The Northern Loop section in Mount Rainier National Park is one of my favourite zones. Being much quieter then the Wonderland trail this section has stunning terrain rarely seen by most hikers. But it is not the trail that makes it so good but what is off the trail. This season I was trying to do unique camping trips with my limited amount of time and Jason Hummel came up with the idea to cross the Carbon Glacier over to Seattle Park. At first I though he was crazy but after I while it became apparent we were both crazy because I agreed to do it with him.
Day 1: Mowich Lake to Cresent Lake on the Northern Loop Trail
The initial problem was wether to start at the Carbon River of Mowich Lake. In the end we decided on Mowich Lake as it would make the trip a bit shorter as we packed for 3 nights in the high alpine. While the packs were heavy we were able to move fast descending from Input Pass down to the Carbon River.
Before long it was time to start climbing as we made our way towards Windy Gap Gap on the Northern Loop. The trail up was much steeper then I remember as the switchbacks quickly gained elevation. Before long we were standing under Yellowstone Cliffs and taking the occasion moment to eat blueberries as they were in there prime.
Leaving Windy Gap towards Cresent Lake
Arriving to the low tarn of Windy Gap it was time to break off the Northern Loop Trail and follow a low maintained trail over to Cresent Lake. For the next hour we were making our way through the bushes and occasionally running into small trails.
Once at Present Lake we were happy to see that we had the area to ourselves. Being about 2 miles off the Northern Loop Trail we weren’t sure if there would be other people out there. The rest of the afternoon we sat around and chatted about old memories and waited for the sunset alpenglow to arrive.
Day 2: Cresent Lake to Moraine Park
Waking up the next morning we noticed that there was another person who had arrived in the middle of the night. After an hour of packing and chatting it was time to get moving as we needed to cover ground. Hiking back up towards Windy Gap we made it to the south shore of the tarn we passed the night before. From there it was time to climb up and over a small pass which looked harder then it really was.
Standing up on the pass we had a wide open view of the Northern Loop trail and to my surprise we didn’t see a single person. It was early September and the height of hiking season so I was sure the area would be crowded.
But the view to the South was the reason we were out there. In the distance the North side of Mount Rainier stood proud in the distance. In front of it was Elysian Peak which I had the good fortune to ski almost a decade earlier.
Making our own Northern Loop Trail out of Animal Tracks
Heading down from the pass we made our way between open alpine and animal trails in the forests. Knowing that most of the areas for climbing were steep boulders we followed the mellow north ridge up Elysian Peak. In the photo below the area above Jason is where we came from.
It was time to keep moving south as we needed to drop down into Moraine Park. Looking at the maps we could see a small area that was forested from top to bottom and decided to go that way. At first I thought it would be a bush whacking nightmare but once again we found an animal trail which became our own little Northern Loop trail.
For the rest of the afternoon we walked around Moraine Park to try to find the best view for a camping spot. There was no water up high but fortunately both of us around a few litres with us from the creek below.
Camping Perfection in Moraine Park
From our camping spot we just sat and waited for the sunset to finally come. The Moraine Park area has some of if not the best views of the Northern side of Mount Rainier. Once again this sunset did not disappoint.
Day 3: Moraine Park to Seattle Park via the Carbon Glacier
I set my alarm for 30 minutes before sunrise in fear of missing it. I woke up to the annoying noise of my phone before crawling out of the tent for the light show. Since Jason had a much better camera we walked over to a cliff and started taking photos.
After packing our bags it was time to get moving our our Northern Loop. This would be the crux day of the trip and I was a little bit nervous about crossing the Carbon Glacier. From our vantage point we saw what looked like the best route but by saying best that didn’t mean that it looked good.
Hiking down a dry gully we quickly found ourselves on the Wonderland trail for around a mile.
Hiking Across the Carbon Glacier
We left the Wonderland trail where the map showed a mellow gully breaking the moraine wall of the Carbon Glacier. Looking at what was in front of us it didn’t seem that far away from Seattle Park but it would be slow moving.
