Pumpkin Mountain is an awesome pit stop along North Cascade National Park's premier trail, the Big Beaver trail. While the Big Beaver trail can take multiple days to traverse, going out-and-back from the Ross Dam trailhead to Pumpkin Mountain is a great option for adventurers like me, who can only afford to backpack a weekend at a time.
I hiked this trail in early November of 2022 on the very first day that it snowed at the Pumpkin Mountain campground. I had previously hiked a longer stretch of the Big Beaver trail earlier in August to 39 Mile Camp, shortly after recovering from Covid. Based on that experience, I wanted to revisit the Big Beaver Trail as a safe, low-pressure environment to practice my winter backpacking skills.
Adventure Stats
Hiked on: November 5, 2022 - November 6, 2022
Hike Time: 4hrs each way
Camped at: Pumpkin Mountain Boat-in Site
Weather: 36F/27F rainy/snowy
Popularity: Extremely low, I ran into 0 hikers beyond Ross Dam
Route Finding: Easy, off-trail navigation unneccessary
Trail Hazards: Creek crossings
Bug Pressure: None
Key Sights: Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, dam, suspension bridge, fall colors, snow
Gear Recommendations: Waterproof boots recommended. Snowshoes, microspikes, and ice axes not needed this time of year.
Route
Distance: 14.6mi out-and-back
Elevation: +2178ft/-2182ft
Location: North Cascades National park
Direct Link to Trailhead: Google Maps
Here's the hike:
Trail Report
We arrived at the Marble Mount Ranger Station at 9am on Saturday. When we arrived, the ranger station was closed, but there was trail closure information and permits were obtainable through self-issued tags. During fringe season, the ranger station has spotty hours so don't expect to be able to talk to a ranger ahead of your trip.
On Saturday morning, the road up to the Ross Dam Trailhead had a lot of blowdowns - large branches and basketball-sized rockfall. The roads are well salted, no snow or ice on the road. When we left Sunday afternoon, the road had been cleared -- thank you trail crew! The road beyond Ross Dam Trailhead is closed for the season.
The section of trail between the trailhead and Ross Dam is entirely downhill with a light, manageable layer of snow. The trail turns onto an unpaved service road that is typically used in summer time for boat portage. Follow trail signs that point you toward Ross Dam. At the time of writing, it was not icy or snowy on Ross Dam.
After Ross Dam, the trail begins to ascend uphill. This area had thin, patchy snow. The trail follows Ross Lake for several miles with plenty of overlooks to catch gorgeous lake views along the way. The trail then drops into the forest. I passed by signs for Ross Lake Resort, Green Point, and Sourdough Mountain.
Since it was a rainy day, many seasonal streams and creeks were flowing. There were several stream crossings that were manageable by rock-hopping across. However, there was one creek crossing that was about 12 feet across of ankle-deep water that we came across at about 1pm in the afternoon. You can find a map with the creek crossing in the Route section.
There were no good, safe options to cross the creek without getting our boots wet. I ended up with my boots waterlogged and my socks soaked. If this situation happens and temperatures are below freezing, keep hiking -- the water temperature will eventually warm up and become bearable.
If you get to a wooden bridge over Pierce Creek, congratulations, you've made it passed the worst hazard on the trail! Just after the Pierce Creek bridge, you'll find a wooden post indicating that you've reached the turnoff for the Pumpkin Mountain hiker camp.
We went a quarter mile passed the Pumpkin Mountain hiker camp to a suspension bridge. Just after the suspension bridge is the turnoff for the Pumpkin Mountain boat-in campsites as well as the Big Beaver stock campsite.
There are (likely outdated) signs at the turnoff indicating that the trail north of the Pumpkin Mountain boat-in site was closed to hikers due to fire danger.
The Pumpkin Mountain boat-in campsites featured a lot of amenities. Each site had a picnic table, a bear box, and a fire pit. There were also 2 outhouses that had recently been cleaned.
The campground is right on the shore of Ross Lake. The shore is tree-stump city. One end of the shore features a lovely, wide waterfall.
By the time we retired into our tent, there was no snow at the campground. However, when we woke up the next day, there was a thin layer of snow across the whole beach.
The hike out was very similar to the hike in, except that there was about an inch of snow across the whole trail where it had been patchy before.
We reached the large creek crossing at about 10am. Possibly due to lower flow rates earlier in the day, we were able to cross it this time without getting our feet wet.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, the route made for an unexpectedly pleasant beginner-friendly winter backpacking trip. For those looking for a shorter route or to avoid the creek crossing, Green Point is a great alternative campground that I had previously stayed at in June of last year.
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