Kautz Creek Trail, MRNP, 11/11/2012

Last Sunday, I had the day to myself in the Seattle area. My only restrictions were that I had to deliver my friends to SeaTac airport at 7am Sunday morning, and I had to be at the airport myself the next day around 9am. The time between was mine to do as I pleased.

Two years ago, I also had a free day in Seattle, and that day I took John's advice and did a one-day exploration of the Olympic Peninsula that I still remember with great fondness (trip report here.) This time I wanted to do some hiking in Mt. Rainier National Park.

I had a hike picked out in the east side of the park - but I found out the day before that that section of the park is closed for the winter. I confirmed that the west side of the park was still open, and selected a hike: Indian Henry's Hunting Ground via Kautz Creek. This is a fairly long and strenuous hike, but I figured I had all day and I wanted to do something good.

Then at the party on Saturday night, I talked to a guy who works for the National Weather Service. He told me that snow was expected in elevations about 3000 ft. on Sunday afternoon. I promised I'd be careful (making him the latest in a long line of people  to receive my promise of being careful.)

Sunday morning arrived, gray and cool, and we left our cozy home-away-from-home at 6:10am. Part 1 of my trip report follows:

7:18am

Breakfast stop at McDonald's. I got my friends to SeaTac at 7am, and the rest of the day is mine. It's cloudy and cool, and the forecast is still not good. The park is maybe two hours away, and I'll get there as quickly as I can, so I can hopefully hike before the snow starts.

9:12am
Entrance to the National Park. Admission is free, as it's Veteran's Day. I got a few glimpses of Rainier over the last half hour, as I approached the park. I could only see the shoulders of the mountain, as its head is in the clouds - but even the first glimpse of that made me say "Woah!" It's *massive*, and I hope I'll get a view of the mountain today - though that's probably a long-shot, as it's getting more cloudy, not less.

9:39am

Kautz Creek trailhead. I drove maybe 5 miles into the park, and there's ice on the narrow windy road. I drove slowly and carefully and had no trouble. It's cold - probably a little above freezing. I'm dressed for it - with a few layers and my Gore-tex jacket. I have a water, a Gatorade, and a couple of energy bars. There are a few snowflakes falling, and the cloud cover is so heavy that there are no mountain vistas. Oh well, off we go.

10:15am
For the first 3/4 of a mile, the trail was flat and followed a stream. Then things got interesting - the trail crossed the stream, went into the woods, and started climbing. As soon as I went into the woods, I couldn't stop gaping. It was like entering another world...maybe Tolkien's Middle Earth. The trees were unbelievable - they were so thick and so *massive*. Some had fallen across the trail and had been cut, and its diameter was more than my height. They were mostly cedars and firs, and the smell was pure Christmas morning.

If you've read any of my trip reports, you know that a climb means that I start generating body heat like crazy. First my gloves went in my pocket. Then my jacket came off and got strapped to my daypack. I have a short-sleeve wicking shirt under a long-sleeve flannel shirt.

The trail is climbing relentlessly, and I'm huffing and puffing. There are no vistas, but hiking through these trees is magical.

10:42am
The trail is still climbing relentlessly, and my flannel shirt is now completely unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up. I'm stopping for a short rest and drink, and I've decided to turn around and head back to the car.

Snow has been falling steadily - I would call it a light flurry, but that's what I'm seeing under the canopy of these massive trees, and maybe that means it's really snowing hard. I'm a little less than halfway to Indian Henry's Hunting Ground, and I hate to abandon the hike - but as I already noted, I've promised a number of people that I'd be careful, and I don't want to get in over my head if it really is snowing hard out there.

11:43am

Trailhead. That was a grueling downhill - I find the steep downhills hard on the legs/quads, where steep uphills are hard on the lungs. As I came out of the woods and followed the last half mile along the creek, I buttoned my flannel shirt again and put my jacket back on.

When I came out of the woods, I realized that my fears were not realized. What was a light flurry under the trees was indeed just a light flurry - so light that I think my hiking for the day is not over. The Longmire Visitor's Center is a few miles away, and I know there are a number of trails that go out of there. I'll drive up there and see about a second hike.

Distance: 5.22 miles
Elapsed Time: 2:09