Oakes Peak by Damnation Peak and Salvation Peak sits above Bacon Creek inside North Cascades National Park. At the same time, it overlooks Damnation Creek to the east. Plus, North Cascades Highway provides the most direct way to climb the peak.
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Oakes Peak at a Glance
Access: NF-1060
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 less than a year ago. It was the first peak between Goodall Creek and Bacon Creek drainages we had ever climbed. Though, it was only a matter of time before we went up to Oakes Peak. So we could get a slightly different perspective.
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Southwest Ridge Approach
Despite my effort to start early, it was a late morning start. But the snow-free slopes in the lower forest allowed us to scramble up quicker. Though, this time, we stayed farther away from Oakes Creek to be on mossy terrain. At one point, we followed a game trail up to 2800′, but later it dwindled under the snow.
We began to posthole at the 3500′ road crossing. So I put on snowshoes here for the rest of the climb. Like on the previous trip, snow conditions were poor. Even in the shade, the snow wasn’t as firm as I had hoped. Although snow quality slowed us down, we were able to stay afloat better.
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Oakes Peak Summit Views
Views came in at 5000′. But to avoid the steeper terrain at 5400′ with potential avalanche danger, we moved to the southeast side. Then we reached the summit ridge in another 200′. But the final 100′ up to the top was sluggish as we continued to posthole with every step.
There were too many peaks to name, but the photos would speak for themselves. Familiar high points included Davis Peak, Mount Ross, Mount Triumph, and Thornton Peak. Meanwhile, I saw Mount Challenger, Mount Fury, and Mount Terror poking out from the back.
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Outro
We enjoyed an extended visit while soaking in the needed heat. Then we bid our farewell to this obscure summit with sweeping views. Soon, we followed our tracks down the mountain in an afternoon of sunshine.