Biking and Hiking in a Rain Forest

Rosie by the gorgeous waterfall we discovered on our hike
Rosie resting in the rain forest wonderland. It seems to be right out of The Lord of the Rings
One of our favorite hikes in Mount Rainier National Park is from Ipsut campground to the Carbon Glacier, which is the lowest glacier in the continental United States. The hike is three miles each way, beginning in a temperate rain forest that looks like a place out of The Lord of the Rings. It takes you over a large suspension bridge that sways as you cross and then up to the base of the glacier with a few great views of Mount Rainier along the way -- if it is a clear day.

In November 2006, Mount Rainier National Park was hit with a record storm that dumped 18 inches of rain in a 36 hour period. When all that rain came down the mountains it created devastating floods throughout the park. One of the casualties was the road to Ipsut campground which is the trailhead for the hike to Carbon Glacier. In a number of places the Carbon River, which runs parallel to the road overflowed its banks and destroyed the road. The same thing, but to a lesser extent has happened a number of times over the last century. But this time the National Park Service said they would not fix the road for cars – it cost too much and undoubtedly another big storm will come and it will be destroyed again.

That means if you want to hike to the Carbon Glacier you first have to hike five miles (each way) along the old road to get to the trailhead, making the round trip hike some 16 miles – a long day’s journey – and one we have not tackled. This summer I rode my road bike from our house to the Carbon River Ranger Station – about fifty miles round trip. When I got there I realized that if I brought a mountain bike up there I could ride to Ipsut and then hike the 3 miles (one way) to the glacier. I rode home and asked Rosie if she wanted to do it with me. She readily agreed it sounded like a great idea.

Rosie ready to go at the Carbon River Ranger Station Trailhead.

Yesterday, we finally made the trip. We loaded our mountain bikes on the bike rack and drove to Carbon River Ranger Station. It was a fairly nice day with no rain, a little cold and with gray and cloudy skies. The first mile of our expected five mile ride was beautiful but uneventful. Both Rosie and I wondered why they didn’t allow cars past the gate. But about a mile in we came to a place where it was clear that the whole roadway had been washed away. The park service had created a narrow trail for hikers that we rode through with no problems. Over the next three miles there were a few more places where the road had been washed out and a couple of places with big trees that had blown down. These forced us to get off our bikes and lift them over the giant trees. When we got just past four miles on the trail we came to a series of blowdowns that were giant. It was a major ordeal getting over them on foot and impossible to lift our bikes over them.

The road follows the Carbon River and much of it is in great shape like the part pictured below

Note the width of the riverbed and the mountains in the background

Rosie looks back after negotiating minor blowdowns
Carrying my bike through a series of blowdowns
So we parked the bikes and went exploring. It became clear that our only hope of hiking to the glacier and suspension bridge was along the river bed. Not long after we started that venture it became obvious we would have to ford the stream to reach our destination and Rosie’s boots were not water proof so we decided against that option. We stopped and had a memorable lunch on the river bed and then went back to the car retracing our route. The ride back was much easier as it was all downhill.

Scouting for a way to get our bikes through the blowdowns

Rosie negotiates a log on the riverbed.

Rosie loved the color palette found in the river bed

Hiking along the riverbed

When we got back to the Ranger Station we took the very nice but short (.3 mile) nature trail. Along the loop we saw another trail that headed up a steep mountain and decided to follow it. It ended up being a steep but great hike – 2,300 feet of elevation gain and about five miles in total. Half way up the trail we came across a gorgeous waterfall.

Rosie looks at the giant mutant mushrooms growing on the trees

Note the size of this log Rosie walks through on the trail

Rosie on the trail. Note the ubiquitous moss in the rain forestAt the gorgeous waterfallI am deeply grateful for a wife that enjoys outdoor adventure and is in good enough shape to easily handle a day of biking and hiking. As you can see from these pictures it was a wonderful place to spend a Friday. We wish you all could have joined us.