7/15, Saturday. 3 of us met at Ash Way P&R. at 7am.
Jes was a few minutes late and parked at the wrong end of the large parking lot.
She came along because M.S. suggested this easy climb to her instead of Baker C2C, because she hadn't hiked for a year.
QL drove.
Ruth Mountain has been my favorite mountain to climb.
Last time, we went up twice in a weekend. The view is stupendous. Climb is easy.
We were very lucky to find a spot right at the TH (or rather we waited for a lady to pack up and drive out).
I packed a sling. QL took 2, and an extra carabiner.
Both their packs are so much heavier than mine, made them slower.
Nothing worth noting, other than that some maple leaves were already turning yellow. Quite a few were hiking out already.
There were 3 good water source along the trail.
We filled shortly before the turn to the camping area.
Reached Hannegan Pass around 1pm. Some bugs, but not too bad.
A long break sitting on the log at the pass. It was hot, but still too early to go to the camp.
We stashed our packs behind trees, and I took my water bottle in my hand, QL fashioned a bottle holster using a sling, Jes took nothing.
We headed up to
Hannegan Peak.
On the way, I pointed to the muddy steep track below Point 5930, where we'll be taking.
It's a very nice hike. Quite some flowers, but not as good as I hoped. I think it's too dry this year.
Saw 1 tent at the first plateau, and a pile of toilet waste near the trail.
At the summit, one guy was sitting in the sun reading a book next to his tent.
Another guy was sitting in the only shade on the top, setting a pot of snow in the sun.
Still had plenty snow to melt for water here.
Back at the pass, picked up our packs, trudging up to Ruth Arm in the afternoon heat.
Dropped some elevation first.
A few campsites here and there, not all has water access. Drier than when I was here last time (late July).
The muddy steep is not very muddy, more dusty.
It's more trodden now, even expanded to multiple tracks at points, but equally bad as I remembered.
It is steep, need to hold on to roots and branches at times.
Jes is quite good at this.
At the top of this slope, a small pond by a snow patch.
We took a long break and filled water.
The trail around Point 5960 is well defined and easy to follow.
There were 2 groups, each with 3 tents on the flat ridge already.
We pitched our tents out in the open on the gravel. It was 4pm.
Too hot in the sun.
I moved my tent back into the trees. Not enough space for 3 tents.
The ridge is bit breezy, bugs were not a problem.
Must less snow than last time.
I scrambled down a bit and filled my Jetboil with snow, and left for Jes, before retiring back to my shade.
I told her not to bring her stove to reduce weight.
I didn't bother with cooking.
Set up alarm for sunset, and took a nap.
Sunset was very nice, quite red in the clouds.
Jes suggested starting at 4:30 the next day. Fine with me.
The neighboring 3 tents' 4 owners were back from their Ruth climb. We were all admiring the view together.
7/16, Sunday. The stars were okay at 2am. Did see Milky Way.
The sky wasn't dark enough, even though the new moon was not a problem.
Walked up to their tents at 4:30, and Jes wasn't quite yet ready.
Hiking in dawn is cool, yet, bright enough to see.
Headed up on rocks first. Overtook 2 ladies. Saw a tent about 10 minutes in.
The climb is short (~1.5 miles, ~1500') and easy.
Jes and I did use crampons (only on the way up). QL wore mountaineering boots, and he didn't bother with the crampons.
Here's a photo of me and Jes near the summit of Ruth.
The better view from Ruth is a short flat walk south. I waited there instead of the summit for QL and Jes. It was only 6am!
Here we could see our journey ahead. Icy Peak is looming ahead, as well as countless other jaggard peaks and Shucksan.
Both QL and Jes had climbed Shucksan, from the south side. So they never saw its north side.
Had a long break taking photos, and checking out which peak is which.
Getting down the ridgeline, a bit steep first, then, it was easier.
In summer, as it is now, no snow on the ridge, so all rock scramble. Straight forward. Nothing too bad.
Jes is slow going down, being careful.
After ~300', we dropped down the ridge on its western (right) slope, scree/rock field, but not too bad. See photo to the left.
The bottom was snow. 4 tents at the corner of the snow, on dry land.
Cross the saddle next to the tents.
It's quite steep the other (south) side.
There's a faint track here. More and more heather and grass as we lost elevation.
Regained the ridge, continued to lose elevation (~1000' below Ruth).
Further south, mixture of snow and boulder hopping.
We mostly stayed away from snow on the way in, and stayed on (soft) snow on the way out.
Not much elevation change, but still tiring and slow.
We could see 7 climbers on Icy Glacier ahead of us.
Then we started to gain elevation.
