[Nordic]

Ever since moving to North Bend I’ve been fascinated by that rugged, rocky mountain to the north of the Mailbox Peak (and the adjacent mountain covered in switchback logging roads). I finally determined that it’s called the Russian Butte. I’ve done some searching on the internet trying to find a trail to hike the summit but I came empty handed. The only thing I was able to find were some references to climbing its face (with ropes, etc.), which sounds interesting but I’m nowhere near there with the equipment and skills. Recently I’ve been studying my topo maps of the area (obviously no official trails to the Russian Butte) and trying to figure out if it would be possible to find a “cross-country” way to get there. Has anybody here ever thought of hiking there? Any ideas / suggestions on the “cross-country” route? I would imagine that the uniqueness / ruggedness of the mountain would spark some interest among fellow hikers driving on I-90 (like it has for me). Last Saturday (what a beautiful day, btw) I hiked the Mailbox Peak (way more steep than I expected but the views / experience at the top totally make it worth the effort) and I got a pretty good look at the Russian Butte from the “back side” (sort of) and I think one should be able to get there from the Granite Lakes, Thompson Lake or the trail that goes along the Pratt River. I’d be very interested in hearing from someone who’s done some “off the trail” hiking / route finding on the possibilities of reaching the Russian Butte from either of the spots I listed above. Thanks!

[dicey]

http://www.yellowleaf.org/scramble/g/r/2005-07-01--02-The-Butte.html

[Nordic]

Thanks dicey! I think I've seen this before but the bike/hike combination + overnight camping aspects of this route didn't appeal to me. But overall it's a pretty good description (and it provides some ideas).

[Mike Collins]

I have climbed Russian Butte but never wrote it up for internet access. My route can only be done in the dryness of August as the approach involves climbing right up a pouroff of Gifford Creek. My route involved crossing private land to access Gifford Creek. One of the must-see sights is the abandoned meth lab along the private road. The route was so exposed I went five miles out of my way by dropping into the Pratt River drainage and then fording the Middle Fork Snoq. River to avoid returning to my car via the ascent route. The route up from the Pratt (our descent route) is much more user friendly. Most people traverse over from Revolution Mtn though. Beckey describes the peak best when writing "...the summit [Russian Butte] would be a trying adventure from the valley of the Middle Fork." Our ascent route followed Carl Dreisbach's writeup for Russian Butte in his Middle Fork Guide.

[xan]

Russian Butte goes easily from the Pratt side, although it is a long day. I remember a little bit of third-classish stuff on top, but I wouldn't really call it climbing. Not at all like the front-side route Mike C mentions. But it's a pretty full day. 10-12 hours. This time of year you'd need all the daylight available. You also have to ford the Middle Fork in and out, which won't be possible after recent rain. 800 cfs on the gauge is max and lower is better. You can also climb it by taking the ridge from the Granite Lakes basin, although I have not personally gone that way. Expect a little bit of scrambling. Once again, not really a short day, but probably shorter than the Pratt route, particularly if you use a bicycle to get as far as the lakes. There's not a lot to say about either route. The Pratt route is mostly just a grunt in the woods, albeit a pleasant one. Just get out the map and go, and avoid steep terrain. Don't expect a trail or a flagged route, and don't flag your route. It's a nice summit, and little visited, for sure. Just to help you calibrate this answer, I do not consider myself a "climber" although I do occasional cllmbs. I do not like exposure. If you have not done off-trail travel in the woods, this is probably not the place to start, since it's a long route.

[Nordic]

Mike, I've looked through the "Middle Fork Guide" but didn't find it very helpful, i.e. from what I remember the description was fairly vague and sounded more like a climb than a hike but hopefully one day I'll be able to try it (most definitely not ready for it yet but the Gifford Creek route sounds interesting). Xan, Thank you for your post. That was very helpful. Some of my observations (from looking at the map) have been confirmed by you, mainly the fact that no matter which side you approach it from, it’ll be a long day so most likely I won’t try it until the spring. On the good side - it will give me more opportunities to practice off-trail travel before venturing for a long day hike like this.

[Type E]

Let me know when you go Russian Butte is still on my list.

[Magellan]

I would do it to. PM in summer when runoff is low.

[Justus S.]

Interested also.

[Nordic]

Sounds good! It makes me feel better that other people would be interested in "conquering" it. I'll probably post something regarding possible dates, etc. sometime in spring.

[b00]

i am also very interested in russian butte.