Mt. Baker, WA climb report

“I made the 3 hour drive north from my house Friday and met up with the 7 other climbers in our party. I had only met one other person in the group (Jay, our climb leader) but I felt comfortable with them right away. We met about noon on Friday at the Heliotrope Ridge-Coleman Glacier trailhead (3700?) and after a quick gear check, we were off. After a fairly uneventful 3 hour hike, we got to the junction of the glacier-view and climber?s trails, with the first awe-inspiring views of Mt. Baker and the Coleman Glacier at 5000'.

We headed up the climber?s route and were soon above the tree line on lateral moraines, knee-deep in wild flowers. The vegetation diminished to bare rock as we reached the first snow slope at 6000'. We wandered around for a bit until everyone had found a spot for their tent and set up basecamp.

We got together for a little climb instruction and self-arrest and prussik practice, then decided on the rope teams. I was right behind Jay in the first rope team with John, and there was one other 3-man team and a 2-man team.

We ate dinner and watched the sunset on Mt. Baker. At about 10 it was dark enough to think about climbing into our sleeping bags, so we agreed on a 4 AM wakeup call. I slept very lightly and woke with a start once I heard muffled yelps in an adjacent tent?it seems the occupants had been visited by a mouse and they were trying to shoo it out.

My alarm went off at 4 and I poked my head outside the tent to check the weather. It was a clear and crisp starlit sky; Venus was lying just off the shoulder of Mt. Baker and the lights of the Nooksack Valley shone below to the West. Everyone had a quick breakfast, then I got into my gear, fumbling around with my seat harness and crampons (geez, they were so easy to put on yesterday!)

We roped up and got underway at a disappointingly late 5:30 AM?no need for headlamps at that late hour.
The snow surface was frozen, but crampons inspired confidence as we strode upward toward the summit. As we made the top of the first slope, a whole new vista of the summit ridge opened up at 6700'; a breath-taking panorama sweeping from the Cockscomb, across the main summit, down the Roman Wall and Pumice Ridge to rise again in Colfax Peak. Carefully avoiding numerous narrow crevasses, we climbed to the glacier campsite just below the crest of Heliotrope Ridge at 7100' where four tents were set up.

By 9:00 we were on a snow bench above the path of the Colfax icefall for a snack break at 8600'. A cold wind howled around us at 10:00 at 9250' at the foot of the Pumice Ridge. We plodded up the great ash and rock pile on short ropes, reaching the top at 11:00 at 9800'. The snow had begun to soften quite a bit by now and we were postholing quite a bit.

Above us towered the last obstacle, the Roman Wall - a 30 degree ice and snow slope subject to summer avalanche. It appeared now and again as the clouds topping the summit swirled up and down the mountain. The last 850' to the top were in clouds and 40 MPH winds, but we reached it at12:00. We took some pictures, got a bite to eat, adjusted clothing and headed down.


Going down was easier than going up but still exhausting as we postholed every 5th step or so. Two of the guys sunk to their hips crossing small crevasses as the soft snow gave way. It was actually very warm in spots, quite a change from the 35 degree temps on the summit. After unroping, we all gave glissading a try but the snow was just too soft. We got back to basecamp at about 4 PM, got some food and water and packed up for the hike out. After pizza and a little beer in Maple Falls, I arrived back home at 12:30 AM Sunday morning.
Click to see all the pictures.”

“that is the weirdest Penthouse Letter that i have EVER read!

cool trip, kleet.”

“I've always wanted to do a trip like that. Sounds like you had the experience of a lifetime, Kleetn. Thanks for sharing the trip report and the pictures.”

“Great trip report and photos! What's next for the summer, kleetn?”

“I may go with the same group to climb Mt. Rainier the first week of August -- which is where this trip was supposed to be but there was a major screw-up with the permits. The elevation gain from the trailhead on this route on Baker (7,080') is pretty similar to Rainier.”

“Wow, you are the expert trip reporter. Gorgeous photos!”

“Awesome trip report and great pictures. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post!”

“Great trip report kleetn... and wonderful pics. Looks like it was a good work out!
If you are down at Rainier that week ..let SARboy and I know.. we will be home that week (the following week we are heading out for a week long trip in rainier)... would love to have ya visit...if you are up to it.”

“Trailartist, thanks for the invite. I'm doing some schedule juggling at the moment, trying to get in two multi-day backpack trips plus the Rainier climb and the summer just ain't long enough.
I'll let you know as soon as I know for sure!”

“I saw one of the guys I climbed Mt. Baker with earlier this month for the first time since the climb, and he gave me a photo he took of me (second on the rope) and Jay (in the lead) as we began our final push to the summit.



We are approaching the 'Roman Wall' at about 9600' and you can see the lenticular cloud which obscured the summit that day.”

“Way cool!!”

“Awesome stuff man!”

“Sooooo sweet! I wanna go too!!! But I can't... *sigh*

Awesome pics! :o)”

“Outstanding kleetn.”