20251003-09 High Cowlitz Grand Tour
Best laid plans and all…
I had intended to enjoy a big hike along the Pacific Northwest National Trail for my vacation the first two weeks of October. I’ve been crazy busy at work, its been very stressful, and I was really, really looking forward to some time in the Olympics.
I was not looking forward to the many inches of rain that were forecast for the middle of my vacation, however. So I changed plans, staying home the first week to build a small fishpond in my backyard, then driving up to Packwood for a week-long hike thru the Klickitat Sisters and Goat Rocks.
The hike begins on a bittersweet note, however. The mother of dear friends, a woman who nurtured and supported me all through my childhood, passed away recently. The funeral would be Saturday. Not willing to cancel my hike, I promised to stop by, so visited with Hailey and Jen Thursday on my way into the valley, then I stopped by again Friday, on my hike past Cindy’s home. It was so good to see them both. RIP Cindy Palm, I celebrate the great joy you always had for life and the love you were always so ready to share.
After leaving Cindy’s house Thursday, I took a side trip up Johnson Creek Rd to stash a supply bucket at Hugo Lake. Then, I drove up past Packwood and camped alongside the Clear Fork Cowlitz at Jodie’s Bridge. Was visited by a mama bear and two cubs come down to the far shore of the river to drink, just as it was getting too dark to photograph them, much less see any detail. I could see the cubs were tussling and rolling around on the rocks, tho.
Day 1
The next morning, I set out around 10 AM. It takes much of the day, but after about 15 miles of roadway walking, I get to Cindy’s house. As the evening comes to a close, I set out for Kilborn Creek, just down the road. I camp on a logging road spur near the creek. My hopes water would be flowing here are dashed, I have to venture about a quarter mile upstream to find flowing water, the stream having gone underground upon reaching the valley floor. It will be some weeks yet before the stream will have sufficient flow to remain at the surface. Not longer after full dark, light rain begins to come down. The thick cover of the plantation firs keeps me mostly dry.
Day 2
Friday starts with hiking down Cline Rd to the 2304-042 Rd, which climbs from the county road up to the 2304 Rd, which continues on to the Pompey Peak trail head. The road is in good shape, right up until the washout at Owens Creek. From there, the roadbed is overgrown and has turned to trail.
I make it as far as Kilborn Creek, flowing heartily at this elevation. I camp right on the road/trail as there is no place else to set up camp, and I expect no other hikers to come through. Its quite obvious this is not a frequently used trail. Not abandoned, but close.
I am soaked from pushing through so much wet vegetation, so my first priority is getting my tarp up and clothes changed. I have just enough time before dark to do that, get water, and heat it up for dinner. I’m in the sack by 8:00.
Day 3
The next morning starts out with some clouds, but they break up soon enough, and by the time I set out around 10, its getting sunny. I follow the road up toward the trail head. There is no trail head proper, the road simply becomes increasingly vague until one is walking a single-track through the woods. I think the mapped road is more aspirational than anything. In any case, I soon come to the Kilborn spring and shelter, neither of which exist anymore.
From here, the trail steepens, climbing toward the Pompey Peak spur, which I elect to not follow to the peak. The trail then follows the ridgeline for a distance before sidehilling as it approaches Twin Sisters. At one point, hanging from a branch alongside the trail I discover a black trucker-style cap, in perfect shape. Expecting nobody to be thru here before winter, and not wanting to leave it behind to rot and pollute the landscape, I pick it up, and carry it with me, attaching it to my pack when I take a break next at the first meadow.
Passing thru these meadows, I spy my first autumn colors of the season. This high country between the Twin Sisters, Castle Butte and Cispus Butte is gorgeous, and I don’t think it gets enough credit and admiration.
Dropping down to Jackpot Lake, I begin to think about water, but decide to push on, rememering that I don’t like the water at Jackpot. Just after the lake, I encounter a young couple who are on their way out, having stayed at St. John Lake. We chat for a few minutes, and I think they are about as surprised to see a fellow hiker out there as I am. They seem pretty impressed with my itinerary.
Within a couple of hours, I arrive at St. John Lake, with just barely enough light to pick out a campsite. Not a difficult task, there are only a couple, and only one has a flat space to sleep comfortably on. It perches right on the edge of the bluff overlooking the NF Cispus canyon, and provides great views. The night was calm and chilly, and the stars are out in full force, as is the almost-full moon. I’ve camped here before, and really like the site. I sleep quite well.
Day 4
Morning break clear and cold, I try to sleep in, but also, I’m eager to get my sleeping bag, groundcloth, and socks dried out. Hanging everything out on branches to dry in the sun, I take some extra time to sit on the rocks at the top of the bluff, just soaking in the morning sun and views.
Setting out to follow the trail toward and across Mission Mountain, I contemplate taking some time to venture up the old, nearly lost trail to Sanctuary Arch, but recognizing how much effort and time that would add to the day, I think better of it. I really want to get as far up into Jordan Basin as possible.
Eventually, I come to a trail junction – south toward the Cispus river along the Klickitat Loop trail, or east along the same, down toward Hugo’s Lake and the headwaters of Johnson Creek. My route takes me east, and I’ve not been on this portion of the trail before. I become quite frustrated when I realize this portion of the route is not at all accurately mapped, adding a mile of long switchbacking to the day’s hike.
Fortunately, my well-hidden supply bucket remains un-touched when I get to Hugo Lake. I swap out my trash for new food and fuel, take a short bit to rest and eat lunch, then set off up the trail toward Chambers Lake. This is another section of trail I’ve not hiked before, and I must say, it passes through some lovely high-montane forest. Eventually, the trail levels out a bit, and I come to a beaver pond, meaning I’m in familiar territory. Next stop: Chamber’s creek for water.
