Search trip reports
Placeholder Routes & Places

Trip Report    

Basic Glacier Climb - Ruth Mountain & Icy Peak Traverse

A one day push of Ruth with zero visibility!

sara ludeman sara ludeman
July 15, 2019
  • Road suitable for all vehicles
    • Road is great condition thanks to crews that have been working hard to fill all the potholes! There is a bad road conditions sign a few miles short of the trailhead. Luckily this is talking about the washout that took place at the trailhead. It does not affect the drive in at all. Parking lot just got moved back a few hundred feet is all. 
    • trail is also in great condition, minus the gulley, thanks to trail crews up there is week clearing brush and grading!
    • water is plentiful before you hit the pass, not a lot after that.
    • One crack opening at the very top. Easy to see and very easy to step a few feet to the side and avoid.

What can I say we managed to hit the weather window perfectly.. clouds increased and grew dark as we drove in Saturday evening. Conditions did not improve. The rain we were hoping would lull us to sleep, kept half the team up and did not let up at 11pm as forecasted. We decided to stick with our early start time of 4am as rain was supposed to increase throughout the day. As it turns out it did the opposite. We got rather wet on the hike in and then conditions began improving on the hike out. I would advise people to try and stay out of the main gulley, there are paths on the sides! And they are much better. Glacier is in good condition. We reached the summit at 930am, took a team selfie and promptly left. Full clouds and heavy mist, sadly no views. As we hiked out the weather got better and better! Reached the trailhead at 1250pm. A fast single day push in poor conditions, but we did it! Ruth really can be climbed in most conditions! Although I would recommend climbing when you can take in the views, truly a beautiful area :)