Oakes Creek begins at the south saddle of Oakes Peak. Acorn Mountain lies near the east atop the Skagit River. Meanwhile, the creek intersects two access roads before flowing into Bacon Creek on the valley floor.
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Oakes Creek at a Glance
Access: NF-1060 (Bacon Creek Road)
Round Trip: 4.6 miles
Elevation Range: 660′-4280′
Gear: snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Scrambling via the South Ridge
Bacon Creek Road was clear of debris, with a dusting of snow beyond the first mile. We parked in an inch of powder north soon after crossing Oakes Creek. Then Cody and I dove into the woods and soon began the type 2.
We scrambled and quickly realized the effort it’d take in the recent snow. So, I decided to change our plan after continuing as far as possible. Despite the sunny day, we didn’t enjoy much of it in the shade.
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Knee-Deep Snow by Oakes Creek
We hugged the south rib through salals in several inches of snow. Then we came upon Road 1062-012, where snow deepened. I considered taking the road, but the knee-deep powder had me rethink otherwise.
We crossed the road and continued while moving at snail speed, looking for places with firm snow. I hadn’t felt this exhausted from breaking the trail in a long time. Ultimately, it took about an hour to ascend only 200′.
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Relishing in the Sunshine
Our goal of climbing Oakes Peak in fresh snow was overly ambitious. Breaking trail was excruciating and wasn’t the best use of the daylight. After crossing Road 1062 twice, we turned around and snowshoed the road.
So we spent the rest of the beautiful day hanging out by Oakes Creek. An hour to soak in the afternoon sunshine was what we needed. After some photos, we then retraced steps back through the trees.
See more trip photos here.