Day 7 Information
Maple Creek to Paradise River Camp - 6.5 Miles
Wednesday, September 11th 2002

This is day 7 of my Wonderland Trip. The time now is about 7:45 pm. I am at Paradise River Camp. The altitude here is around 4100 feet. I left Maple Creek this morning and hiked, which wasn’t too bad, except it was almost all up hill. It just went up, up, and up, and it was hot. It actually was pretty bad, just like the book said it would be. The worst part was probably the bugs. They got really annoying. Usually when you hike they just fly around you, they never land on you or never stay more than 1/2 a second, but man, they just didn’t care that you were hiking. The trail today was all along the road for part of the time. It was actually nice, we actually hiked on the road for a short distance.


Reflections Lake - Elevation 4861.



Panorama of Mt. Rainier and Reflection Lake.



Mt. Rainier reflecting in Reflection Lake.

I stopped at Reflection Lake, the upper one I think, around 1:00 p.m. and took a couple of pictures and a few panoramas. It was on my way leaving that I decided to take another picture and I just randomly looked at the ISO, because I like to check it every once in a while. I had it at about 400 ISO so I had to go back and take the panoramas again. I was a little bummed, but it didn’t take too long. I hope they turn out. But I don’t know. After that, I hiked to Narada Falls.


Vertical Panorama of Narada Falls.

It was pretty cool there. That was close to the road too. I took a couple of pictures to stitch together. And then from there it was pretty much all downhill. Actually every bit of it was to Paradise River Camp.


I think some people purposly try to make life difficult for others.

It was about .9 KM, I guess they stopped using miles and switched to kilometers. I just think it is so weird. The other two hikers, Charlie and some other guy, will finish tomorrow early. All they have to do is hike to Longmire before 10:00 or so, which is fairly early. They don't have very far to go, but they have to make their bus, because if they don’t they might miss their flight. After I got to camp I set up my tent and I met another couple. She is about 55 and he is 49 They plan on doing the Appalachian Trail and the whole thing in 5 or 6 years when they retire. The Appalachian Trail is very long. I’m going to look into it and figure out more about it. It takes months to do, not just weeks. It’s about 2000 some miles. It’s like the Pacific Crest Trail. After I set up my tent I emptied my backpack out and took my water filter, jacket and pants, and I hiked up to Paradise. It was a long 2 miles, I thought it would go quicker and easier. It was all up hill. I got my food, called home and no one answered. Then I wanted to set my barometer to be more accurate, but theirs was broken. So maybe I will find out at Longmire. I grabbed my boots, emptied it all out. I looked in the bookstore for about a minute. The mountain was nice. The view was nice. There were no clouds.


One year after 9/11 the American Flag is at half-staff

The flag was at half-staff with the mountain behind. On my way back I hitchhiked a ride back with people from Texas. Two girls: a mom and her daughter, about 15. They were pretty nice. They were just getting in their truck and I asked them if they would mind giving me a ride down a couple of a miles. So I climbed on the back of their truck and they took me right to the place. It was really nice. It saved me about 45 minutes of hiking. Not a long ways, but it was all downhill and it wouldn‘t have been fun. I still had to go downhill some to Narada Falls, but it was only a short distance. When I go up to Paradise again tomorrow I think I will do the same thing. Instead of hiking, I will hitchhike up and back. It makes it a lot easier. When I got back I went and filtered some water...about 3 or 4 L, and then I put my apple sauce and pineapple things in the water to make them cold. I made my drink...it was tropical punch cool-aid. Came back and ate the pineapple and apple sauce along with Pringles chips. They were pizza or something. For breakfast this morning I had granola and some drink. Actually I think it was a granola crunch bar. That is all I think I’ve had all day. I left camp this morning about 10:00. And I got up here at 3:00. It wasn’t tough, it was just annoying with the bugs, and it was hot. And the sun was beating down. And just like the book said, there were cars. This was the day, because of the beautiful sunshine, that would bring them all out to Mt. Rainier. They go flying by as they are leaving. I was jealous, I could have been in one of those cars, cruising by with the AC on. Tomorrow is mostly downhill. Actually I go up hill after a while of downhill. After I get to Longmire it is up to Devil Dream. I think that is all. I am going to bed now.


You have been reading about Day 7


Extra three miles is from hiking from Paradise River Camp to Paradise - 2 Miles. Then from Narada Falls Back to Paradise River Camp - About 1 Mile.