Winter Scramble - First Top & Point 4795 Loop

Various P&Rs to accommodate attendees (and ferry schedules ;), then 8am at the Olympic National Park WIC in Port Angeles.

Beautiful mountain and sea views on very strenuous winter scramble (~11 mi, ~5,800 ft) that visits First Top as well as Point 4795 above Lake Angeles with their routes (see map) sharing a portion of the Lake Angeles trail from the Heart of the Hills Ranger Station to ~2700 ft. This shared outing is made possible by deep winter snowfall that makes cross country travel less onerous.

Snowshoe the Lake Angeles Trail until it starts to descent towards the crossing of Ennis Creek (1.5 mi, 2,700 ft). Leave the trail and proceed cross country in a NW direction to reach the ridge crest trending in a NNE from the summit of First Top (2.0 mi, 3,250 ft). Ascend the crest of this ridge a short distance (2.5 mi, 4,250 ft), then travel in a westerly direction to reach the north side of a meadow (2.8 mi, 4,400 ft). Continue West to reach the crest of a ridge descending from First Top in a NW direction (3.0 mi, 4,750 ft). Ascend this ridge to reach the summit of First Top (3.5 mi, 5,510 ft). Descend using the ascent route to just above the crossing of Ennis Creek (5.5 mi, 2,700 ft). Follow the Lake Angeles trail to the crest of the ridge that leads to Point 4795 (6.0 mi, 3,000 ft). Follow this ridge crest to reach Point 4795 and wonderful vistas of Lake Angeles (7.5 mi, 4,795 ft). Descend the ascent route to reach the cars at Heart of the Hills Ranger Station (11.0 mi, 1,800 ft).