I’ve wanted to hike the Wonderland Trail for a few years now. The timing worked out for myself and step-dad to be able to hike the trail in the summer of 2015. The lottery permit system didn’t. A rejection letter from the National Parks Service is a complete bummer. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we hiked the 3 Sisters Loop in the Sisters Wilderness Area outside of Sisters, OR instead. This was a great hike for both of us to get back into backpacking. To learn about our gear and our hiking legs. A beautiful hike that I would encourage anyone to add to their hiking wish list. After a data crash in the spring, the NPS announced that permits would be on a first-come, first-served basis this year and we knew that local hikers would have the advantage. I went to Longmire on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 with my itinerary in hand and fingers crossed. The whole process took about 10 minutes and I left with a permit for the trip just as Dick & I had planned it. We’d be starting on our Wonderland adventure the next morning.