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Mount
Baker : Coleman/Deming Glacier
Highpoint Elevation: 10,781
Feet Region/Location:
North Cascades / Bellingham Trip Length:
2 Days Route: Heliotrope
Ridge Trail / Climbers Trail Difficulty:
Glacier Travel / Strenuous Elevation
Gain: 7100 Feet Roundtrip Distance:
12 Miles Trailhead Elevation:
3700 Feet Date: June
25-26, 2005Photos by: Scott Harder |
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| Photos by: Dennis Devere | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Photos by: Pete Litwin | |||||||||||||||||||
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We left for the trailhead on Saturday morning after a nice breakfast at
Buzz Inn in Everett where Pete got harassed by the waitress (I tipped
her extra to do so). The drive up was rainy, wet and unforgiving. This was
very disappointing for all of us, but we kept ourselves positive since anything
can happen on Mount Baker. We arrived at the trailhead to overcast skies and no rain. This was very nice and we were all very excited to get up to basecamp. Having been up the route twice before, and down three times (Up the North Ridge and down the Coleman on skis), I knew the area pretty well and felt very confident leading a group of 8 people to the summit. After working dillegently on getting a lighter pack, I was able to carry our Mountain Hardwear "Thru Hiker" tent and some group gear in my 45L Black Diamond Ice Pack (V1.0). Final weight was 38 pounds, and after carrying 50 pound plus packs up glaciers for the past 5 years, I was quite happy with my new style of packing and gear choices. The main thing that helped me achieve this was my new Moonstone Lucid sleeping bag, sleeping pad, stove, kettle, ice axe, water filter, and crampons. We arrived at camp with patchy clouds and sun, and setup camp with little wind, but a very busy and crowded area. I was tired since my conditioning this year consisted of chasing around our toddler at home, but setting up the tent and other details went quickly with Pete as my tentmate, and we got our water made and had dinner quite quickly. Many of the other parties arrived at camp after us and soon it seemed that there must have been 40+ people at the main Black Buttes camp as well as the other camps to the west of us on the ridge. We decided to get started as early as possible in the morning and be the first group out of camp. The route seemed to be in good condition except for the bergscrund below the saddle that I had never seen before. After listening to other people outside of our tent for what seemed like eternity, and the tent next to us sawing logs at ungodly volumes, I think we got a total of 1 hour of sleep when we got the "Wake Up Call" up at 1230am to get ready. The sad thing about it was that Pete and I made the tent platform at an angle so that the upside was actually where our feet went, so we both had to squeeze our heads in to the footbox area of the tent where it angles down over your nose, meanwhile our feet had about 3 feet of clearance. But once those snow stakes are placed and your in your bag for the night, the idea of changing it does not seem all that great. We awoke and got our stuff ready so we could walk at 130am. Everyone was ready at 115am and we made our ascent up the Coleman Glacier towards the saddle at 9000'. We kept a steady pace and did not really run into any crevasses in our way until we got below the saddle where there were a few here and there, and then the bergschrund. I stopped right below it and studied it since there were 2 different paths over it, and with only one party ahead of us, I could not tell which way they went. Although there was some light in the sky, it was still hard to tell. I chose to take the right path, up some steep snow and then a short step across the helped us gain the saddle. The rest of the party had no problem, and this was where the wind started and never seemed to cease. Immediately once I got up at the saddle I got hit by winds around 25-35mph, and with that being the normal area to stop and rest in the past, we continued on until a small ridgeline blocked most of the wind. We assesed the Roman Wall and everyone was feeling great (except the author), so we drank and ate some (except the author) and headed up the wall. It was only 1,781 feet further to go, and it was a straight shot, but it seemed to last an eternity for myself. It was 2 steps, rest, 2 steps, rest. I have finally realized that mountains above 9K just aren't for me. I am affected by altitude like no other human is. I start to feel like I have the flu, nausea, and just want to die. But with people counting on you, it really helps you to push on. It was at this point I got my down jacket on and mittens since it seemed to be bitterly cold. This was the first time I had ever hiked with a down jacket on. The wind rarely subsided, and I got knocked off my feet more than 10 times with 2 points of contact. Having to hunker down for a few seconds was somethng we got used to as we ascended to the summit. The Roman Wall was very icy, with frozen footsteps here and there, but they were mainly from people coming down the day before, so they were broader and farther apart than steps going up. A fall at this point would be rather hard to arrest, and plucking your partners off the hillside was very evident. After many more steps one after the other, we finally reached the summit around 645am (?). Once we were at the flats, I sat down and stayed there until we all left, feeling deathly sick. The others went to the true summit a short jog away, and then the clouds rolled in and we got socked in. The wind was still kicking really hard, and it blew us off our feet once in awhile, but with our wands and other groups heading up it was no problem to get back down. We found ourselves passing at least 10-12 groups on our way down, and most of them were just waiting at the saddle for the wind to stop. The slog from the saddle down to camp was as painful as ever. The glacier had turned to slop, and staying on both feet w/o flaling all over the place was very difficult. Pete kept a brisk pace which made me even crankier, but we got back pretty quick. Back at camp we rested, got our stuff together and boogied out. We never saw any other team return as we packed up so it must have gotten windier on top as the morning progressed. Getting back to the cars around 1pm was nice, especially with a quick stop at the Frosty Inn for Double Bacon Cheeseburgers! A.J's Tip: Instead of drinking coffee for the drive home, pick something else like "LOST" Energy Drink. It helped me drive the entire way home and still able to fall asleep within 5 minutes of walking in the door (after a shower). Directions: From the Glacier Public Service Center, travel east on The Mt. Baker Highway 542 for approximately 1 mile to Glacier Creek Road (Forest Service Road #39). Turn right on F.S. Road #39. Follow F.S. Road #39 for about 8 miles. The parking area and trailhead are located on the left hand side of the road. A toilet is provided at the trailhead. Maps: Green Trails: Mt. Baker
#13 USGS: Mt. Baker, Groat
Mtn.Web Links: Mount Baker "Fear
& Loathing on the North Ridge " Movie Mount Baker "North
Ridge" Photos @ www.sverdina.com Mount Baker "Easton
Glacier" Photos @ www.sverdina.com www.skimountaineer.com Mount Baker "Coleman/Deming"
@ www.ericsbasecmap.net Mount
Baker-Snoqualmie Nat'l ForestPermits: A Northwest Forest
Pass is required for each vehicle parked at the trailhead. Voluntary climbing
permits are self issued at the Ranger Station outside of Glacier I would like to
dedicate our climb to our friend Mike Robb who died in a fatal accident
the next day. We will miss you dearly Mike. RIP.
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