Chambers Creek iss flowing at just a slight trickle. Flowing is a generous way of describing it. I filter a couple of liters after letting it sit and settle for a while. I finally start up the Goat Ridge Trail #95 well after 5:00. By the time I reach the Jordan Basin Trail junction I am hiking by headlamp. I make it as far as a nice, but dry camp just off the trail about 1.8 miles shy of my goal, the Goat Ridge camp at the headwaters of Jordan Creek. It is a windy night, and cold. Not too long after I finish dinner and get wrapped up in my sleeping bag, the moon rises, so bright I don’t need a lamp to venture down the path to pee.
Day 5
The morning dawns bright and clear, and I am eager to set out. I am finally at elevation (about 6,000′) and today will take me across the Cispus basin, up the Packwood Glacier trail to the PCT, and across the Knife’s Edge to Coyote Ridge – crazy gorgeous and dramatic, all of it. I enjoy 2 mugs of dirty chai before I set out, but save breakfast and my last mug for Jordan basin, as I am out of water. Jordan Creek is flowing good, tho, and after filtering some water, I perch myself on a sunny boulder to continue my slow morning of alpine contemplation and dirty chai, and snacking on huckleberries. About the time I finish up with that, the first hikers start to show up below.
Just before topping the ridge, I stop and chat with a fellow headed down the trail. He, too, is from Oly, and we commiserate over the destruction of the old-growth rainforest at Staircase, and talk about the Goat Rocks fire. Seems an interesting fellow, obviously a super-fit runner, and likely even older than me.
From here, the hiking is simply world-class, and I am eager to explore the Packwood Glacier trail (not signed, but still mapped, and mostly discernable), as I’d never been on it. It’s steep, hard to find occasionally, and offers great views and a few lovely campsites, all dry. I continually pluck ripe huckleberries, often right at face level with the steep terrain, and they’re indescribably tasty. It’s quite the climb up to the PCT, the berries and grasses giving way to bare rock, more of that knife’s-edge stuff, and thrilling. I take a short break at the big cairn on the PCT where the Old Snowy trail takes off – another summit I decline to pursue – but don’t care to linger due to time and cold wind. The views up here, tho, so hard to stop gazing.
The Knife’s Edge is the exhausting thrill it always is, and a pack of about a dozen mountain goats are browsing below me. I am rather tired by the time I get to Elk Pass and the Coyote Ridge trail. Somehow, as I crossed over the ridge, the goats simply vanish. I cannot figure out where they went. It’s not like there’s any cover…
I scout around here at the junction for a nice place to sit in the shade, but find none, so continue down the trail. I immediately see a bear coming up the trail – fat, waddly, rich warm brown – my first instinct is to stop, wave my hands high in the air, and say, “Hey bear, go away bear!” Why can’t my first instinct be to quietly retrieve my phone and snap a pic? He looks so fuzzy and cuddly! It is quite the sight watching his big round butt bouncing down the trail at full gallop.
I finish the last of my water before I get to Packwood Saddle, and wouldn’t you know, there is none to be had at either spring. I had kinda hoped I might be able to get water and spend the night here, but Beaver Bill camp it will have to be. It is quite the sight hiking along with the setting sun. The sunset is glorious, and just as the sun disspears over one shoulder, the full Harvest Moon rises over the other. I really enjoy hiking by moonlight up to the summit of trail, and further. I don’t turn on my headlamp until I am about a mile from camp. I encounter a small stream about half a mile before camp, and boy does that water taste great!
Day 6
It’s a bit cloudy this morning, and I find the need to dress a bit more warmly for the first portion of my hike. By the time I get to Lost Lake, however, I’m fully warmed up, and ready climb back up to elevation through the old, recovering burn. Right at lunchtime, I arrive at the summit of Coal Creek Mountain, and enjoy my lunch while hunkering down on the sharp rocks of the summit. From here, it’s pretty much all downhill back to my truck. The berries on these slopes above Lost Hat Lake are the best of the whole trip.
I have no firm plan on where I’m spending the night, but I know I’m getting water at the Clear Lost junction. I realize I don’t want to camp here, tho, as I still have a couple of good hours of light. Arriving at the trailhead, there are some vehicles parked there, including a horse trailer. And the area reeks of horses, so I continue down the USFS 4600 Rd. I find a nice flattish area in 2nd growth just off the road and set up camp.
Recognizing it will rain, I choose a site where I can set up my tarp, and sure enough, by 9:00, the first raindrops were coming down. It was really nice sleeping to the soft sound of the rain on my tarp. Just after dark, a terrible clatter begins, and after a few minutes, that truck and horse trailer are coming down the road at a snail’s pace.
Day 7
This last morning is damp and grey. I know I have only a few miles to walk, and down logging roads at that, so I’m not in a big hurry. That said, I want to get back to my truck, gather some rock with which to edge my new pond, and get home. It must be getting on to chanterelle season, as foragers are out. The further down the road I get, the warmer and sunnier the weather gets. I change back to my standard running shorts and tank top within just a couple of miles.
I made it back to my truck in the early afternoon with just a few percentage of my phone’s charge remaining, I had drained my power packs the previous day. So I set that to charge while I wander the river bed and haul up some pretty rocks.
Images taken October 4-9, 2025 at various locations in the GPNF, outside Packwood WA
93.5 miles hiked, w/ 15,315′ elev. gain
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