July 12-13, 2008. Mt Baker N Ridge up, Coleman-Deming down
7/15/08
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
3052
5
ThomasB and I climbed the North Ridge of Mt. Baker last weekend. A superb snow/ice climb with a fast and fun ski descent from the summit!
Walked/skinned up to Heliotrope ridge on Saturday (see approach notes below). Great views from the campsite on Heliotrope ridge.
Woke up early on Sun (3am, after not wanting to wake up for half an hour). Left camp at 4am and started skiing down with headlamp. After a short ski down put on skins and started traversing through complex glacial terrain (read: lots of crevasses). Met up with two other groups here (all on foot). Had to pull out the rope to belay over one snowbridge. Kept the rope on for the remainder of the glacier traverse. Saw some people who bivouaced just west of the north ridge toe (I'm not sure if I would sleep very well here below the seracs of the NNW face).
Opted for the left hand start of the ridge. An interesting, but not too technical bergschrund crossing at the start led us on the north ridge proper. Snow was already pretty soft on the slope(facing the sun), but not really a problem here. Did a couple of simul-climb ropelengths (used pickets/ice axe for belay) until the slope mellowed out, at which point we took off the rope and walked to the start of the ice tongue (crux). Snow was much firmer up high. Choose to go up high and close to the ice tongue, and then traverse over to the left on steepish (~45dg) sometimes dirty ice slopes just below some rotten rock and not too unstable looking seracs. Started belay when we were out of this somewhat sketchy zone. Good ice screws. Probably better to traverse on snow/glacier lower down and then go straight up to the leftmost part of the ice tongue (where it formes a ridge).
From the leftmost part of the ice tongue Thomas fearlessly led the crux, but as it turned out, it wasn't nearly as steep as some reports mentioned. Perhaps a couple of meters of 55 degrees. After this we continued simulclimbing on very enjoyable, moderately angled ice!! Impressive views of seracs on our left.
Continued simulclimbing for a while until slope mellowed out again. Used ice screws on the ice tongue, and pickets higher up on the slope. Walked up to the bergschrund that guards the summit. By this time we were pretty tired, and going was slow but steady. We had lost sight of the (three) groups behind us (they topped out of the right hand couloir when we were climbing the crux). Started using rope (simulclimbing w/ pickets) again below the upper bergschrund and finally topped out on the false summit plateau just before 1pm (total time just under 9hrs). Happy and ready to ski!
But first a short jaunt to the true summit. The wind was pretty brutal (pretty much since we started on the crux of the route), so we didn't stay long. Skied down the Roman wall in pretty decent snow. At the pass between the Coleman and Deming glaciers we had to take off our skis for a bit, but after that we were good to go again. Crossed some small crevasses en route (perhaps 20cm wide), but as long as you don't turn right on top of them you should be fine ;-)
Had to skin up to our camp, and after some relaxing and drinking lots of water we headed back down the way we came. Some more skiing and some more bushwhacking. Good times!
I'll see if I can post some pictures soon.
Gear Notes:
Skis, skins, 2x25m twin ropes, 8 ice screws, 3 pickets, 2 ice tools (used all gear). We simulclimbed pretty much everything, so a bit longer rope would probably have been faster (30-35m), or a bit more gear would have done the trick too.
Approach Notes:
From Glacier Creek Road/Heliotrope Ridge Trailhead (3700ft) walk along the west side of Grouse Creek through mature forest. Head into slide path when forest starts to steepen (bushwhack). Skiable from approx. 4600ft. At 4700ft follow a snow filled gully to the SE and onto Heliotrope Ridge. Camp at ~7100ft.
Walked/skinned up to Heliotrope ridge on Saturday (see approach notes below). Great views from the campsite on Heliotrope ridge.
Woke up early on Sun (3am, after not wanting to wake up for half an hour). Left camp at 4am and started skiing down with headlamp. After a short ski down put on skins and started traversing through complex glacial terrain (read: lots of crevasses). Met up with two other groups here (all on foot). Had to pull out the rope to belay over one snowbridge. Kept the rope on for the remainder of the glacier traverse. Saw some people who bivouaced just west of the north ridge toe (I'm not sure if I would sleep very well here below the seracs of the NNW face).
