Earlier trip report prompted me to pack my bigger pack with the “49 essentials” and give it a go! I am used to hiking this trail in a lot of mud so today was a beautiful and pleasant surprise. I opted to forego snowshoes for micro spikes as broken trail was narrow and compacted, it was the correct choice. Low clouds with a few sun breaks, no wind or rain. Only a few hikers, the ones I met were from Utah, Idaho, Georgia, and Tennessee and they all LOVED it.
I hiked clockwise to the loop juncture and turned around. Another hiker told me he had to turn around on the loop when he encountered a tree he could not pass. Another hiker said he made it to the Ellinor viewpoint with no problem, he was also using micro spikes and poles. There was small debris on the trail from wind but nothing that I couldn’t get around.

A week ago, I wistfully kissed my summer pack goodbye and switched to my larger winter pack that can comfortably haul extra clothes, food, and the other 49 essentials. Meanwhile, hiking buddy Keith had not been out hiking for two months. Recognizing his loss of conditioning, we chose a hike that he had done many times before that didn’t appear to be too taxing. As we discovered, winter conditions can make things more difficult than our summer mindsets assume.  

The entire road that connects Hoodsport with the Big Creek trailhead was bordered with snow, though the pavement itself was snow-free. Once at the trailhead, we parked on the shoulder of Highway 119 just outside the entrance to Big Creek campground. From there we walked through foot-deep snow on a well-worn boot path though the campground and jumped on the loop trail going in a counter clockwise direction. Being an overcast day, Mount Ellinor or Washington wasn't visible from the viewpoint 1.5 miles up from the highway.

We hiked on, arriving at the junction for the return loop just on the other side of the bridge over the north branch of Big Creek. There we switched to snowshoes because we wanted to continue climbing but no trail had been broken going uphill. As we broke new track, sounds of the creek faded away and the silent untracked forest ahead was pleasant to pass through. Route finding was made easier by the plainly visible contours of the snow-covered trail. About one mile up, we arrived at the junction near the upper viewpoint where we took a much-needed lunch break. It was chilly but thankfully not windy. With ample clothing and sit pads, we were able to remain fairly comfortable for a half hour or so. I thought about the plight of the homeless who have fewer resources to endure the cold and was grateful for a warm car waiting at the trailhead. 

The return trip was mostly uneventful. At one point, Keith was lagging behind and I lost sight of him. I stopped to wait and heard a loud crack like a gunshot coming from his direction. A large tree branch was breaking. Alarmed, I watched it crash to the trail below. Then I called to Keith. To my relief, he responded immediately, telling me he was okay.  Close call! (hikers, don’t forget overhead dangers). We finished our hike after sundown with barely enough light to see the trail. Another ten minutes and we would have needed headlamps. None of this was a concern since we were adequately prepared. In all, our hike was 7 miles with 1700 feet of vertical.  

Our hike along the Big Creek Upper Loop turned out to be quite a wintry adventure!

I knew the peninsula had gotten lots of snow over the last couple days, so initially, I thought Lena Lake might be a fun option. But the road was impassable a couple miles after leaving Highway 101, so we turned the car around and drove to Big Creek. About a dozen cars were parked on the shoulder, so we did the same and donned our snowshoes.

At first, the packed snow was easy and fun to navigate. Our group (3 people and a dog) traveled clockwise along the loop. After about a mile and a half, most other groups must have doubled back because the tracks thinned out considerably. A couple wearing hiking boots and gaiters passed us moving clockwise around the loop. So we were mostly following their boot prints from miles 1.5 to 4.5. And the snow got quite deep! Because it was fresh, our snowshoes did an okay job, but they weren't made for such deep snow. In unpacked stretches of the trail, I was probably sinking about 18 inches or more into the snow with each step. Still, we certainly had an easier time slogging along than if we'd just had hiking boots. (Serious kudos to those other folks we saw!)

Because this trail was Plan B, we'd gotten a later start. And because the trail hadn't been broken, we wound up back at the car around dusk. All told, it took us 3.5 hours to hike the loop. It was a lot of work, and plenty of fun, for just a few miles of hiking! Still, I'm glad we got to enjoy the beautiful snow and (relatively) warm winter weather.

I arrived at 9am to only 1 vehicle in the parking area.  The trail is in great shape with minimal snow patches on and beside the trail at the top of the loop.  I did not go up to the overlook due to time constraints.

All bridges are clear of snow except for Big Creek where there is some remaining snow frozen on the bridge.  With good rails, there was no need for spikes.

If you plan to hit this hike early in the morning in winter conditions, the snow plows may not have cleared the road yet. And if there was just a wind storm, expect downed trees. The drive to the closed Big Creek Campgrounds was slow-going. There was snow and a number of downed trees over the road. The return trip was lush and nicely plowed (thank you road crews!). I learned last year, if conditions are wintery or questionable, go clockwise. It's easiest to turn around and usually has less snow or at least more manageable snow. That was the case again today. The bridges on the lower parts of trail along with the initial incline were slippery with slush. Past Dick's Rock the snow gets a little deeper. It's only a few inches deep right now and solid so spikes or snowshowes weren't necessary (but I'm a spikes girl if I start slipping in snow, so I donned my awesome pair). The upper bridges were all okay. There's a mudslide about ten minutes before Skinwood Creek bridge. There are a number of downed trees over the trail from beginning to end, some broken, some just bent with the weight of wet snow. It's not a quick blaze through this beautiful trail right now, but it's still an amazing experience. Plus, I don't think I've seen bright fall colors and snow together. That was super neato. Happy trails.