During this trip I experienced the beauty of the Mt. Baker National Forest first hand. On July 10 Michael Vos and myself set out for the Summit of Ruth Mountain, located at the Headwaters of Ruth creek and the North Fork of the Nooksack River. We were expecting a long slog into the trailhead, yes the trailhead! Because of construction on the Hannegan Pass Road no traffic is allowed through. From the amount of equipment traveling up and down the road right now this is not a disputed precaution.
Arriving at the parking lot, named Shuksan we unloaded our gear and started our way up the road. It wasn’t long before we saw the first signs of the work being done on the road. Several times we were forced to stop to allow a piece of equipment continue past us. At mile post 3 we met a crew repairing a culvert that had be blown out in last years winter storms. The crew looked at our packs and wished us luck crossing over the debris field with our big packs. Paying no attention to the warnings we just received from the crew we continued on our way. Awhile latter we met a lone surveyor making his way down the road. He stopped to talk with us. He told us that the avalanche was another quarter mile up the road. Again we were given luck for crossing the debris field with our packs.
On approaching the avalanche we could see that no one on that crew was kidding when the said it was the biggest slide they had seen in fifty years! Debris crossed the road reaching twelve feet tall and three-hundred yards long. Seeing the field of debris gave us a clear idea of the power behind these slides. Old growth timber was lying beneath our feet reduced to a twisted mass, you couldn't tell limb from trunk. Its clear that its not the snow that kills you as much as it is the massive pieces of timber that join the cascade.
After fighting our way through the hulk of the avalanche we continued towards the trailhead. Reaching the trailhead didn't take us long after that. Within half a hour we were arriving. Before hitting the trail we took a short break in the shelter on the north side of the parking lot. We were visited by a rather friendly chipmunk, who seemed content to runaround our feet searching for food.
I have always joked with the people that I hike with off this road, that soon they will move the trail head to the Mt. Baker Highway. We should have knocked on wood every time we said mentioned that, because that is exactly what happened! After what would be for some people be a full days hike; we now had to start our way down the trail towards base camp. Now that we were on the trail the real work began. We were quick
to notice the lack of
maintenance on the trail, which is understandable considering crews have been unable to gain access to the trail with the road closed. However maintenance left our minds when we came across a slide that was double the size of the one crossing the road. As we looked up the valley all we could clearly see the path of destruction left behind by the late winter avalanche. The debris field was much harder to cross. We had no trouble however finding the trail on the opposite side of the debris field, however that was more luck than anything! After the second avalanche the rest of the trail to camp had minimal damage. Of course there was the tree across the trail here and there but nothing as major as the avalanche we had just crossed.
Our base camp was made at Hannegan Pass Camps, located just below the summit of Hannegan Pass itself. We made camp, set the tent, setup the stove and made dinner. While looking over the maps and waypoints for the next days summit a deer grazed on the outside of the camp. I decided that we would hit the trail the next morning at five, to allow for us to get on the snow wile it was still firm.
The day of the summit we got on the trail with no problems and on schedule. When we arrived at the summit of Hannegan Pass the sun was just sending its rays across the distant mountains. It was perfect hiking weather, and the perfect time of day. With the sun at our backs we made our way across the first snow field with
out strapping on the crampons. Once on the far side of that snow field, we tackled a section of trail that made its way straight up the side of a mountain. This would be the last section of trail that we would see.
After clawing hand of hand to the top of the hill we met a snow field had the word crampon written all over it! We strapped of the rest of our snow gear and made our way up the mountain. The climb was easy with almost no technical climbing skills needed. Once on the main snow field on the face of Ruth Mt. I gave Michael a quick lesson on how to self arrest with his ice ax, and gave him the rout plan. We took a two minute break at the half way point on the snow field, and then made the final assault to the summit.
Once on the Summit we were granted panoramic views of the entire North Cascades Range. A few days before it had rained clearing the air, allowing for a farther look into the peaks of God's creation. I did not realize that climbing a mountain was a
dream of Michael's for a very long time. But it did not take long to relies that I had helped him fulfill this dream! We took one last look down into, Nooksack Cirque, Mt. Shuksan, Glacier Pk. out in the distance and then headed back down the snow field towards base camp. After arriving back down at base camp we ate lunch as we packed the rest of our gear. We still had another fourteen miles to the truck.
We hit the trail with renewed energy; covering twice as much ground in half as much time from the day before. The only problem with hiking a trail many times is the fact that you know every turn on the path, and how far that turn is from everything els. This makes for a long walk out! Once again we met the debris field, but thanks to the use of GPS technology we found the trail with no problems on the other side. On the approach to the parking lot I got this fantasy that maybe the workers moved my truck to the trailhead for us so we wouldn't have to walk the oncoming six miles of road. Unfortunately when we entered the trailhead parking lot that fantasy was washed down the waters of Ruth Creek.
Again we took a short break in the shelter at the parking lot before continuing down the road. There's something about road walking that seems to make a distance go on for double the mileage. We didn't take breaks however our pase seemed no faster than a slugs. After passing many a sign, seeing the one that said one lane bridge was the second wind for me. I knew this sign was only half a mile from the gate that stood between us and the comfy seats of the truck. Sure enough we rounded a slight corner and there sat the truck waiting for us! Collapsing on the tail gate we did the math to find out why we were so tired. It turns out that we had a reason to be tired! We had just completed a twenty mile day with a summit of a mountain in the middle of it, and a seventeen mile slog the day before.
After its all been said and done Ruth Mt. was an amazing hike. I would recommend it to anyone who wants the satisfaction of summating a major peak but lacks the technical skills needed for most climbs, just ask Michael Vos; he will tell you the it was the hike of his life, he will never forget it nor will I.
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