November 06, 2011, Mt. Baker via Coleman/Deming
11/6/11
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
2599
2
David and I climbed and skied (from 9200ft) the Coleman/Deming Route of Mount Baker this weekend. The approach up the trail went fast and we set up camp at 5700ft (Hogsback camp (?)).
We left camp the next day at a leisurely 9AM and followed the skin track of a party we talked to the night before to around 8000-8500ft. From there we continued up towards the Bergschrund which was well bridged up to the Coleman Deming col. We stashed our skis at the col because the snow on the Roman Wall looked wind-blown and it was unlikely that the dry powder from Wednesday/Thursday would have been able to stick well to it. This was a good call as much of the wall was a hard crust with some really icy sections in it. Especially the top section that can be seen from the col was solid. We got to the proper summit at around 2PM. Weather was overall excellent, a bit on the cold side once you added the wind chill in. On the down climb a plane flew over us three times, every time a bit closer. I wonder if they took pictures of us if so, I want one :). The down climb went smooth. When we started skiing from the col it got unfortunately a bit foggy, but that did not take even a bit away from the amazing skiing on the super dry powder up high. Lower down I put the skis a couple times onto the crust, but that could be corrected with a bit of speed adjustment. Overall great day out with the most amazing early season skiing for me yet. The hike out went fast as well and we thought we were going to be early home. That ended up being wishful thinking.
Driving down, our car slid sideways under its own weight, rotated, and luckily came to a stop just before it went over the edge into a tree. We were driving extremely slowly at the time - much less than walking speed. It took us an hour to get the car back straight so it would not block the road. Throwing dirt under the tires and using the ice axe to remove the ice provided the magic traction. Once the car was out, we went a bit further, but then decided that chances were slim that we would get out without the car ending up in the ditch. We left the car and hiked to Glacier where we used the phone in front of the groceries store to call my wife to pick us up (it only takes coins, but you can make credit card calls). Not knowing that there was a public phone in town, we knocked on every door that still had light. Only one person opened, but her phone did not allow for long distance calls :(. Thanks though for letting me try through the operator.
The car is a Subaru WRX 2006 all-wheel drive which unfortunately does not allow for chains according to the manual. I have never hit issues before with his or another friends Subaru. The cars going up and down the road over the two days must have packed the road in so well that it turned into pure ice in sections and really seemed to make chains a must have. If anybody has a Subaru of this kind and has some tricks to deal with these sorts of conditions, please PM me your trick.
Ill post pictures a bit later.
We left camp the next day at a leisurely 9AM and followed the skin track of a party we talked to the night before to around 8000-8500ft. From there we continued up towards the Bergschrund which was well bridged up to the Coleman Deming col. We stashed our skis at the col because the snow on the Roman Wall looked wind-blown and it was unlikely that the dry powder from Wednesday/Thursday would have been able to stick well to it. This was a good call as much of the wall was a hard crust with some really icy sections in it. Especially the top section that can be seen from the col was solid. We got to the proper summit at around 2PM. Weather was overall excellent, a bit on the cold side once you added the wind chill in. On the down climb a plane flew over us three times, every time a bit closer. I wonder if they took pictures of us if so, I want one :). The down climb went smooth. When we started skiing from the col it got unfortunately a bit foggy, but that did not take even a bit away from the amazing skiing on the super dry powder up high. Lower down I put the skis a couple times onto the crust, but that could be corrected with a bit of speed adjustment. Overall great day out with the most amazing early season skiing for me yet. The hike out went fast as well and we thought we were going to be early home. That ended up being wishful thinking.
Driving down, our car slid sideways under its own weight, rotated, and luckily came to a stop just before it went over the edge into a tree. We were driving extremely slowly at the time - much less than walking speed. It took us an hour to get the car back straight so it would not block the road. Throwing dirt under the tires and using the ice axe to remove the ice provided the magic traction. Once the car was out, we went a bit further, but then decided that chances were slim that we would get out without the car ending up in the ditch. We left the car and hiked to Glacier where we used the phone in front of the groceries store to call my wife to pick us up (it only takes coins, but you can make credit card calls). Not knowing that there was a public phone in town, we knocked on every door that still had light. Only one person opened, but her phone did not allow for long distance calls :(. Thanks though for letting me try through the operator.
The car is a Subaru WRX 2006 all-wheel drive which unfortunately does not allow for chains according to the manual. I have never hit issues before with his or another friends Subaru. The cars going up and down the road over the two days must have packed the road in so well that it turned into pure ice in sections and really seemed to make chains a must have. If anybody has a Subaru of this kind and has some tricks to deal with these sorts of conditions, please PM me your trick.
Ill post pictures a bit later.
Here is a flicker set with some pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35790735@N03/sets/72157627965834429/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35790735@N03/sets/72157627965834429/
An A4 and a Rav4 both ditched it going up the road on Saturday, not sure about anybody else. Good call parking it if you didn't feel good about keeping going.
There isn't a wild amount of clearance with chains on, but there's space to be functional. In my garage I don't get any contact lock-to-lock with the chains installed on my 06 wagon. The chance of contact goes up if the suspension goes into bump though. That means go slow and be gentle with steering input. If you are on a factory size 215/45/17 tire with stock offset, it serves to reason that you would experience the same chain fit. I think I remember seeing stock wheels if you were the gunmetal wrx.
Obviously don't do anything you feel uncomfortable with, but I'll give you two guesses about whether I would put my chains on to creep down the road.
There isn't a wild amount of clearance with chains on, but there's space to be functional. In my garage I don't get any contact lock-to-lock with the chains installed on my 06 wagon. The chance of contact goes up if the suspension goes into bump though. That means go slow and be gentle with steering input. If you are on a factory size 215/45/17 tire with stock offset, it serves to reason that you would experience the same chain fit. I think I remember seeing stock wheels if you were the gunmetal wrx.
Obviously don't do anything you feel uncomfortable with, but I'll give you two guesses about whether I would put my chains on to creep down the road.
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