Bacon Peak by Salvation Peak straddles three glacial masses, including Diobsud Creek Glacier. The standard Mount Watson high route starts at 4400′ on the west. In contrast, Bacon Creek begins at a much lower 800′ from the southeast.
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Bacon Peak at a Glance
Access: NF-1064 via Bacon Creek Road
Round Trip: 16.2 miles
Elevation Range: 800′-7061′
Gear: helmet, snowshoes, ice ax
Route Info: Steph Abegg, Josh Lewis
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no pets
Playlist: Hopeful
North Cascades Highway Reopening
The North Cascades Highway reopened on Monday, starting a new season. I wanted to go north also, but away from the typically crowded spots. So I looked at this place I’d been eyeing since my first photo taken from Robinson Mountain.
We did small hikes during the off-season so the older dog could continue to join. But I needed something to quickly get my mind and body back into the alpine mode. This trip had offered a jolt in the rear and good arse-kicking.
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Bacon Creek Road to Road 1064
It’s my third time on Bacon Creek Road (Road 1060) since Oakes Peak. The massive potholes over the roadway were insane, and there was no better way to avoid them. The path dipped as I drove across the shallow, raging Steelhead Creek.
I drove through the graded gravel over the old landslide at mile 4.5 this time. We slept by the fork with a firepit before Jumbo Creek. Then, we crossed Bacon Creek Bridge to Road 1064 in the morning and parked on the other side.
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Road 1064 to the End of Road
Shortly beyond the bridge was the first, and the worst, down tree debris. Then, after stepping over and under several more batches, we continued on the old road. Perhaps it’s the pack, but the 1.5 miles to the old wooden bench felt slow.
The brush and small trees had overtaken the old roadway in the next mile. En route were a small landslide and an old washout before the path widened. Then, we stopped shy of the end as the roadway dipped before the creek.
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Southeast Ridge to Bacon Peak
Through the open forest, we went northwest up the steep terrain. The thin brush was tolerable until we reached the massive down logs at 2500′. Then we bypassed from the north while hugging the edge of the talus field and slide alder.
From 3100′ on the long southeast ridgeline, we moved north in patchy snow. We veered northwest at 3600′ over the semi-dry crest in the shade. We stopped twice to melt snow for water and continued in snowshoes at 4000′.
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En Route to Peak 4800
Over the next 1.5 miles, we traversed over two minor ridge bumps to Peak 4800. Meanwhile, we enjoyed constant views of Electric Butte and the eastern peaks like Mount Triumph. I even saw Picket Range‘s high points, except for Luna Peak.
The cliffs south and west of Peak 4800 kept us from reaching the rock basin 600′ below. So we went down the north briefly and stopped short of the red color dike. Then we worked through the moat and dirt ramps down the mild ground.
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Southeast Gully to Diobsud Creek Glacier
We later passed a small pond hidden in the snow through the top of Falls Creek. Despite the slush, I was glad not to deal with the talus in the broad basin. I fetched more water from the rock walls before entering the steep gully at 4600′.
It took 800′ of slow going through the narrow gully before the terrain flattened. We then walked through a corridor to the top of a steady inline below Canadian Bacon. And with the sudden view of Bacon Peak, we entered the glacier.
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Camping on 6250′ Saddle
We walked northwest, aiming for the saddle while probing for crevasses. It’s incredible how a half-mile, flattish walk felt on sore legs. After dumping everything, we walked over and got the unexpected view of Mount Shuksan!
After setting up camp, we enjoyed a peaceful evening to the sounds of nothing. It was also a perfect starry night to capture star trails, which I hadn’t done in a while. But since I bought my big-arse camera here, I might as well use it.
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Bacon Peak Climb
We didn’t feel like getting up after the intense leg workout the day before. But we walked up the east slope at sunrise to glimpse the Picket Range. Then, we returned to camp for breakfast before dropping back onto the glacier.
There were no visible crevasses as we made a beeline southwest for the modest-looking top. To the north end lined the sheer, reddish walls. Meanwhile, the jagged Electric Butte poking out from the fringe of the glacier was stunning.
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Bacon Peak Summit Views
Soon, the flat, windy ridge took us through the final bit over the snow arête. On the other side were the dry summit rocks, where we hung out for the next hour. I could not take my eyes off the massive Mount Blum to the north.
Despite the glaring sun, peaks were as far as the eyes could see on this bluebird and gusty morning. We soaked in the views before returning through the arête. Setting the timer was good; otherwise, I’d chill up here for the rest of the day.
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Leaving North Cascades National Park
Views were at every turn above 6000′, and I wanted to savor it all. Although it was an incredibly exhausting conditioner, I was finally content to see the place after these years. So here’s to a fabulous climbing season ahead!
Retracing steps to Peak 4800 through the crux didn’t go as smoothly. But we shaved off a lot of time and took shortcuts using Josh’s track to the first road bend. Then it was half a mile of contending with the down trees to the bridge.
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