You may be too far out there to keep these going without special protection. It does sound like it is going to come back this time as small sprouts from the side.

I live outside Yelm/McKenna area. Had my Gunnera in a whiskey barrel for 2 years. This is the second winter it has been in the ground. I cut leaves off and cover in straw in October and uncover first of April. I have 5 leaves 3 inches out of ground. I am hearing temps going down to freezing Sunday night into next week, I will be putting sheet over my plant.
Katie

Mine are up through the mulch about three inches also. I'm going to wait until next week to remove the mulch when this hopefully last cold spell is over. I'm on a bluff at 750 ft. near Maple Valley. Late frosts have burned them in the past, but they get over it rather quickly.

I would have worried that covering with mulch would allow the crown to get too wet and smothered. That might allow it too rot. Just a thought. I do the inverted leaf trick too but I cover the whole thing with an open-ended 55-gallon plastic drum. I also put in dry oak leaves that remain dry and fluffy under that drum all winter. It's a great wind/weather barrier that's for sure.

I also have a gunnera that is starting it's second summer here. I live near Duvall at 1,000 ft elevation. We got 3 ft of snow this winter. If it was going to die that should have done it. The first winter I didn't know what to do with it so at every frost or flake I was out there covering it with a blanket or plastic tub. It survived and thrived with some left over leaves even.

This winter I bent over the old leaves and covered it heavily with bark mulch. It is now huge. None of last years leaves made it but the plant has 26 or so new leaves and several of those spikey flowers.

Our plant started to show life right about the same time the daffs and tulips were opening.

I hope your plant did well snakemanjim.