Big Chief Mountain and Cowboy Mountain tower above the renowned Stevens Pass Ski Resort. It overlooks Mill Creek below the east valley. Moreover, the mountain boasts excellent views apart from potential avalanche danger in the winter.
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Big Chief Mountain at a Glance
Access: Stevens Pass Ski Resort
Round Trip: 2.4 miles
Elevation Range: 4040′-5858′
Gear: microspikes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
The Preface
Big Chief Mountain has been on the back burner because of its proximity to the ski area. I thought that the routes were technical until last night’s research. But it ended up being a moderate outing.
The pup and I spent a long day yesterday in the North Cascades. Today, we enjoyed another beautiful day in the Pacific Northwest. The short distance and low vertical gain also fit someplace new and low-key criteria.
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Steep Climbing in the Trees
The dwindling number of vehicles at the resort suggested the tail end of the ski season. Lot E was empty when we pulled in and also when we returned. I noticed tracks behind the snow berm right away, so we followed them uphill. Microspikes worked well on the firm but slick snow.
Lower down, the slopes were steep, but the climb was effortless on the existing tracks. Several reports noted that the place was the go-to for The Mountaineers’ field trips. Judging by the snow activities, some groups had been here in recent weeks.
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Traversing the Southwest Ridge
The two large clearings had soft snow. Postholing was minimal, so I never put on snowshoes. Through the semi-open forest, I got glimpses of Skyline Ridge. Before long, we were on the southwest ridge amid the dozens of ridgelines.
While taking photos, Cody raced down the ridge toward two skiers before returning as I approached the top. Soon, we reached the breezy summit covered in ski tracks. It looked like the field trip groups stayed in the forest after all.
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Big Chief Mountain Summit Views
Morning temperatures were higher than the forecast and grew even warmer once the breeze stopped. The two skiers we heard earlier soon joined us on top. They had taken the ski lift to the ridge but were going to Mill Creek Basin. What a great idea!
The excellent east views included Jim Hill Mountain, Bulls Tooth, and Rock Mountain. To the west were K9, The Hydrant, and Mount Daniel, plus others. Mount Sawyer, Bald Eagle Peak, Labyrinth Mountain, and Jove Peak to the north were also visible.
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Leaving Stevens Pass Ski Resort
Despite the short climb, it was surprising not to run into other hikers besides the skiers. After chatting, they returned to the ridge, but Cody and I stayed for another half hour. I wanted to make the most of the fabulous weather and the solitude.
We walked farther down on the southwest ridge to check out the ski area. I contemplated heading to Cowboy Mountain but decided to stick to the plan. So we turned around before Point 5675 and descended the forest to the parking lot.
See more trip photos here.
Love that photo of K9 Peak! Many years ago a group of us flew paragliders off Big Chief ridge from just outside ski area boundary signs. I couldn’t launch myself with my snowboard on so one of the guys grabbed my harness and threw me off the hill! I caught a thermal rite after launch and flew west along the ridge crossing over the chair lift. I thought I was going to have a perfect landing in a huge flat area near the power lines but did a huge face plant instead! Soft snow so no problem.
Most of the group went to drink and watch football in the bar but me and a guy on skis went back up to fly again. We decided to leave our ski gear at the ridge top and get them later. We flew 2 more times but didn’t realize how early they shut down the back lifts! We were the only ones around and the lift guys were pissed! They almost made us hike out. Finally they let us take chair back to top but our ski stuff was still out of bounds on the ridge. None of the guys would let us hike over to get it. Finally this girl on ski patrol said she would ski over there and get our stuff. She skied down that steep backside run with my snowboard, a pair of skis and poles in her arms and brought it up the lift! She was amazing and kind beyond belief. That was one crazy day – we should have been banned for life from the ski area!
Great photos as always!
Thanks for sharing!
hey I have a lot of conflicting data on the GPS for the winter route. any way you could share the GPS you have for this one with me? I’d appreciated it!
Hi Andru,
Thanks for reaching out. Sure, feel free to contact me on here.