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.
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