Indian Henry's
A few years ago I realized that I had a desire to find and see as much of this beautiful state as I could and researched hikes utilizing the Washington Trails Association (of which I am now a proud member) and I found all of the 'bunny trails', one to (gasp) six miles and I saw some amazing beauty, but two years ago I saw an image of Indian Henry's Hunting Ground and the Ranger Scout Cabin located there and realized that this was a place that I could not go to. They list it at 14 miles (the signs on the trail say 16, I can add) with 3200 feet of elevation gain. After working out this winter and hiking every chance I could I struck out for this mystical magical place on a trail that climbs and descends several ridges, crosses many beautiful streams, passes two pack in campgrounds and with the exception of Rampart Ridge you do it on a part of the 95 mile trail that's calling my name, the Wonderland.
You approach from the right and you just see the side of it tucked neatly in the trees and then you look up at the amazing south west face of Rainier towering behind it, I'd say that it was breathtaking, but I didn't have any anyway..... :-) I ate lunch and sipped a Gatorade on the back step and glowed at the beauty I had found and knowledge that there isn't a place in the park that I can't get to now, might take a few days, but I can get there. (I also tacked on two miles and got Mirror lakes after lunch, I mean, I was in the neighborhood.....) :-)
Boots on the trail at 5:40 a.m., butt in the truck at 4:00 p.m. It was a VERY good day. I saw three people coming down on my way up and spoke to a man who was arriving via the much easier Tahoma Creek route as I was leaving. I've never been so alone in my life. :-)
Indian Henry's
A few years ago I realized that I had a desire to find and see as much of this beautiful state as I could and researched hikes utilizing the Washington Trails Association (of which I am now a proud member) and I found all of the 'bunny trails', one to (gasp) six miles and I saw some amazing beauty, but two years ago I saw an image of Indian Henry's Hunting Ground and the Ranger Scout Cabin located there and realized that this was a place that I could not go to. They list it at 14 miles (the signs on the trail say 16, I can add) with 3200 feet of elevation gain. After working out this winter and hiking every chance I could I struck out for this mystical magical place on a trail that climbs and descends several ridges, crosses many beautiful streams, passes two pack in campgrounds and with the exception of Rampart Ridge you do it on a part of the 95 mile trail that's calling my name, the Wonderland.
You approach from the right and you just see the side of it tucked neatly in the trees and then you look up at the amazing south west face of Rainier towering behind it, I'd say that it was breathtaking, but I didn't have any anyway..... :-) I ate lunch and sipped a Gatorade on the back step and glowed at the beauty I had found and knowledge that there isn't a place in the park that I can't get to now, might take a few days, but I can get there. (I also tacked on two miles and got Mirror lakes after lunch, I mean, I was in the neighborhood.....) :-)
Boots on the trail at 5:40 a.m., butt in the truck at 4:00 p.m. It was a VERY good day. I saw three people coming down on my way up and spoke to a man who was arriving via the much easier Tahoma Creek route as I was leaving. I've never been so alone in my life. :-)