June 12 - 13, 2010, Mt. Baker Easton Glacier

Kurt, Jenny and I ventured to Mt. Baker to assess the conditions and get some skiing in if conditions allowed.  We headed up the Easton glacier which can still be skied bumper to bumper, but is beyond the Forest Pass Required sign so be prepared or park before the sign.

We figured with the high avalanche forecast we would at least get some exercise and assess the conditions in person and maybe get some skiing in on the lower flanks if nothing else.  As someone told me recently; "It is hard to judge conditions from the couch, you don't know unless you go." 
We were not alone.

We made camp Saturday at ~ 5400 feet and watched as a party of three carved turns on the upper glacial flanks beyond.  After some lunch we made a few runs around camp on different slopes and enjoyed the corn snow. 

Two small point release slides were noted on Sherman Peak that afternoon, the only physical evidence thus far.

When we awoke Sunday morning we noticed that sometime in the night the face of Sherman had released just like the prior releases.  When we left camp at 6:45 a.m. the snow was not frozen but quite firm none the less.  As we climbed through the morning hours the snow remained firm from the cold wind, such that we noted our descent would have to wait till warmer temperatures neared.

At approximately 8500 ft the skin track from the Saturday party had halted and there they had begun their figure eights in what appeared to be delicious corn snow.

The weather had changed and a steady wind prevailed as we climbed.  Clouds and wind brushed our faces and narrowed our vision.  Billowing dark clouds spread across the Twin Sisters only slightly dissipating as they drifted toward the east.

Our visibility varied from views of Colfax and the Summit to only a few hundred feet.  Upon reaching the rocks at 9300 ft Jenny and I had lunch.  Kurt had been ahead of us and continued up the Roman Wall. 
There I met two men who had been going since midnight with skis, overnight packs, ropes, wands and pickets.  They were in bivys napping and waiting for the weather to clear and things to soften.

Jenny and I descended into a white out and followed our skin track and wands until visibility was gained again ~7500 ft.  The skiing was slow and difficult in the flat light enabling the occasional vertigo.  Snow consisted of firm to heavy to corn en route to camp.

We ran into other skiers out for the same fun as we descended into visibility; John, Gordy, Jameson and his lady.   We together skied back to camp and readily packed to beat the rain that taunted us.