Ruth Creek
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| | Raps:4-6, max ↨60ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Optional 2 miles Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Granite and Basalt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 15 Sep 2024
"Amazing day in Ruth! Rains the night before didnt change conditions too much from the week before. We think that the colder conditions helped offset |
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| Best season: | Sept-Oct
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48.8985, -121.6432
48.8942, -121.6526
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Introduction[edit]
Ruth Creek is a beautiful, fantastic half day outing with a very favorable approach/egress. There are a series of nice narrows and slot corridors hiding down in the creek and crystal clear blue pools, making this one of the most scenic canyons in the area. Due to it's large flow volumes, Ruth Creek is probably only viable a couple weeks each year to descend.
Efficient groups may consider pairing with the nearby Swamp Creek for a longer day of canyoning.
Caution: Ruth Creek is a high flow canyon with very cold water. It was first explored in Fall on a particularly dry year once temperatures had begun to fall at what is likely it's lowest possible water discharge. Middle or even late summer could still retain flow rates too high to safely descend this canyon. Canyoneers running Ruth Creek should be confident swimmers and be able to identify basic canyon hydraulics. The canyon also has many potentially unstable logjams to be aware of.
Approach[edit]
Car Shuttle Approach: Leave lower shuttle cars at the Nooksack Cirque trailhead (48.89401, -121.65259). From there, drive back to the fork in FR-32 and take a right, heading uphill to the Goat Mountain Parking Lots/bathroom (48.89769, -121.64594). Head into the forest on the north side of the parking lot by the sign and head north through the forest for 500 feet and then hike down to the creek. There is a weakness that allows walk-in access at 48.8978, -121.6429.
Hiking Approach: From the Nooksack Cirque trailhead, scramble up a faint use trail to the left of the signboard at the trailhead proper. Follow the canyon rim a half mile to the drop-in point (48.8978, -121.6429).
Descent[edit]
DCR = Down Canyon Right
DCL = Down Canyon Left
There are many jumps in this canyon from 5-20', enough that they are too numerous to list. If there's not an obvious anchor, it was likely a jump or a downclimb. As with all jumps, be cautious and check pools for depth and hazards.
R1: - 15' from single bolt DCL.
R2: - 12' from log or meat anchor, tight constriction and gnarly unstable log jams, or jump.
R3: - 10' tight constriction with jumbled logs/sieve. Ramp on RDC side leading to Bolt to bypass unsafe logjam.
R4: - 10' into a turbulent section of canyon, or downclimb DCL into small hole and then through the curtain.
R5: - 15' traverse from a single bolt to a 30' rappel from a single bolt. There is an intermediate point bolt between them. This rappel leads to a swimming disconnect into a beautiful, deep cauldron. Note: this pool circulates counter clockwise. Once off rope follow the RDC wall with feet on the wall. Can feel like a pushy swim. This rappel has been jumped (20') from a slippery ledge about 10' down from the anchor.
R6: - 60' from a Y-hang DCR, dry rappel into a beautiful grotto/pool. Watch for unstable rock while rappelling.
Exit[edit]
Walk the river gravels for a few minutes and the cars come into view at the Nooksack Cirque Trailhead. A small 50ft long social trail leads to the parking lot.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
Trip reports and media[edit]
Background[edit]
The First Canyoning Descent of Ruth Creek took place on September 3rd, 2022 by Andrew Humphreys, Tiffanie Lin, Jake Huddleston, Kevin Steffa, TreC Kwan, Michael Henson, and Erik Bernhoft. A car shuttle was not utilized.
Not unsurprisingly, kayakers had descended the final falls, starting between the two larger rappels.
The Second Descent which added 2 additional rappels, the car shuttle, and explored the upper narrows took place on October 2, 2022 by Andrea Lubeck, Robert Lane, and Erik Bernhoft.