Carbon River, Mount Ranier
Posted August 29th, 2007 in [hide]The Carbon River entrance is 
an industrial-looking swatch of land; rocks, a low waterline, and occasional clear cuts. Of course, in the end of August, most rivers are flowing pretty low.
Mount Ranier is a giant place; most of it cordoned off from the motorist’s view. There are a small handful of of roads leading into the park, and Carbon River is one of them. It’s probably the most remote - a long, poorly maintained dirt road leading off to Mowich Lake (below).
This is the least known and least trafficked road into a park that sees more than four million yearly visitors. Even on an dark, stormy day parking was overflowing in some places and limited in others; still this is back-country wilderness compared to Sunrise or Paradise.
About two hours from Seattle, this northwestern corner of Mt Ranier is a great weekend getaway.
Getting There is Half the Fun
Because this is such an obscure region, the drive is a little less straight-forward than you might be used to. It’s not difficult; it’s just not as well marked, either.
From I-5 take State Route 410 to SR 165 South, which leads into the park. Eventually the road comes to a split; go up - to the right - about 18 miles over a dirt road for the lake, or continue on for lower altitude temperate rainforest hiking trails. Beyond Carbonado, you’ll see a lot more pull-outs and people camping alongside the river.
Most of the dirt road heading to Mowich Lake is through dense woods. There are occasional views, like this one above, to remind you you’re in the mountains.
Mowich Lake
This gem is huge, and invisible from most of the road. Somehow the place feels a lot like a lusher and colder version of Tanaya Lake in Upper Yosemite.
There’s a small campground with facilities, and access to the Wonderland Trail - a 90 mile hiking trail around the main peak. For reasons I can’t understand, people were scuba diving in the lake while I made my way around the shore.
Rainforest
The entire mountain is flanked by rainforest, especially at the relatively lower altitudes. Ferns the size of a St Bernard rise up from the understory, competing for light with skunk cabbage and dozens of other plant species. In some places, moss hangs down inches from tree branches. The brush is so thick it’s easy to miss fallen trees along the forest floor.
I’m a bit of a Johnny Come Lately to western Wash, and a lot of blogs about where I should go visit can be frustrating. I’m sure Snowkwelimy Falls doesn’t need any explanation for people who grew up here, but I have a hard time finding these things.
Thanks for actually *posting directions* and a map too. That rocks. Your beautiful pictures convinced me to go out and be a man of the world, but it’s cool I feel like I can actually find the place. Screw Bumpershoot, I’m going to Ranier Mountain this weekend.
Right on, dude!
Those mountains are so beautiful - did you camp there?
Come on, man, give us more!
How long did it take you to get there?
About two hours, give or take. I didn’t camp here, it was a day trip, although one of these days… I think Mount Saint Helens is going to be more of a priority for a while.
Yo, did you see any of the scuba divers?
Actually, I did. There were three or four groups of scuba divers. Hiking around the lake shore, I saw plenty of diving equipment … considering how packed the place was - not very by Mount Ranier standards, but still far from empty - I personally wouldn’t be comfortable about leaving my gear unattended. Then again, I’d be just as uncomfortable from the cold…
I can explain the diver thing because I snorkel at Mowich alot. The water is super clear, like being in the tropics. Also the terrain on the bottom is awesome; alot of old growth timber logs all over the place and cliff wall drop offs and lots of crawdads. It also has a vocanic type lava dome thing in the middle of the lake that you can walk on so it’s only knee deep. I’m not a scientist, but there is also some type of gas bubbles that come from the ground and in some areas if you disturb the silt on the bottom, it make the water blurry; like you are looking thru baby oil. I think it must be a volcanic crater ofr something. But as beautiful underwater as it is above water.