Oakes Peak by Damnation Peak and Salvation Peak sits above Bacon Creek Road inside North Cascades National Park. It also overlooks Damnation Creek to the east. Moreover, North Cascades Highway offers the shortest way to the peak.
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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 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
The snow-free lower forest allowed us to scramble quicker Despite a late morning start. At one point, a game trail took us up to 2800′ before it dwindled in the snow. But we stayed farther away from Oakes Creek on mossy terrain this time.
Like the time before, snow was terrible, even in the shade. But this time, carving out a path wasn’t as exhausting. We postholed while crossing the road at 3500′, where I put on snowshoes for the rest of the climb.
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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. Then the final 100′ up to the top was sluggish as we continued to posthole with every step.
There were too many peaks to name, including Davis Peak, Mount Ross, Mount Triumph, and Thornton Peak. Meanwhile, I saw Mount Challenger, Mount Fury, and Mount Terror poking out behind the ridgelines.
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Outro
We enjoyed an extended visit while soaking in the heat before bidding farewell to this obscure summit. Soon, we followed our tracks down the mountain in an afternoon of sunshine.
