Wonderland Trail, Day 2: Bear Growls & a Rope Climb

{NOTE: For those readers who don’t know our family, we’re the Connells. Doug’s my husband and I’m Jess. At the time of this trip, we had 7 kids (Ethan-14, Baxter-12, MeiMei-10, Silas-8, Moses-6, Theo-3.5, Luke-18 months), and I was 6 months pregnant with our 8th child. Over the next 3 weeks, I’m publishing journal entries, pictures, & memories from our 12-day family adventure on the Wonderland Trail, one day at a time. Day 1 is here, and now… Day 2.}

 

Wonderland Trail, Mt. Rainier

Monday, 8/15/2016: Cataract Valley to Mystic Lake (6.4 miles)
Elevation changes: -1000, +2800, -200

JOURNAL ENTRY: 

“We had a decent night’s sleep. I slept between two little wigglies (Theo & Luke) who mostly slept OK. I thought my back and hips wouldn’t ever recover– but this morning, everything looked and felt better.

Ethan, Luke, Theo, & I took off a full hour from camp before everyone else. We heard 2 bear growls nearby & saw slide tracks and a paw print in the mud but didn’t see the bear. Our loud talking & singing probably warned him enough.

Ethan rolled his ankle & we wrapped it. Theo and I (w/ Luke on back) went across Carbon River– and now we’ve stopped for lunch about 1/2 way up a steep climb to Dick Creek, and then we’ll press on to Mowich Lake tonight.

—— (Snack/potty break- 2:15 pm)

We just did a crazy rope climb over Dick Creek. It was cool to see Baxter helping MeiMei–

——-

Another good, long day. Got to Mystic Lake barely @ dusk.

Ranger Paul (head @ Mystic Lake) booked it past me & Theo & it motivated Theo to go so much faster and we made it to camp in good time.

Lesson:

— a day as a hiker is like a person’s life– you start out w/ zest– but soon learn your limits and eventually need to rest more often.”

MEMORIES:

1. The bear growls— Ethan and I kept reminding ourselves of everything we knew about black bears. “They’re not interested in people.” “They’re more scared of us than we are of them.” “If we make loud noises we probably won’t see them.” Still, it was unnerving because we were on a slim path on a hillside and we knew that– with a baby, a 3-year-old, a pregnant lady, and a teen with a rolled ankle–  a confrontation wouldn’t be a good thing.
2. There was a sketchy place where the trail had fallen out, and we had to skitter across in a way that felt unsafe to me (especially with Luke on my back). Ethan hurried across confidently, then came back and carried Theo across. Through careful footing and using my poles to provide stability, I made it. Each time we were separated from Doug and the other kids, and reached a place like this (throughout the trail, not just this day), I would think of them and imagine how each of them might get across, and entrust them to God.
3. We hit a place where I knew Doug & the kids wouldn’t know which way to go. We tied up an orange trail marker in the direction we were headed. Turned out to be a great decision. They said they would have gone the other way because of confusing signage.
4. We saw our friends from the Longmire waiting line– the foursome of hikers from Michigan! We had a brief visit, two different times that day, and they took some pics of our family crossing the suspension bridge.
5. The suspension bridge— it was a fun, adventurous thing to do. After we’d crossed, Theo (the 3-year-old) said, “whoa! I *LITE* that bridge!” (yes, he said ‘lite’)
6. The Carbon River glacier was beautiful and it was a fascinating thing for this Texas girl to see the source of water. (In the part of Texas I’m from, it’s all from underground aquifers.)
7. The hike up to Dick Creek was steep. We enjoyed taking a small dip there though.
8. The steep rope-climb seemed impossible. Especially for this pregnant lady with a baby on my back.  But, with help, I somehow did it.
9. We kept feeling like we’d reached the peak before we headed down to Mystic Lake, only to see that there was “a little farther” to go.
10. Ethan & Baxter (14 & 12) ran ahead and got to fish at the lake.
11. The kids couldn’t stop talking about Ranger Paul’s calf muscles. “His calves are RIPPED, mom!!!” “Did you SEE his LEG MUSCLES??!” “HUGE!!!!”

 

Keep reading:

http://jessconnell.com/wonderland-trail-day-3-noticing-good-things/

Want more details? Here’s what we packed:

http://jessconnell.com/family-geared-wonderland-trail/