Oakes Peak by Damnation Peak and Salvation Peak sits above Bacon Creek Road in North Cascades National Park. It overlooks Damnation Creek to the east. Moreover, North Cascades Highway offers the quickest route.
See more trip photos here.
Oakes Peak at a Glance
Access: Bacon Creek Road
Round Trip: 6.2 miles
Elevation Range: 660′-5681′
Gear: snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: with guidance
The Preface
We attempted Oakes Peak three months ago. But as luck would have it, it snowed the day before. So we spent hours going through fresh powder. Later we turned around and snowshoed on the roads near Oakes Creek.
I first saw Oakes Peak from Damnation Peak under a year ago. It was also our first time visiting the area between Goodall Creek and Bacon Creek drainages. However, it was only a matter of time before we came to Oakes Peak.
See more trip photos here.
Southwest Ridge Approach
The snow-free lower forest let us scramble quicker Despite a late morning start. A game trail took us up to 2800′ at one point before it dwindled in the snow. But we stayed on the mossy ground away from Oakes Creek this time.
Like before, even in the shade, the snow was terrible. But this time, carving out a path wasn’t as exhausting as fresh powder. We postholed while crossing the road at 3500′, where I wore snowshoes to the end.
See more trip photos here.
Oakes Peak Summit Views
Views came in at 5000′, then at 5400′, we moved to the southeast to avoid the steeper terrain. The final 100′ to the top was sluggish as we postholed with every step. Before long, we’ve arrived at the obscure summit.
The nearby peaks included Davis Peak, Mount Ross, Mount Triumph, and Bacon Peak. Meanwhile, I saw Mount Challenger, Mount Fury, and Mount Terror poking out behind the ridgelines.
We enjoyed a long time on top while soaking in the heat before bidding our farewell. Before long, we headed down the mountain in our tracks under an afternoon of sunshine.
See more trip photos here.