Mt Rainier National Park: Windy Gap area

I did Rainier's Northern Loop back in 2010, and the one place I felt that I really wanted to return to and explore around was Windy Gap. So it took 13 years but I finally made it back, joined by my friend and neighbor, Mike. We did a three night trip, with the first night at Ipsut Campground, and two nights in a cross country zone camp a few hundred yards before the pass.

After the 5 hour drive to the Carbon River entrance and getting our permit at the ranger's office, it was a five mile hike on an old and washed out road to Ipsut Creek Campground, a former car campground that now is only accessible on foot or bicycle.

We would be heading up the canyon on the left.

One of the road washouts, where there is a single track trail through the trees.

At a different washout, there is a ladder to climb up on a big tree

And then walk down the tree with a railing

The trail through the river debris basin

To actually get to the Carbon River and cross it on a seasonal bridge

First view of Mt Rainier

Then miles of switchbacks through an open forest to reach the alpine

Some snow plants along the trail

Most of the way there and we passed the Yellowstone Cliffs and took a leisurely lunch break at the park service camping area with this view

Just short of the pass was this pond. We camped on the back side of that knoll.

My campsite. One nice thing about this area is that the valleys on either side of the pass are oriented east-west. That means we get the sun very early (the nights were cold), and the sunrise on the horizon, not behind a high ridge earlier.