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RUTH CREEK FALLS
RATING - 40.0

VR - 8.0 (Big)               HR - 4.0                  SR - 8/20

TYPE OF APPROACH - Bushwhack

DIFFICULTY - Fairly Difficult

LOCATION - Mt. Baker Highway

TYPE - Tiered

HEIGHT - 70'

WIDTH - 10'

GPS - N48 53.664 W121 39.082

ELEVATION - 2170'

Ruth Creek is a large volume creek that runs over a fairly impressive waterfall just upstream from the Nooksack Cirque Trailhead.  The waterfall begins with a 20' plunge.  The creek then cascades for a short distance before entering a narrow slot and sliding down the slot before launching itself in the 40' tall main section of the falls.

Unfortunately, the waterfall is all but impossible to get a clear view of.  I was able to find two views:  one from the top of the 100' tall canyon looking down at the falls and the second from downstream that involved a very steep climb down a crumbly hillside.  Neither of these views shows the entire waterfall, so that's pretty disappointing.  It's probably possible to wade right to the base of the falls later in the year when the volume is lower.  This might lead to a better view but spray will be a huge problem at that point.  Were it possible to see the entire waterfall from one place, this would be a very popular attraction.  As is, it's kind of an afterthought, which is too bad.

 
DIRECTIONS - Follow the directions to Goat Mountain Falls.  Take the right at the Y in the road and follow the road to its end.  Face the trail sign and climb up the hillside to the left of the sign (you should see a bootpath).  Once you climb about 100' vertically, head towards the creek.  From there you have the top-of-the-canyon viewpoint, or the scramble-down-the-steep-crumbly-slope option.  Neither provides a very good view.

NEARBY WATERFALLS - Goat Mountain Falls
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS (CLICK TO ENLARGE) AND VIDEO
Looking down on the falls from atop the 100' cliff    

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