* Getting there -- From Seattle go south on Interstate 5 to Tacoma, then east on state Route 512 to state Route 410. Continue 16 miles east on Route 410 to state Route 165 in the town of Buckley. Turn right on Route 165, go through Wilkeson and continue to where the road forks at 9 miles. Turn left (east) on the Carbon River Road and continue to the Carbon River Entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. From the entrance, drive 5 miles to the end of the road at Ipsut Creek Campground and the trailhead, elevation 2,300 feet. An entry fee is charged to enter the park. Allow about 2 hours for the drive.
* Trail data -- It is about 15.5 miles round trip to Mystic Lake, with a total of 4,200 feet elevation gain in and out.
* Information -- The map is Green Trails No. 269, Mount Rainier West. For road and trail conditions, call Mount Rainier National Park at 360-569-2211, or visit the Web site at www.nps.gov/mora [1]. Fires are prohibited in the backcountry and pets are not allowed on trails. Permits are required for camping. For additional information, refer to "50 Hikes in Mount Rainier National Park" by Ira Spring and Harvey Manning (Mountaineers, 143 pages, $14.95).
Karen Sykes, West Seattle resident and avid hiker, has been traveling Northwest trails for 24 years and is the author of "Hidden Hikes in Western Washington." She can be reached at hikes4life@yahoo.com.
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