Hannegan Pass and Peak — Thursday, Apr. 16, 2009

North Cascades > Mount Baker Area

I thought I'd take a day off work and 'trot up' Mt Ruth. The Hannegan Pass trailhead is up a four mile road off the Mt. Baker highway, and that road is blocked. You can mountain bike the first mile or so, up to the Goat Mtn trailhead, but from there it's snowshoe or ski conditions. There are about a dozen avalanches across the road near the trailhead, including several that are serious -- logs, rocks, dirt, and so. It's going to be at least six weeks before you'll be able to drive to the trailhead, even without all the debris. There was one set of snowshoe prints heading up the valley, meandering back and forth. There is an immense!! amount of snow up there. It's beautiful, if you like snow hiking, a pleasant moderate meander, up to the steep hillside up to the pass at the head of the valley. Even with snowshoes, I was sinking up to my hips, and eventually turned around.