Adventure girl gonna adventure—even where there’s no adventure to be had. Ruby Mountain looked so spectacular online, especially on a sunny January day, that nothing could stop me from exploring this line. Sure, every trip report called it a spring tour, but I was convinced that we’d find great conditions regardless.
Ski tours are designated for specific seasons for a reason: accessibility, wind, daylight hours, snow depth. Ruby Mountain, sitting at just 2,000 feet, only has accessibility and a mild breeze going for it mid-January. The snowpack was nonexistent, and as a north-facing line, the sun stayed low on the horizon before ducking behind the surrounding Cascadian peaks far too early. I know all this now, but let’s be honest—I wouldn’t have listened before setting out.
We trekked three miles with our skis on our backs, only to trek back out the same way. No turns, no skiing, just a long hike in the woods.
Learnings for Next Time:
- Start at sunrise to maximize daylight hours.
- Wait until snow depth improves for better skinning conditions.
- Stay to the east of Happy Creek after the summer trail ends, but don’t stray too far off course.
- Pick a turnaround time to avoid getting stuck in the dark.
- Consider starting from the highway. You don’t need to begin right at the summer trailhead. Hike up to around 2,400 feet until you see a turn sign, then pop into the nearby gully leading to the hiking trail. Or bring an e-bike! A couple of snow-seekers we saw had the right idea.
In the end, it turned out to be a lovely hike in the woods with our skis. Mason wasn’t too annoyed about the 4 a.m. wake-up call because I brought a couple of beers, and we enjoyed a sunny day basking in the beauty of the North Cascades. The boy knows who he married, and there’s only one way I’m gonna learn—experience full on, as painful as that may be!
1 comment
Good things to learn BC skiing in new places. Long slogs waste energy, this old man skins from the car.