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PANHANDLE GAP
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Summer Land [151 Kb]
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Panhandle Gap is a 2000 metre pass along the Wonderland Trail on the east
side of Mount Rainier. The closest access is from the 1150 metre trail head
on the Sunrise Park road, nine kilometers from Panhandle Gap.
The trail follows Fryingpan Creek through the forest for about five kilometers
before crossing the creek on a footbridge and climbing to Summer Land, a
large meadow with great views of Mount Rainier and Little Tahoma.
When we did this hike late in the season of 1978, the meadows were
no longer in bloom but the autumn colours were very nice.
There is an old stone shelter and good camping spots at Summer Land.
From the meadows at Summer Land, the trail climbs another 250 meters
through a barren landscape of rock and snow to Panhandle Gap, the
highest point along the Wonderland Trail.
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Little Tahoma and Mt. Rainier [224 Kb]
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Panhandle Gap [146 Kb]
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