We aimed for Oakes Peak today. But we turned around and spent the rest of the day by Oakes Creek. Breaking trail in fresh snow was excruciatingly slow.
See more trip photos here.
Oakes Creek at a Glance
Access: NF-1060
Round Trip: 4.6 miles
Elevation Range: 660′-4280′
Gear: snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Southwest Ridge by Oakes Creek
Bacon Creek Road (NF-1060) was clear of debris. And there was only a dusting of snow past the first mile. I parked on an inch of powder just north of the concrete crossing over Oakes Creek. Then we went into the woods and started scrambling.
Slon, the pup and I made our way up the slopes. Then it dawned on me that it had snowed recently. So I decided to change our plan. But we continued as far as we could. it was sunny. Though, we didn’t see much sun in the dense forest.
See more trip photos here.
Through Deep Snow
We hugged the southwest rib through salals and a few inches of snow. Then at 3500′, we came upon Road 1062. The snow deepened there drastically. So I considered walking the road instead. But the knee-deep powder had me think otherwise.
Later we crossed the road and continued. At the same time, we moved at snail speed while looking for places with decent snow. I hadn’t felt this much exhaustion from breaking trail. So it took nearly an hour to climb only 200′.
See more trip photos here.
Outro
We crossed Road 1062 a couple more times. Then we went on the road and walked back down. Later we enjoyed an hour of the afternoon sunshine and took took photos. Then we dove back into the forest for the descent.