Ruth Mountain and Icy Peak via Hannegan Pass

I parked at Lawrence’s place and we left for Hannegan Pass around 5:35 a.m. We picked up Johannes from the U District Chevron at 5:50 a.m. On the drive north we stopped at a gas station in Skagit County off I-5, where I bought provisions for the weekend: a sausage croissant sandwich with a generous serving of sausage patty and egg, a corn dog, and a bean and cheese burrito.
We left the Hannegan Pass Trailhead at 9:00 a.m. and reached the summit of Ruth Mountain at approximately 2:30 p.m., a little over five hours later.

A heat wave was sweeping through the Pacific Northwest and temperatures were around 80°F. We brought snowshoes, but they were completely unnecessary and only added weight and bulk. I think I’ve made the mistake of bringing snowshoes on every spring snow climb I’ve done this season.
During the hike we had some entertaining discussions about whether campsite reservations will eventually become auction- or lottery-based, and the possibility of using sterile mosquitoes to prevent malaria.

That evening was mostly calm except for about an hour of gusty winds caused by temperature differentials. I slept without my rain fly and was comfortable. I had not brought a full fuel canister and effectively ran out of fuel after heating water in my Nalgene. I then knocked the bottle over, leaving me with about 1.5 liters of water. I tried melting snow in my second Nalgene using hand warmers, which did not work. I also attempted to melt snow using body heat inside my sleeping bag, with limited success.

We left camp at 4:30 a.m. the next morning and reached the top of the gully around 5:00 a.m. We summited Icy Peak at approximately 8:00 a.m. and returned to camp around noon, making the climb about 7.5 hours round trip.
The climb felt strenuous. The descent of the gully was around 60 degrees and was relatively straightforward down-climbing on all fours. Overnight temperatures never dropped below about 40°F, so the snow never fully firmed up. We wore crampons, but the snow balled under our feet and frequently broke apart during the glacier traverse toward Icy Peak.

The summit scramble on Icy Peak was probably high Class 4 and was manageable in mountaineering boots. I led the pitch and sent down a fixed hand line for the rest of the group.

On the summit we met Margot, who was guiding several friends from various local mountaineering organizations. The return to camp was a slog. Temperatures were again around 80°F and the snow had turned into mashed potatoes.

Before leaving camp that morning, a couple surprised me just before sunrise. It turned out to be an Instagram influencer and her photographer.
We packed up camp and left Ruth Mountain around 1:00 p.m. On the descent we enjoyed several good glissades. We reached the trailhead at approximately 4:30 p.m.

After returning to the trailhead we took a swim in the creek nearby. The snowmelt water on Ruth had tasted exceptionally good, and the creek was cold enough that it felt more like swimming than a quick rinse. At that moment I couldn’t tell whether we were at Hannegan Pass or in heaven.

There was a stranded Mountaineer at the trailhead who had missed her ride and was facing a long wait, so we gave her a lift back.

On the drive home we couldn’t decide where to stop for food and eventually ended up at a truck stop for paninis.