This week we went for the ultimate PNW "what were you thinking" adventure---the quest for Carbon Glacier in Mt. Rainier National Park. Carbon is the lowest elevation glacier (3500 ft) in the contiguous U.S. and the source of the milky white Carbon River. It also happens to be the biggest (longest, tallest, most voluminous) bad boy outside of Alaska. It used to be easy to get there--but due to some serious flooding of the Carbon River a few years ago, it is now reserved for those willing to walk or bike in 5 miles to the trailhead. This is actually a wonderful thing---the park service realizes it and has no plans to repair the old dirt road. Ipsut Creek Campground is now officially back country--no cars, no rvs, no electricity and (unfortunately) no dogs.
We started out through the mossy forest. JG and I had to carry everything in our incredibly old backpacks from our early 20s when we both backpacked around Europe (separately). The road looked pretty reasonable and had a mild incline--not so bad....at first. A couple of miles along, the road got much worse, the steady incline grew tiresome (and seemingly endless) and JVW started swearing. I knew things were off track when I heard EFG (who was with me) shout ahead to FG--"hey, Finny---Mama's saying all of her swear words!" This road was not ideal for our brilliant plan to ride bikes with 60 lbs worth of backcountry gear in 20 year old packs. And yet....
We made it! We set up camp, ate some nutella sandwiches, and decided that we could easily add another 4 miles or so to our day. So we set out on the hike to Carbon Glacier. Thankfully, this hike is pretty easy compared to some of our usual fare--not much elevation gain and some pretty stunning scenery.
Tempting, but the icy waters of the Carbon River are not meant for swimming.
We rounded a bend in the trail and suddenly the view opened up. The dark blob in front of Rainier is the glacier.
The boys took a break to dip their heads in Ipsut Creek.
The payoff for this hike was twofold: a fantastic view of the glacier--it is in shadow, but you get the gist. and....
and a suspension bridge!
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| Not sure why this photo came out like this, but I have to call it "Finian's Rainbow." |
This is the source of the Carbon River. The glacier is dark because of a mantle of rock that blankets it ---that is also why it manages to remain glacial at such a low elevation.
We managed to get a pretty good night's sleep, so we packed up after breakfast and headed back down the road.
We were all in a pretty good mood, because it was downhill the whole way.....
We said goodbye to the forest, promised to come back this winter for some showshoeing and headed off to the nearest town for a big breakfast.
Distance: 16 miles (10 on bike, 6 on foot)
Elevation at top: 3500 ft.
Elevation gain: 1000 ft (for the hike)
Jellybeans: 10-12 each
EF rating: worth it, especially for the camping and the bridge
JJ rating: need new backpacks, possibly need to rent a bike trailer next time. still.....
http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/carbon-glacier
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