16.5 miles of hiking • 6500' elevation gain • 1 night
Did this as a shuttle trip with two long-legged friends. We approached from the north via Doctor Creek and camped above Ruth Lake. The weather came in and we fretted all night in our tents with blustery winds and rain wondering about the possibility of continuing on.
Lucky us, we awoke to blue skies and decided to go for it despite the fierce wind gusts. After just 2 hours of climbing up a steep gully, we gained the summit of Cashmere Mountain West. Spectacular views all around, but it was very windy. The sudden roaring gusts made exposed scrambling with overnight packs a challenge to ones balance. We decided to save the summit of Cashmere Mountain proper for another trip. Descended down through beautiful golden meadows on the south face, heading down to Caroline Lakes, then exited via the 8 Mile trail. Larches are starting to turn in the ALW!
