Two weeks ago, Matt and I set out for some shenanigans in Mount Rainier National Park. I only had one day, and I haven’t spent much time in the park this year, so I thought it would be fun to try and climb Banshee Peak and the Cowlitz Chimneys as a through-hike along the Wonderland Trail, starting at Fryingpan Creek and finishing at Ohanapecosh. Prominently visible from Crystal Mountain, the Cowlitz Chimneys have always intrigued me, and this trip would let us go light and cover some distance, while doing some easy cross country travel and a tasteful amount of scrambling to bag two summits with nice views. Or so I thought.
In practice, we had whiteout weather with “atmospheric” views, and my knee issues kept me from summiting Cowlitz Chimneys (hence I am the Cowlitz Chicken), but Matt had the patience of a saint (the Patient Banshee) and we were even able to run the last few miles - still a great trip!
We dropped Matt’s truck at Ohanapecosh and headed back over Cayuse Pass to the Fryingpan Creek Trailhead before sunrise, where we enjoyed watching a true clownshow of parallel parking attempts while we enjoyed breakfast. Under overcast skies, we busted up the Wonderland Trail to Summerland, where the clouds accentuated the color of the wildflowers, which were still going strong for mid-August. We reached a socked-in Panhandle Gap (the highest point on the Wonderland Trail, which circumnavigates Mount Rainier) and set off cross-country, aiming (with some compass assistance) for Banshee Peak.
Matt is the nicest guy you could hope to run into on the trail, he’s thrilled to take your photo.
Genuinely unsure if this little guy is a Pika or a rodent, either way he was cute. Maybe one of y’all can correct me.
Meany Crest looking murky in the clouds.
Matt doing some classic moat-groveling on the Wonderland Trail (still snowcovered!) just below Panhandle Gap.
The meadows in the mist were gorgeous (in a moody sort of way), and the off trail travel was easy, but unfortunately, as we neared the summit of Banshee Peak, my knee started hurting again - quite frustrating after a good number of more difficult trips over rougher terrain without incident. We reached the summit of Banshee Peak, still totally socked in, but I decided to bail on the Cowlitz Chimneys to minimize the amount of off trail travel. The silver lining is that when I eventually do go back for it, hopefully I’ll be able to actually see something!
Heading off the Wonderland Trail towards Banshee Peak, hidden in the clouds.
Mountain Goats on Banshee
Matt and I on the summit of Banshee Peak, with the Cowlitz Chimneys hiding in the clouds behind us.
The Sarvant Glacier in the fog below Banshee Peak, looking like it’s only got a few years left :(
I desperately tried to talk Matt into tagging the Chimneys and catching me up, but he would have none of it. So, we started heading back towards the Wonderland Trail, going slowly through the mist. We made it back to Panhandle Gap and continued south, following the trail as it wraps around the headwaters of the Ohanapecosh River. I felt badly that after pitching Matt on a “trail run” I was barely keeping a decent walking pace, but Matt, like an overly-loyal dog, was content to trot a few paces ahead of me, occasionally stopping to look over his shoulder to see how far I had fallen behind.
Matt using his sniffer to find the route back to Panhandle Gap in the fog
Matt trotting ahead of me on the Wonderland Trail
Ever notice how Matt is ahead of me in every single one of these pictures?
By the time we got near Indian Bar, we had descended below the clouds, and we got some lovely territorial views, along with beautiful flowers. The stretch of the trail along the Cowlitz Divide was gorgeous and perfect for running, and after a few false-starts, we were able to run the last few miles back down to Ohanapecosh and Matt’s truck. While it was disappointing to bail on the Cowlitz Chimneys, it was still a great day out in the mountains, and I’m lucky to have a great friend like Matt to spend time with.
Dropping below the clouds on our way down to Indian Bar
These creeks emerged straight out of the cliffs below the Ohanapecosh Glacier
Matt looking casual on the Cowlitz Divide trail