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Trip Report

Hannegan Pass and Peak, Copper Ridge Loop — Thursday, Jul. 16, 2020

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

Parking lot was in pretty good shape, and the bathroom was unlocked and decent. Not too full, but we arrived on a weekday. 

A good number of day hikers were on the trail leading up to Hannegan Pass (at least 15+ parties on a weekday). A couple of the drainage ravines still had compact snow to cross over, but only one or two required some climbing. Very much doable to get to the pass without any gear; a walking stick may help. 

Hannegan Camp was covered entirely in snow, with the thawed areas mostly soggy bog. Most day hikers continued up the pass to the vista at the top. Hannegan Peak will have snow, but I didn't venture up that trail, and direct sun will probably speed up the thaw. 

We saw three (distant) figures climbing Ruth Mountain, and a somewhat decent path leading down the north side of the pass which I presume is the  Ruth Arm path (which my map says is only 0.7mi away). The toilet at the pass is snow-free. 

Continued down the slope towards the Natl Park, trudging through a snowy slope. As it crosses into the open valley, there's a couple large snowfields. Footprints are faint, but the snow is compact and you'll eventually find the trail (I left a few small cairns to help navigate). Be careful of meltstreams, especially as thicker snowpacks melt. We put on some basic spikes and broke out poles. 

Boundary Camp is completely thawed but had a lot of mosquitoes. Views of the valley are great, and the four or five spots seemed about to fill up with some later arrivals behind us. The trail diverges here to Copper Ridge and Chilliwack River Trails.

We intended to hit Egg Lake Campground, but a bit weary of snowcrossings, opted for the lower elevation Chilliwack. Entirely snow free, though we did see bear cubs and on the trail 10ft away, the mama. We were so tired, we hiked in silence, and were equally startled by their presence (make sure those bear bells are ringing!). After a bit of nervous conversation, me pulling out a bluetooth speaker, and backing up slowly, they retreated and we continued to Copper Creek camp. We headed up the ledges on the left side (with a toilet) and only realized there was a second half across the creek when we saw a campfire later that evening. 

The descent the next day was fairly swift, and the snow did noticeably melt in just under 24hrs, especially in the main Hannegan valley. Within 2-3 weeks, the majority of the area will probably be pole and spike free. 

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