Opted for the left hand start of the ridge. An interesting, but not too technical bergschrund crossing at the start led us on the north ridge proper. Snow was already pretty soft on the slope(facing the sun), but not really a problem here. Did a couple of simul-climb ropelengths (used pickets/ice axe for belay) until the slope mellowed out, at which point we took off the rope and walked to the start of the ice tongue (crux). Snow was much firmer up high. Choose to go up high and close to the ice tongue, and then traverse over to the left on steepish (~45dg) sometimes dirty ice slopes just below some rotten rock and not too unstable looking seracs. Started belay when we were out of this somewhat sketchy zone. Good ice screws. Probably better to traverse on snow/glacier lower down and then go straight up to the leftmost part of the ice tongue (where it formes a ridge).
From the leftmost part of the ice tongue Thomas fearlessly led the crux, but as it turned out, it wasn't nearly as steep as some reports mentioned. Perhaps a couple of meters of 55 degrees. After this we continued simulclimbing on very enjoyable, moderately angled ice!! Impressive views of seracs on our left.
Continued simulclimbing for a while until slope mellowed out again. Used ice screws on the ice tongue, and pickets higher up on the slope. Walked up to the bergschrund that guards the summit. By this time we were pretty tired, and going was slow but steady. We had lost sight of the (three) groups behind us (they topped out of the right hand couloir when we were climbing the crux). Started using rope (simulclimbing w/ pickets) again below the upper bergschrund and finally topped out on the false summit plateau just before 1pm (total time just under 9hrs). Happy and ready to ski!
But first a short jaunt to the true summit. The wind was pretty brutal (pretty much since we started on the crux of the route), so we didn't stay long. Skied down the Roman wall in pretty decent snow. At the pass between the Coleman and Deming glaciers we had to take off our skis for a bit, but after that we were good to go again. Crossed some small crevasses en route (perhaps 20cm wide), but as long as you don't turn right on top of them you should be fine ;-)
Had to skin up to our camp, and after some relaxing and drinking lots of water we headed back down the way we came. Some more skiing and some more bushwhacking. Good times!
I'll see if I can post some pictures soon.
Gear Notes:
Skis, skins, 2x25m twin ropes, 8 ice screws, 3 pickets, 2 ice tools (used all gear). We simulclimbed pretty much everything, so a bit longer rope would probably have been faster (30-35m), or a bit more gear would have done the trick too.
Approach Notes:
From Glacier Creek Road/Heliotrope Ridge Trailhead (3700ft) walk along the west side of Grouse Creek through mature forest. Head into slide path when forest starts to steepen (bushwhack). Skiable from approx. 4600ft. At 4700ft follow a snow filled gully to the SE and onto Heliotrope Ridge. Camp at ~7100ft.
Nice Job, we where on Helitrope ridge on Sunday and admiring the route from the summit.
We talked to a couple of skiers who has come form the summit. Maybe you where one of them.
Ice-climb up and a ski down, best of both worlds. ;D
We talked to a couple of skiers who has come form the summit. Maybe you where one of them.
Ice-climb up and a ski down, best of both worlds. ;D
Nice work fellas. I have wanted to do that combination for a couple of years. Sounds like you found it in pretty good shape.
Nice!
... and congratulations for realizing that the approach does not have to include the log of death, downed trees, or the mandatory creek wading of the standard climber's route. However, in your case, the Grouse Chutes approach denied you a good distant, front-on view of the Headwall climbing route, n'est pas?
... and congratulations for realizing that the approach does not have to include the log of death, downed trees, or the mandatory creek wading of the standard climber's route. However, in your case, the Grouse Chutes approach denied you a good distant, front-on view of the Headwall climbing route, n'est pas?
Way to go!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks guys.
Yes, the Grouse Creek approach was fairly pleasant. There was a short section of bushwacking in the slide path, but if you're into this kind of masochism it's actually quite enjoyable.
Think we had a pretty good view of the headwall from one of the pull-outs just before the trailhead. Not even needed to get out of the car for that ;-)
Scottsman. You might have seen our orange Mt.Hardware tent, but I think we were back quite late (too much sitting on our lazy bums in the sun on the way down). I don't remember seeing any skiers with a dog either ;-)
Yes, the Grouse Creek approach was fairly pleasant. There was a short section of bushwacking in the slide path, but if you're into this kind of masochism it's actually quite enjoyable.
Think we had a pretty good view of the headwall from one of the pull-outs just before the trailhead. Not even needed to get out of the car for that ;-)
Scottsman. You might have seen our orange Mt.Hardware tent, but I think we were back quite late (too much sitting on our lazy bums in the sun on the way down). I don't remember seeing any skiers with a dog either ;-)
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