We had a “lucky 13” on our trek around Mildred Kanipe on this cold, cold Saturday after Thanksgiving. Sun was promised but didn’t deliver until after our hiking was through. I’m sure we must have shed our extra calories in doing this round about, and up and down 6-7 miles in the fresh but cold morning air. Did I say it was cold? Actually, the up and down kept us warm as we explored 3 different loops in the park.
The nice thing about hiking close by is we were back by 1 o’clock and the afternoon was our own. A big shout out to Diane Rannow for helping map out and mark this round-about trail.
Umpqua National Forest – Cow Creek National Recreation Trail #1424 (usda.gov) This National Recreation Trail follows Cow Creek through a dense stand of Douglas-fir and Western Hemlock for approximately 4 miles. Giant old growth, lush glades of moss and ferns—including maidenhair and swordfern—and brilliant fall colors are features of this part of the trail. With five creek crossings up to two feet deep, hikers cross by using stable, downed logs to use as bridges.
Its not unusual for our club to change hike locations due to trail or road conditions, weather, etc. We also end up changing our scheduled hikes due to wildfires. Sadly, but not surprisingly, this has been happening more and more often as the years go by. With our forests turning into tinderboxes during the summer, its more or less a crapshoot when we schedule any hikes in the higher elevations during the summer.
The summer of 2023 was no exception, as this hike to Bullpup Lake, which was scheduled for early September, was nixed due to the Chilcoot Fire happening near Steamboat. The Forest Service closed the area which Bullpup Lake sits in. So, when we met to schedule hikes for the next quarter, Edwin threw Bullpup Lake on the agenda again, this time for late October. There were no fires at the time, and we were confident there would certainly be no snow on the ground…
As we cautiously made our way through the snow-filled roads on the day of the hike, we arrived at the trailhead with mild trepidation. Amazed that we actually made it this far, we decided that we would just hike and assess the trail conditions as we went along. Although most of the trail is nestled inside dense forest, there was more snow on the path than one would think. Fortunately, it was only about ankle-deep and not that wet, making the somewhat dryish snow a bit easier to trudge through. However, the depth of the snow would increase as the hike progressed.
With Edwin out front, the rest of us dutifully followed. Terry, Michael, Diane, Colby, myself, and newcomer Jeanette happily marched up the trail, allowing the snow to brush off all the dust that had accumulated on our boots during the summer.
After reaching the small but picturesque Bullpup Lake, we paused and soaked in this winter wonderland we were standing in. With the morning sun glimmering off the lake and the snow-covered trees perched against the clear blue sky, our minds were duped into thinking that Christmas must be right around the corner. Yet, Halloween hadn’t even happened!
The trail from Bullpup Lake leads further up and eventually peaks near Lost Prairie Rock. Our plan was to see how far up the hillside we could get before being stopped by either downed trees, excessively deep snow, or just sheer exhaustion from trudging through said deep snow. (Fact: We measured the snow at about 18 inches in some open areas off the trail)
It was a beautiful snow hike, as far as snow hikes go. And no, we do not plan our hikes with an intent to hike in snow. In fact, we try to avoid it! But occasionally, in that narrow zone where what we have in mind and what nature throws at us overlap, and we encounter a happy compromise that, if planned, wouldn’t end up as amazing as when left to the hands of fate. In simple terms: Sometimes our hikes turn out much better than we planned!
We made our way up higher, eventually reaching a large open overlook that provided unprecedented views to the north. This would have made a good place to have lunch, enjoy the view and then head back down the hill. However, it seemed as if the trail was personally challenging us to see how far we could take this hike…
After catching our breath, we proceeded up the hill even further, stepping over several trees along the way. The trail eventually reached a ridgeline, offering narrow, fleeting views to the east. It was along this ridgeline that our crew began to run low on fumes, and Edwin decided to call it good. I agreed, as we still had over a mile to go to reach the meadow that we both envisioned having lunch at. Instead, warm butts met cold snow as we plopped down amongst the trees.
It didn’t take long to eat, as the sudden cease in activity allowed the cold to quickly put the chill on us, and we hurriedly began the trek back down the hill. Having already broken trail on the way up, it was a much smoother walk on the way back down. Once again, we enjoyed all the same views, but this time without all the huffing and puffing.
Upon reaching the vehicles, we met up with Diane, who had decided to just hang out near the lake, and even did a road walk as she waited for our return. However, I felt a little bad for her, as she didn’t have the pleasure of wading through the real deep stuff, and she missed out on some of the views. Maybe next time…
