Sometimes, I can be SO stubborn. But I like the word persistent.
A few weekends ago I headed up to the town of Marblemount on the Cascade Highway and set out to hike up to Cow Heaven. You can read more about this trail HERE. But the truth is, there is more to my adventure to tell. I left some details out knowing I would have to fess up later.
I hiked this trail for the first time last May after finding it in an obscure hiking book I don’t even remember the name of. It caught my eye because it was 10 miles RT, steep and not well traveled. Perfect.
I saw that someone had done a trip report the week before and so I figured I would go and see how far I could get up this time before snow became a problem. Cow Heaven stops at about 4400 ft (starting at 400 ft) with some views of the Cascade Highway and majestic North Cascades but the true gem is when you scramble up above it onto Helen’s Butte. That’s where the views really are. I didn’t think I would make it that far on this trip, especially because the last push to Cow Heaven follows a steep, brushy ridge (if I remember right) and with the warm weather would make that sketchy. I just figured I would get a good workout and solitude.
I left my car and began up the trail a little after 9am with microspikes but no snowshoes because the last trip report had said he had made it up 4 miles without snow problems so I didn’t think I would need them. I probably should have taken them anyway, but I knew the trail was steep and it had kicked my butt last time so I left the weight at the trailhead. I already had some extra weight from food I was carrying to take pictures of for a guest post I did HERE.
This hike starts out in old growth forest next to private property and meanders across a few streams before climbing in earnest. I thought I would count the switchbacks for fun but lost count after 40 and 1500 ft because I kept stopping to take pictures of the waterfalls I encountered as I zigzagged up. All I kept thinking was how much cooler it was than the last time I did this hike. This really is a beautiful trail, despite no open views for most of it.
The snow began to cover the trail at about 3000ft and ran up next to another creek. Up to this point, the trail had been easy to follow and there had been faint divots in the snow from previous hikers. However when I came to the creek, it was not clear if the trail continued along the creek, crossed it or had diverged to the left a short ways back. I walked back to the divergence and followed it a bit without seeing anything obvious, so I went back to the creek. Here, I started to posthole (sink in the snow) to about my knees randomly as I hit soft spots. I crossed the creek to see if there was anything to follow on the other side but found nothing there either way.
This is where I had a decision to make. I could call it a day because I was unsure of which way to go OR pull out the map and compass and have some fun practicing my route finding.
Well, this is indeed where the fun began. I pulled out my map and compass and used it to figure out that I wanted to go roughly west of where I was. Or should I say, I saw on the map that I wanted to go west and then used my compass to head in that direction. This meant walking back across the creek and heading up it. I knew I was in for snow, so I put on my gaiters at this point. As I made my way back across and up the water flow and onto more snow, there were signs of a trail (logs cut and random bare patches). Sweet, I got something right.
I was able to follow from here for a little bit longer, staying at roughly the same elevation (3400 ft) until I came to where the trail seemed to either run under a three foot high snow bank or climb steeply up to the right on a mossy path of rocks. I could see it well enough here as there was water coming off rocks to my right melting the snow.
I pulled out the map and compass again to check my terrain and direction, deciding that up and over the snow bank was the way to go. I went up the path of rocks a bit and then over on top of the snow and continued in what would have been a path extending from the trail I had just left.
I knew right away that something was just not right because a few 100 yards in front of me a large 2-3 story rock feature loomed basically running the length of the slope. Either I was up too high and the trail was meant to go around it from below OR the trail did indeed climb steeply up to the right from here. Again, there was no obvious sign of trail to follow.
Decisions, decisions. Maybe I should turn around.
Who, me?
Still thinking that I needed to head in that general direction, I decided to go around it from below and see what was on the other side. I could also tell that the skies were starting to clear up so maybe there was a spot to climb the rock and get a view. Either way, the rock feature was a perfect landmark and worst case scenario I just make my way back around it and go home.
Without an actual trail, I was making my way along the steep slope covered with either snow or loose debris. I slid a few times but there were enough trees to grab onto that I didn’t slide far. As I made my way around the bottom of the rock, there was less and less snow.
When I got to the other side, there was even less snow but no trail. I opted to stay close to the rock and climbed (crawled) steeply up the ground on the other side and noticed a spot about 40 feet up where the face of the rock had a step like section I could climb up. I figured I would go up on top of the rock and see if there was a view. The rock was covered in snow and trees here, and I went out as far as I felt comfortable but more trees blocked any views. Denied.
