Anaconda Peak on Gordon Ridge by Long Mountain perches above Mountain Loop Highway. The high point is viewable from nearly anywhere in the area. Of the two standard routes, one may find Marten Creek Trail a better way to reach the peak.
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Anaconda Peak at a Glance
Access: NF-4037
Round Trip: 8.5 miles
Elevation Range: 1280′-5050′
Gear: snowshoes
Route Info: kevinsa
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: with guidance
The Preface
I first took notice of Anaconda Peak from Mount Pugh in 2011. But it wasn’t until I saw a report that I decided to give it a try. In retrospect, we should’ve waited at least two more months before tackling the peak.
It ended up being a super long day climbing Anaconda Peak! We reached the top one hour before sunset with a mid-morning start and the terrible snow. The recent warm weather had also contributed to the slush.
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Road 4037
Road 4037 by the red bridge had a fresh powder and slush mixture. But the, at most, one foot of snow wasn’t enjoyable from the get-go. Soon, we took the right fork onto Road 4038, and I put on snowshoes at the first switchback.
Along the way were several washouts, which we could carefully bypass through the gullies. But the massive brush had long taken over the roadway. It was evident that the area hadn’t had many visitors.
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Anaconda Peak South Route
We left the road at mile 2.5, past the second gully before the subsequent washout. Then we went up the steep south slopes, aiming for Gordon Ridge. Then for the next 1700′, we were in the dense forest with minimal views.
Snow wasn’t firm in the shade either. If anything, it was in worse shape than what’s on the road. We bypassed most down trees in the lower 500′ as we trudged through lots of fresh and deep powder.
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Gordon Ridge
We later reached the west ridge below the top. Then we traversed the ridgeline on firm snow briefly and moved to tackle the final 800′. The terrain felt steeper, and the added krummholz was the icing on the cake.
Snow quality varied quite a bit in the shade. It would be firm only for a few feet before plunging right back into deep powder. The pups followed behind closely as we fought through thigh-high snow most of the time.
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Anaconda Peak Summit Views
We were all exhausted after taking the final steps up to the top. But by then, it was only another hour before the sun would soon leave us. So we settled in, ate, and I quickly took photos of the stunning views.
I wish we had more time to savor the landscape as there were too many peaks to see. The neighboring Long Mountain and Marble Peak were calling our names. Then there were the spectacular views of Glacier Peak and Mount Pugh in the far east.
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Outro
I looked around at the peaks in amazement amid the vibrant evening colors. They once again reminded me of how small we are on this earth. But the rewarding vista would be there after the huffing and puffing.