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  1. #1
    DutchConch's Avatar
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    Wonderland trail hammocking

    So I've just been lucky enough to get a wonderland trail permit for this coming July. Super excited, been wanting to do this loop for years but never got lucky enough in the old permit system and live too far away to chance the walk up permits. There will be at least 3 of us and maybe 4 if my college daughter can't find an internship for the summer due to covid. We are all hammock campers and would perfer them over tenting but have many tents if needed. I've seen a few utube videos and researched this site too. Seems like some folks do use hammocks on the trail but most have expressed some difficulties depending on the sites and most are just doing 2 hammocks at a site. I contacted the park and asked them about hammocks and they said allowed but have to hang over the tent pads. That sure seems like it will make hanging 3-4 hammocks a real issue. We plan on bringing pads in case we have to go to ground and are considering putting the kids in a tent to reduce the risk of not having enough trees for the old folks (turning 60 on this hike!) to hang hammocks.

    Any suggestions and insight I can get from those that have already done this amazing trail with hammocks would be greatly appreciated.
    We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing – George Bernard Shaw

  2. #2
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    I know Stormcrow (Adam..owner of Hammock Gear) did it and said it was magical.
    He used hammocks the whole trip.
    Shug
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  3. #3
    DutchConch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shug View Post
    I know Stormcrow (Adam..owner of Hammock Gear) did it and said it was magical.
    He used hammocks the whole trip.
    Shug
    Do you know how many were in his group? And congratulations on the Jeep!
    We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing – George Bernard Shaw

  4. #4
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    Congratulation on getting a ticket! I'll try to be as much help as i can:

    I did part of it last year, from Longmire clockwise to Sunrise. Had to bail out at Sunrise due to bad weather, so i can't comment on Indian Bar, Summerland, or the south side.

    Read my trip report here

    If you were going solo, you can make it work. However several of the campsites have "that one good spot" for hammocking while the other sites don't work well due to tree placement or size. With two people in the group, you're taking your chances but could make it better if you make a special effort to go off-season or hike earlier in the morning to get best choice of sites. With 4 people hammocking, odds are poor but you might get lucky. I would definitely carry a ground option in case the spots for hammocking are taken.

    A few general tips:

    - Carry very long straps and backup dogbones or whoopies in case you need to span an absurd distance or wrap a huge tree.
    - Carry a ground option in case bad happens.
    - Opt for camps that have many sites. That way you have more options in case the "Good One" is taken.
    - Consider taking the Northern Loop alternate route to avoid crowds.
    - Definitely take the Spray Park alternate route and camp at Cataract.

    Good camps for hammocks:
    - Devil's Dream
    - Cataract Valley
    - Mystic
    - Klapatche

    So-So camps:
    - South Puyallup (only one decent spot, plus the group spot)
    - Sunrise (only one or two good options)
    - South Mowitch River (the better options were smashed to bits by falling trees)

    Camps to avoid:
    - North Puyallup (no good trees unless you are desperate)
    - Di ck Creek (trees too small for hanging)
    - Mowitch Lake CG (no trees, just pads)

    Camps that are probably decent but i wasnt paying enough attention:
    - Golden Lakes
    - Granite
    - Pyramid
    - Eagles Roost

    Willis Wall has a video walkthrough series of all of the backcountry campsites. Great work! Now you can scope out the camps before you go.

    Final thoughts:
    - July is a bit early in the season so expect snow, and maybe the Spray Park route won't be available. Ask rangers before you go.
    - Keep going even if things get miserable. Misery is quickly forgotten, but victory remains forever.
    - Plan to have lunch at St Andrews Lake.
    - Take pictures of marmots!

    Have fun!

  5. #5
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DutchConch View Post
    Do you know how many were in his group? And congratulations on the Jeep!
    That I do not know.
    Thankee....Jeep is so fun so far.
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  6. #6
    DutchConch's Avatar
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    Thanks leiavoia for all the great info. Loved your trip report and yes I have seen the Willis Wall video and it is indeed awesome. I had 480 other folks getting their permits before me so I felt very lucky to get anything at all. Due to work I was forced to choose July and as it turns out August was all full anyway for a slow poke like me. My permit is for 12 days, starting at Longmire then Paradise River, Nickel Creek, Summerland, White River, Granite Creek, **** Creek, Eagle's Roost, S Mowich, Golden Lakes, Klapatche, Devils's Dream. Looks like I got some of your recommended ones and one of your avoids. Oh well, we'll probably do a tent for the kids and the wife and I can hang next to each other on the same trees. And we'll both bring "go to ground" options. I'll rewatch Shugs video on it. I did a hike up to Camp Muir in the 90's in July and there was 8 feet of snow still at Paradise but I'm hoping it won't be that bad this year.
    We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing – George Bernard Shaw

  7. #7
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    Not sure I'd want to lug a Tensa Solo up and down around the Wonderland but if the group had a couple of Treez the entire group flexibility would be dramatically increased.

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