July 3, 2006, Ruth Mtn
7/3/06
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
2034
0
Oi - the Hannegan road sure has some hungry potholes on it - gave my truck some good tosses. Hannegan parking nearly but not completely full. The hike up in the morning was pleasant while still mostly shady. Spotty snow started at Hannegan camps. Only small parts of the summer climbers route are melted out, notably on the steep part past the little knolls above the pass. Good god that is an ugly trail. If I had a better idea of where it was going I would have just stayed on snow.
Quite a few recent ski tracks on several facings of the peak. Some of these went down the last continuous gully to the creek. Encountered many climbers who had summited early, on my way up. Glacier has not even a hint of a crevasse it is 99% still firn/snow covered. I think I was the last to summit that day reaching the top at 1:30, 4.5 from car.
Lounged around a bit, one other party that was on top skied down the uproute, and then I decided to throw in my lot with those that had skied the gully before. The snow surface was small tightly spaced cups, not really the greatest snow but scenery can make up for that. Occasional rock dodges, and surprisingly the best snow of the descent was found on the apron below the gullies, almost all the way to the creek. I got a lot more vertical than those that followed the uproute, but now it was time for some serious payback. I was down in the creek valley and there was no way you'd want to follow the creek even a short ways, everything melted out down there. From up top I had scouted a route up a steepish meadow with some small lingering snow patches. This would lead to the edge of the basin where the Hannegan camps are. A sufferfest climbing in the now hot sun, but I got there eventually, with the big advantage that the way I went was completely brush free. At the basin edge, clipped in one last time for a skittery run down to where the trail entered the basin.
Icy and Spillway
Obligatory Shuksan shot
Looking up the Ruth gullies from bottom of run
Return trip with sun now hitting trail was pretty merciless. Because of lack of shade, more grueling than the Rainier approaches I usually do this time of year.
Quite a few recent ski tracks on several facings of the peak. Some of these went down the last continuous gully to the creek. Encountered many climbers who had summited early, on my way up. Glacier has not even a hint of a crevasse it is 99% still firn/snow covered. I think I was the last to summit that day reaching the top at 1:30, 4.5 from car.
Lounged around a bit, one other party that was on top skied down the uproute, and then I decided to throw in my lot with those that had skied the gully before. The snow surface was small tightly spaced cups, not really the greatest snow but scenery can make up for that. Occasional rock dodges, and surprisingly the best snow of the descent was found on the apron below the gullies, almost all the way to the creek. I got a lot more vertical than those that followed the uproute, but now it was time for some serious payback. I was down in the creek valley and there was no way you'd want to follow the creek even a short ways, everything melted out down there. From up top I had scouted a route up a steepish meadow with some small lingering snow patches. This would lead to the edge of the basin where the Hannegan camps are. A sufferfest climbing in the now hot sun, but I got there eventually, with the big advantage that the way I went was completely brush free. At the basin edge, clipped in one last time for a skittery run down to where the trail entered the basin.
Icy and Spillway
Obligatory Shuksan shot
Looking up the Ruth gullies from bottom of run
Return trip with sun now hitting trail was pretty merciless. Because of lack of shade, more grueling than the Rainier approaches I usually do this time of year.
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