Mt. Ruth/Icy Peak Traverse - 8/16/2008
Trip: Mt. Ruth/Icy Peak Traverse -
Date: 8/16/2008 - 8/17/2008
Trip Report:Full trip report with photos at
AlpineTarn.com.
Some pics not available on my website:
Our team met at the Ash Way P&R at 6:00 AM. This was going to be round two on Ruth and Icy. Our trip from two weeks earlier ended at the Glacier Ranger Station under rainy skies. This time we were blessed with a pretty good forecast. The weatherman had even removed the chance of thunderstorms on Sunday overnight while we slept and anticipated the climb.
We started up the Hannegan Pass Trailhead at about 9:30 am. After about 5o minutes and two miles of distance we stopped to regroup. It was really hot and humid. Priscilla, who had been battling a cold, was having some problems. We split up some of her gear with the hope that higher ground would bring cooler temps and some releif for Priscilla. Unfortunately, that was just not to be. After another half hour we stopped again. This time Priscilla had come to the realization that the climb was just not in the cards for her this weekend. Lokesh selflessly agreed to give up his own chance at the climb to descend with Priscilla and return home. We had a quick chat about group gear, sorted loads, bid Lokesh and Priscilla farewell and continued on our way.
We set off following the trail towards Hannegan Pass. We quickly gained ground as the trail switched back and forth through beautiful alpine meadows full of lush flowers and views of Mt. Ruth. We made Hannegan Pass in good time.
After a nice break at Hannegan Pass we headed over to the nearby tarn and filled up our water bottles. While we were there, unbeknownst to me, Mark and Yet passed on by. Without knowing it was Mark and Yet, I watched as two people made their way up the steep drainage that is the "trail" above Hannegan Pass. As we made our way to the top ourselves, taking great care not to knock rocks onto one another below, I began to realize just who it was that I had been watching. We couldn't beleive that we had bumped into each other! We took some pictures, discussed plans, and set off in seperate groups bound for Ruth's summit.
When we reached the base of the Ruth Glacier, we roped up and had a snack. Mark and Yet reached the base of the glacier shortly there after. As our two teams started up, I watched as Mark went for the summit. I managed to grab of few good pictures of him on his way.
We stepped off on the snow and reached the rocky summit as Mark was leaving. Beautiful views 360 degrees views were laid out infront of us. We could see Shuksan, the Picket Range, Glacier Peak, and of course the next day's objective, Icy Peak.
After spending about thirty minutes on the summit of Ruth, we decided that we had better get moving and get into camp. We dropped down the Ruth Glacier towards a notch in the ridge and contoured onto Ruth's shoulder. Here we found a large campsite so close to Shuksan that it looked like we could touch it as we ate our dinner and watched the sun set.
We departed camp at 5:15 a.m. under party cloudy skies illuminated by a full moon hung in the sky next to Mt. Shuksan. The light provided by the moon was just enough to make the descent out of camp only partially sketchy. I was really glad that I had taken the time the night before to find the trail to the left of the death gulley that so many parties are rumored to take. Careful downclimbing for about 300' led to an easy descent onto the ridge followed by some more relatively minor downclimbing, snow-slogging, and rock-hopping before making our way onto the Icy Glacier.
By 8:00 a.m. we were standing at the top of the Icy Glacier. We unroped and ascended talus on the other side of the ridge to the base of a 4th class scrable that trully felt 5'ish. Andre went up and set up a fixed line for the rest of the team to ascend. Before long we were all on the summit taking in the views, pleased that we had escaped the thunder storms that had threatened us from afar as we left camp.
By 11:00 a.m., after rappelling and descending the talus, we were back on the Icy Glacier headed for camp. At camp by 2:00, we took our time to rehydrate and eat before packing up. Leaving camp at 3:15, we were back at the cars by 7:30 p.m.
