Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

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mark2000stephenson
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Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

Post by mark2000stephenson »

I'm planning a route for the end of summer and am trying to find the best way between East Fork Bear Creek and French Canyon, ultimately returning back to the Pine Creek trailhead. Originally, I was looking at Ruskie pass given Secor's description of it as Class 2 (which I'm comfortable with), but every trip report I found for Ruskie was surprised by the difficulty and considered it more of a class 3. I'm now considering heading into the Bear lakes basin and taking Feather pass down to Merriam lake; it sounds easier (read: actually class 2) but adds a couple miles of x-country to the trip.

The other benefit of Feather Pass that I see is that if it's too sticky (my hiking partner has slightly lower terrain tolerance than me), we could take Granite Bear Pass into Granite Park and down to Pine Creek.

Is Ruskie actually tough and is it worth taking the Feather detour instead? I at least suspect snow won't be much of a factor by this August given the weather so far. Thanks for any advice.
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snowblind
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Re: Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

Post by snowblind »

I have done both a few times and prefer Ruskie - it takes you past Vee/Seven Gables and has less talus than Feather. However, the west side of Ruskie can have a couple small sections where it is a little loose depending on the route. Feather is also easier to find/follow. I wouldn't call Ruskie class 3, but if one is less comfortable with route-finding, Feather is likely a better choice.

This being said, if someone is uncomfortable with Feather, I am not sure Granite Bear is better.
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SirBC
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Re: Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

Post by SirBC »

I am planning on being in Bear Lakes Basin this summer (finally!) and also looking at options of exiting the basin back to the Pine Creek trailhead. I plan on taking Italy/Dancing Bear passes on the way in but undecided on the way out. I have spent some time over the last few years looking at trip reports that include Ruskie Pass and from what I have been able to find is that Ruskie is easier when there is snow at the very top of the pass on the east, but when the snow isn't there there is a section that is Class III.

I saved some photos so I don't know/remember where I got them so I can't link to them to give proper credit, I know some are from TR's here at HST. This is what the pass looks like from the east side with various amounts of snow and the Class III section. The same rock is circled in the photos for orientation purposes. My plan is to scout a bit further on either side to see if there is an alternate way down, but from TR's I've read, the boulders are not entirely stable on either side so that likely won't work. I will take a bit of rope and if the only route is the one with the Class III section I would lower my back and downclimb if it looks within my comfort zone, and if not, go back out the way I came in.
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awhite4777
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Re: Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

Post by awhite4777 »

I've been over both. I pretty much agree with @snowblind, though I'd probably rate the scenery via Feather as something I'd not want to miss. However, that depends on what route you take once over either pass.

I ascended Ruskie from the east (Merriam/La Salle side) and didn't encounter anything I'd consider Class 3 on that side. The west side (descending to Seven Gables Lakes) was disappointingly tedious, but was all easy Class 2. When I went over, snow was absent.

Feather is probably a touch easier than Ruskie, though it's been a while since I went that way.

Also, I think if you get over Feather and want an "easy" way out, it's probably Dancing Bear to Italy Pass, not Granite Bear Pass (though I haven't been over Granite Bear Pass). Dancing Bear Pass to Italy Pass is pretty straightforward.

Feel free to PM for more route info, if you'd like.
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Mike M.
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Re: Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

Post by Mike M. »

I haven't been over Ruskie, but have you considered LaSalle Pass? It is easy Class 2 and drops you down to Merriam Lake too.

Mike M.
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mark2000stephenson
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Re: Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

Post by mark2000stephenson »

Good advice from everyone, thanks! Hard to find a ton of time in the Sierra between school and work, so I think the scenery rec is more than enough to favor Feather, regardless of relative difficulty. Good call on Dancing Bear as a backup, don't know how I overlooked something so obviously easy.

This puts my itinerary at:
1) Pine Creek TH to Granite Park
2) to Hilgard Branch via Italy Pass
3) to Bear Lakes Basin via the JMT and East Fork Bear Creek
4) to Pine Creek headwaters via Feather Pass, French Canyon, and Pine Creek Pass
5) and back to the trailhead.

As long as the 5kft climb for the first day and a half doesn't do me in, should make for a nice getaway.
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SirBC
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Re: Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

Post by SirBC »

If I am understanding your route correctly, you are adding a not inconsiderable time/distance by dropping to Lake Italy from Italy Pass and then following the loop back to Bear Lakes Basin via the East Fork of Bear Creek versus just traversing from Italy Pass to Dancing bear pass. That's adding ~ 1.5 days to the trip just to get to Bear Lakes Basin when you could get there from Italy pass in an hour or two. I personally would prefer to spend that time exploring in Bear Lakes/Seven Gables Basin.
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mark2000stephenson
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Re: Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

Post by mark2000stephenson »

You aren't wrong, but I like getting into some of the forested valleys as much as high lakes and passes, probably because they remind me of the western Sierra where I first got introduced to backpacking.
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Re: Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

Post by gregw822 »

Feather was my first cross-country pass, almost 30 years ago. My partner and I decided to try a trip with an off-trail component. This was long before Secor and before I was aware of Roper's book. The internet was a new thing in those days. Amazon was a money-losing start-up bookseller, and there was nothing like Sierra Topix to use as a resource. I don't recall what led us to Bear Basin, but we went over Italy Pass to Vee lake, then headed for a ridge crossing that looked on the topo like it might go. We got to the base of the pass, and it looked good. Up we went. It wasn't hard. Maybe a couple class III moves at the top, but not bad at all. (We were also rock climbing partners. Never got above 5.9, but enjoyed it for a few years.) The surprising thing was that when we reached this "unknown pass", there was a guy coming up from the other side at the very same time. We were all quite surprised to see each other. We asked him what he was doing out there in the middle of nowhere. He replied: "This is Feather Pass, and I'm doing the Sierra High Route. It was an epiphany. The notion of a bucket list was still a couple decades in the future, but nevertheless, I had just acquired one. And finally, after all these years, I'm giving it a shot this summer.
The opposite side the Feather pass was an easy decent to Merriam Lake. Can't say anything about the other passes at all, but Feather is not particularly difficult.
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Re: Feather vs. Ruskie Pass

Post by astrogerly »

I can’t comment on Ruskie Pass, but we did a lollipop trip in that area last August and it was amazing. Feather Pass has some fantastic scenery. Somehow we got very lucky and barely saw a soul on days 2-4 (one group total). Here’s a link to the write up... http://highsierratopix.com/community/vi ... =1&t=20880
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