To say the area was sketchy was an understatement as all the rocks were loose. Placing your weight on a rock the wrong way would make it tumble no matter the size. We made our way across as carefully as we could sticking to high ridges as they couldn’t roll onto us.
There were a lot of ups and downs as we made our way over to the eroded out face just below Seattle Park. I though the Carbon Glacier was going to be the crux but this was by far it. Being nearly vertical and loose a fall was going to be pretty bad. Fortunately Jason had found a route through by digging in steps with his Whippet ski poles. Once he had done the hard work I followed his steps and a sigh of relief was felt when it was all over.
Back on Solid Ground near Seattle Park
After passing the Carbon Glacier we dropped down to the small creek that comes from Seattle Park. While the area was thick with vegetation we had scored again with another animal trail. Before long we were back in a lower alpine basin and just below Seattle Park.
Instead of climbing boulders through the creek we decided to climb up some steep forests. From the map it seemed like it would be a bit faster as well as take us to a beautiful basin. While a few sections were steep we kept on finding ways through and before long we were in the flats of Seattle Park.
It was still early in the afternoon when we made it to a small tarn lake. There was more then enough time to keep moving but we decided to camp there as we would be wrapping around and loosing a bit of elevation to get back on the Wonderland trail. It was agreed that this trip was all about views of Mount Rainier and this was the best view we were going to get.
The Perfect Camping Spot in Seattle Park
For the rest of the afternoon we walked around the Seattle Park area in search of water. It had been a dry summer and we were loosing hope to find something but off in the distance we could see the glistening of a creek. Filling up our bottles with water we made our way back to camp and waited for our final sunset of the trip.
Our camping spot was 20 meters from a massive cliff that dropped down to the Carbon Glacier. When I got tired of the view towards Mount Rainier I would walk over there and see the route we had come from the day before. Slowly the shadow crept up the Moraine Park area.
That night we watched the alpenglow slowly fade off of Rainier as the sun set behind Mother Mountain. While it was a descent light show we knew the light would be much better at Sunrise.
Day 4:: Seattle Park to Mowich Lake
Once again I woke up to the alarm a few minutes before sunrise and sat waiting for the show to begin. Luckily there was no wind so we had a perfect reflection of Mount Rainier as we ran around snapping photos.
It was time to say goodbye to Seattle Park as we packed our bags and got one final view of Mount Rainier. By now smoke had started moving in from the East side and was leaving a haze in around us. In 30 minutes there was a complete change from and we could start smelling the smoke.
Finishing off our Northern Loop Variation
Walking down a stream in Seattle Park we connected to the Wonderland Trail near Seattle Park Camp for our final section of the Northern Loop. This is an area rarely seen by hikers but was well worth checking out being so lush green in the open alpine.
Making our way over to Spray Park we cut off the main trail for a smaller trail up and over Knapsack Pass.
Climbing up to Knapsack Pass we could see just how much smoke had moved in over the past few hours. We had accidentally timed our trip perfectly as the views were now just a haze of smoke.
The last section of our Northern Loop Trail was the descent back to Mowich Lake where our car was waiting. It was still early in the day but there was no reason to stay around longer.
Thoughts on the Route
This variation of the Northern Loop was nice to say the least but I have no intention of ever crossing the Carbon Glacier in the summer again. I really don’t recommend it as it is very dangerous and one time is more then enough for me. If I was going to do this trip again I would follow the Wonderland trail all the way down the Carbon River valley before ascending the trail and following what was our exit route up into Seattle Park. That being said there is a reason that Mount Rainier National Park is my favourite place in the world.
Thank you for making it to the end and here is a list of the hiking trips in Summer 2022.
Overnight Camping at Robin Lakes
Stevens Ridge to Cowlitz Park-MRNP
Norse Peak Trail-Crystal Mountain
If you want to read about more hiking trips click here