Cowboy Mountain, by the taller Big Chief Mountain, is home to Stevens Pass Ski Resort. But its historical claim to fame is Cascade Tunnel, the longest railroad tunnel in the US, that runs underneath. Meanwhile, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) gently passes through the east saddle.
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Cowboy Mountain at a Glance
Access: Stevens Pass Ski Resort (trail maps)
Round Trip: 3 miles
Elevation Range: 4040′-5853′
Gear: microspikes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Walking Through the Ski Resort
I had wanted to visit Cowboy Mountain for years. But it was always a challenge to find the time before the ski season. With the resort’s closing, it was an ideal time to visit as we recovered from yesterday’s excursion.
Today’s trip was a perfect spring outing at an otherwise busy place. We were also here two months ago, visiting Big Chief Mountain. The pup and I arrived in the resort’s Lot A with another parked car and started walking.
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Blue Trail to Cloud 9 to Seventh Heaven
Cowboy Mountain is the highest point on the ridgeline atop Tye River. The mountain also houses four chairlifts on its north side. We walked through empty lodges and the road briefly before going uphill along Blue Trail.
Blue Trail hugged a minor ridge before it ended atop Hogsback Express. Then we followed Cloud 9 to the top of the Seventh Heaven lift. I didn’t bring snowshoes as snow quality was usually decent at this time of the year.
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Summit Ridge
Next to Seventh Heaven was a minor rib, which we climbed to reach the summit’s west ridge. Then on the ridgeline, it was only a short traverse east to Cowboy Mountain’s high point. It was windless on top.
The southern half of the ridge had better scenery. Because of the forest, I pieced together the views by peeking through tiny openings. Despite trees on the north side, it was a much broader landscape.
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Cowboy Mountain Summit Views Plus Exit
Today’s high clouds revealed many familiar high points. To the east were Jim Hill Mountain, Rock Mountain, Lichtenberg Mountain, and Chiwaukum Mountains. Then to the south were K9, Mount Hinman, and Mount Daniel.
On the way down, the pup and I met a Mountaineers group on their field trip. But, of course, the dog felt compelled to distract everyone by forcing them to pet him.
Next stop, Sultan Bakery!
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