June 26, 2010, Ruth Mt (Baker)

Having failed to find a reasonable route up Goat Mt. (anyone have suggestions? Baldwin's route lead us to an impassible swollen stretch of Swamp Creek that might work with a good winter snowpack), our multinational group including Rod and Denis chose Ruth as plan B.

Trail is mostly snowfree 3.5 miles to the basin camping area, with good snow coverage from there. We skinned and bootpacked to the ridge and then right up to the summit. The ski down took us around the various rock islands to the bottom of the basin, then a 500' bootpack back up to our trail shoes. It was blazing hot in the basin, and I'm not sure the extra vertical to the basin bottom was worth it.

Snow is well consolidated and the incipient snowcups were soft. No snow movement, hissers or otherwise. A few gravel ribs have melted out and there are a few cracks where the snowpack thins to about a foot, but in general the coverage was fine. No other skiers, probably reflecting the approach, though there were lots of hikers and snowcampers. Don't come here for solitude.

By the way, the Twin Lakes Rd (FR 3065) is driveable to just below the last set of hairpin turns near the lakes.