Stayed on rocks, then veered right (west) to get on Icy Glacier.
Put on crampons.
We stayed on the left (east) side (close to the rocky ridge), all snow. See the red line on snow in the photo.
Here is me and Jes in front of Icy's summit block.
We followed the prints to go around to its right right, in order to climb from the other side (south).
Here's where we crossed ridge.
We found some ice picket and other snow tools here.
No wonder, the south side is mostly rocks and scree.
We met 3 climbers turning back on the loose scree. It's quite bad.
I was seriously considering turning around too. But my teammates continued.
Then, I had a long argument with QL where the summit was. Glad that I was correct: more bad scree to go over.
Finally, we were at the bottom of this gully.
QL headed up first, with me and Jes closely behind. We stashed our poles, need both hands here.
This is very steep. The problem is that it's very narrow, when a climber ahead kicked off loose rocks (many), you have no way to hide.
One rock hit my left shoulder, another rock hit Jes on her helmet!
Finally, we attained the notch.
Saw one guy there waiting for his friends. We could see 3 on the rocks. They were kicking rocks down on us too.
The rock on that wall look solid, yes, steep.
But without rope, my teammate called a quit. They wanted to rappel down, if we were to climb.
It was getting too late, already 11am!
We started downclimb, those 3 were starting to rappel down too.
We had to call the 3 to halt, as they were kicking down rocks on us.
Jes was freaking out going down the gully.
QL, below, had to tell here which foot where, and I, above, had to move her hands from time to time.
The 3 of us stayed together, slowing crawled down, at least we don't kick rocks onto ourselves.
Coming back, apart from the bad scree, it was easier, as the snow is by now very soft.
We tried to stay on snow as much as possible.
Twice, they got confused as where we were going. They followed me without too much argument.
I knew all along where though.
Maybe because I was leading the traverse, so I always had to look back to see where they were, so the return route was more etched in my memory.
Returned to our tent at 4:18pm. We agreed to leave at 5pm.
Again, Jes was a few minutes late. I could see QL helping her to pack away her tent.
We stopped at the pond above the muddy slope for water.
When I started going again, Jes asked why I was in a hurry.
Once they knew that I may miss my last bus, they hurried up. From Hannegan Pass, we were just flying.
Reached the car at 8pm.
QL and I changed into clean clothes.
Jes didn't bring any change, so sat in her rain jacket.
No stop on the drive. I made to my bus stop with 3 minutes to spare. The very last bus is at 10:40pm.
I got home an hour later.
All in all, this trip is super pretty. I may do this traverse again, and may attempt the final rock block.
Funny, Jes commented that this is more difficult than Baker C2C.
We started at the Goat Ridge trail, going clockwise. Soon, I was lagging behind. It was dusty.
The 3 of them took a detour to Goat Ridge Overlook, so I took a break and waited at the next trail junction.
The view improved as we entered Jordan Basin. Flowers were good, but no lupines.
At the camping area, we took a break, so E.S. filtered water. Both pink and yellow monkey flowers.
Continued to the Lily Basin Trail.
Turned left to go to Hawkeye Point.
I took a short cut to the camping site I used 3 years ago. Only one snow patch left.
Above that, quite some mariposa lily. Aster were paintbrush were decent. A lot of pasque flower in seeds. Again, no lupine.
Almost no snow going up to Hawkeye.
Took a long Break at the summit. G.H. chased a chipmonk around with his Cannon.
Continued east on Lily Basin trail, loosing ~200'.
A small trail goes up left (NE), passing a camping area, now almost no snow left.
Higher, more rocks.
Met a group of 3 scrambling down rock pile on the edge of a snow field.
We turned north to follow a dirt trail up to the ridge.
It's a great ridge walk. Views on both sides. Saw a herd of sheep down north (Packwood Lake Basin?).
This trail hits PCT below Old Snowy. Brand new trail signs at the junction.
We took to Old Snowy. It's a fairly easy scramble.
Great view at the summit. Quite windy.
We took a long break here. Contemplating on Ives.
In the end, 3 of us bailed. Coming down the ridge seems too loose to me.
Took the same trail down.
Then followed PCT south. Some larger snow patches here. I restocked my water bottle.
Meanwhile, D.R. scrambled to Ives. These photos are his.
He claimed that it's easier than he expected, and 90% has trail to follow.
The rest 3 of us took our time.
Met 8 PCT northbound thru-hikers.
I chatted with 3 of them. Most skipped CA Sierra due to heavy snow. They started end of April.
One Belgium guy plowed through the Sierras. He started end of March.
One said he really liked the desert section.
Attended REI's 
