Wonderland Trail

Weather is as clean as it gets for early May on Rainier. Highs in the mid-to-upper 40s and lows in the upper 20s to low 30s all three nights, sunny with light westerly winds under 20 mph. Zero meaningful precip probability throughout. You won't be fighting weather on this trip.

The snow is the thing to plan around. Long Lake SNOTEL at 840 ft is sitting at 84 inches with a falling trend — that's deep coverage still on the lower flanks, and above treeline will be more. Expect consolidated spring snow that's firm in the morning and softening by early afternoon. The Wonderland crosses several high passes including Panhandle Gap (~6,750 ft) and Emerald Ridge — these will be fully snow-covered and the trail will be invisible. Navigation skills and a downloaded GPS track are essential. Move through exposed high terrain in the morning while the snow surface is still supportable; by 1–2 PM on sun-exposed slopes it'll be punchy and exhausting to cross.

Stream crossings are not a concern. The five gauges relevant to this region are all running at or below median, with a falling trend. Meltwater pulses on warm afternoons are typical this time of year but nothing in the forecast suggests flows will spike into dangerous territory. The warm days are moderate (sub-50°F) and nights are cold enough to suppress overnight melt — diurnal swing will be noticeable but manageable. Cross any glacial or snowmelt streams in the morning to be safe.

No active fires within 50 miles and no smoke impacts to worry about. With 14.5 hours of daylight, you have a wide operating window — sunrise at 5:49 gives you early starts on the snow, and the long evening light means no pressure to rush into camp. Get moving early on pass days, use the midday softening for lower-elevation trail miles, and you'll have a strong three-day circuit.