I climbed back down and decided to continue on around the large mass of rock on my right heading back up. In my mind, I thought maybe I would end up back at the top of the slope I should have tried in the first place. However, after about 30 more minutes it became clear that wasn’t going to work because the rock didn’t seem to end and I could see across the flat terrain on my left that I was moving closer to what appeared to be vertical drop that was not on my map (at least not where I thought I was).
It was about here when I slipped again on the loose debris next to the rock ( I was walking horizontally at a 45 degree angle), sliding about 6 feet and landing incredible hard on my butt onto the only sharp rock within a 10 ft radius. I said some choice words and knew right way that was going to leave a nasty mark (not that I hadn’t already given myself a few on the legs while postholing). The hit reverberated up my spine.
After dusting myself off, I sat myself back down gently (and on one cheek) in resolution that I had gone far enough and needed to head back. I wasn’t sure what I had done wrong but I pulled out the map and compass again to confirm my trip back around the rock. The terrain just didn’t match where I thought I should be, so I decided to double check my compass reading by comparing with the one on my iPhone.
Here’s where I have to admit that I made a mistake. No, really. Me. And a very basic one at that. I’m not sure why I did it because I had just used it correctly on my trip HERE, but my iPhone confirmed that I had basically been upside down, assuming north was south (the black end versus the red). Oops. This had caused me to travel more south than north as I tried to head west. But, I will repeat here for my loved ones, I would never have wandered off without the obvious rock to get me back to where I left the trail that I could see.
Turning around, I headed back down along the rock. Mind you, there was no snow on this side. I then missed a gap in rock that I had come across originally so I did end up going down too far and had to come back again before finding myself back around the rock and following my foot steps to where I had gone over the snow bank instead of heading straight up. Feeling a little bit dejected at not making it up to Cow Heaven yet (and it was after noon at this point) I made my way back down the trail, thinking I had been going in the wrong direction since the first time I had pulled out my map and compass. Maybe I already had enough bruises and splinters to pick out of my hands?
As I continued walking on what was an obvious trail, I realized that I had been doing okay up until the snow bank. Hmmm, turns out I wasn’t ready to give up yet. I turned around yet again and went back.
Looking up the slope at the mossy trail of rocks, I guessed that wasn’t actually the trail but I have a motto. My motto is to always follow the water up when in doubt. It has saved me quite a few times. You can read about that more HERE.
What could it hurt? I started to scramble up the trail of rock, but there were also snow bridges over what was most likely a stream and the postholing caused me to walk more in the more solid snow next to it.
For the next 400 ft of elevation gain the snow deepened until eventually there no way to tell which way to go (no stream to follow). Now that I was using the compass correctly, I continued to plot a bearing every 100 ft or so. At 3800 I saw a pink tag tied on tree branch confirming I was at least doing something right. After that, however, I got frustrated with all the sinking in snow banks to my thighs and with the blue skies teasing me so I just decided to head straight up to a ridge ahead of me. I could see the buttes on my right so I knew I was turned in the right direction.
I started to climb up with a resolution to go until I had a view. Dang it, I came all this way! I still hadn’t put on my spikes and slid backwards with each step. I wasn’t sure it would have made a difference at this point and I was still in the tree cover. I would see a good spot, aim for it, but when I got there I could see a better spot that would call to me.
As I neared what would be my stopping point, I was sinking to my waist most of the time and practically crawling in the snow but could hop from tree to tree as the ground was exposed at the base of most of them on the steep slope. I did stop and put my spikes on finally, which helped a little bit with the sliding backwards. There was some zigzagging needed as I avoided a few spots that seemed to have potential to slide.
I was rewarded finally with a nice resting point and intermittent views of both the mountains on the Cascade loop and sharp snow covered rocks to my left. At this point, despite my “waterproof” boots and gaiters, my feet were wet. I knew I would only be able to sit for so long before they became chilled.
I ate lunch and snapped a few pictures for my post then made my way back down off the mountain. Let’s just say it was SO much easier with tracks to follow. Let’s also say, I didn’t take the most direct route.
I was able to follow my tracks out making good time and arrived back down to the car by 4:30pm. I was sore and tired but completely happy. I may or may not have fallen solidly a few more times on the way down.
I don’t know, there is just something about coming home utterly exhausted, physically and mentally, from a day outside that is so satisfying. That makes me feel alive.
Although there have been plenty of times I have had to let go of finishing a trail no matter how hard I tried because it wasn’t safe or simply not the smart thing to do, there is something about not giving up so easily. And about being a little lost. A little turned around. In a good way. It’s good to have to find your bearings every once in awhile.
I’m going to go refresh myself on my navigation skills now. THIS is the book I have from the class I took with the Mountaineers, you can find your own class HERE. You can also see my complete hike guide description for this trail (based on future trips I took) here.
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