Enumclaw, WA to Glacier Basin Camp (6,200 feet) via White River Ranger Station
We get up early, and following a quick involuntary sight seeing detour to Chinook Pass after driving past our turnoff to the White River entrance, head to the ranger station to buy our climbing permits, and get some great info about route conditions, route finding, and all kinds of assorted info that will become extremely important, if not downright life-saving, later in the trip. On our official climb registration, we estimate that the climb will take us 3 days at minimum, with an extra day added for any problems that might arise.
Dan and Hooman Packed Up at White River Trailhead
Fully permitted and ready to go, we head to the trailhead and after an hour of the classic pre-climb parking-lot-filling gear explosion, we're finally packed and ready to go. The first two hours of hiking are pretty simple, following the impressively re-landscaped White River trail. The flood damage here is truly epic and ridiculous – the first 2 miles of the trail have been completely obliterated, and the trail now winds thru heaps of uprooted trees and enormous bare rock gardens scoured clean by the rampage of the White River last November.
Hooman and Dan - the Heroes at Glacier Basin
We reach Glacier Basin Camp at around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and proceed to set up the tent, boil water, and have some food. We decide to take an afternoon power nap, and continue on the approach starting later that evening once it starts to get dark and snow conditions improve a bit.
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