CWES - Owyhigh Lakes Loop

The Cascadian Wilderness Endurance Series events present an exciting opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts to participate in a multimedia adventure blogging contest. These self-supported/unsupported events are open to trail runners, backpackers, fastpackers, and hikers, and each event features a unique and defined route which participants must complete on foot and in one push. Unlike traditional endurance races, there are no course markings or aid stations along the way, providing participants with the freedom to create their own adventure. It’s all up to you! Participants can choose to tackle the route solo or with a couple friends. There are no cutoffs, so participants can take as much time as they need to complete the route without pressure. This unique event is not just about the physical challenge or exploring wild and beautiful places, but also about the opportunity to capture and share the beauty of the wilderness through captivating multimedia content.

Owyhigh Lakes Loop

This route was the result of a happy failure when Kathy and her friend were attempting a Mt. Rainier circumambulation via the Wonderland Trail. While climbing out of White River up to Summerland, the heat and sun were simply too oppressive. Drained by the heat, the dynamic duo decided they needed to find an alternate route. After checking the maps they realized they could make a nice loop back to their start by connecting the Wonderland through the Ohanapecosh and back up the Eastside trail to Owyhigh Lakes Trail. The result of the failed original plan is this beautiful and scenic route through some rarely traveled sections of Mt Rainier National Park. The complete route is: Summerland Trail, Wonderland Trail, Cowlitz Divide Trail, Eastside Trail, Grove of the Patriarchs, Eastside Trail, Owyhigh Lakes Trail, Sunrise Park Road, back to junction with Summerland Trail. Note: this is a true loop, you can start this route at any point and go in either direction, so long as you complete the entire loop ending where you started. Trailheads are on paved roads.

Rationale

Why should you pay $20 to complete one of the endurance challenges? A small part of the fee will go to cover website maintenance and domain registration, as well as getting patches made and other small goodies/swag. The majority of this fee will be donated to trail maintenance organizations. Why are we even doing this? To get people out into the wonderful wilderness areas that we have here in the Northwest and to build the community of adventurous people! The trip report is just as important as actually finishing the route, and we love it when people come up with creative ways to share their experience. Information isn't always readily available for these areas, and maps can be scarce and not always reliable (especially the Pasayten and Frank Church/Selway Wildernesses.) That can intimidate some that aren't as experienced outdoors-people. The goal is to empower people to get out into these wilderness areas and hopefully to protect them into the future.