I’ve done Ruth Mountain previously in the summer and I thought it had some of the best views in the North Cascades for the relatively easy level of effort. I couldn’t say no to the same views with even more snow, tagging Icy Peak this time around, and skiing back down the enticing slopes of Ruth.

Wrapping around the Ruth Arm with Redoubt in the background

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Mother Nature’s natural ski resort

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The only unobscured-ish view of Baker today

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Redoubt

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The pointy Southern Pickets (and some of the Northern Pickets on the left)

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Deeeep valleys

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Summit view from Ruth to Icy Peak

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Summit view from Ruth to Shuksan and its giant ridge

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Rainier in the back

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The ice shelves are crazy to look at

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Would not want to be under this like you have to be for the Nooksack Traverse

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Shuksan

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Back to Icy with the broken up snow field below it

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We skied down to get a closer look

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And to summit Icy Peak eventually

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A different angle of Nooksack Cirque as we wrap around Icy

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One last look back

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Man Shuksan goes quite low to the floor; it looks to be a 6000 foot drop from summit to riverbed

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Notes

• This was probably ~19 miles and ~8400 feet of vertical gain in about 11 ½ hours.