Home > Trip Reports > August 11, 2012, Mt. Baker, Squak Glacier

August 11, 2012, Mt. Baker, Squak Glacier

8/11/12
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
2982
4
Posted by runningclouds on 8/13/12 11:41am
Inspired by Amar's




Great pictures!  The one entitled "Oliver crossing between two crevasses" is my favorite ;-)

Just enquiring, is there a sign marking the climbers trail off the Scott Paul? Do you leave the Scott Paul right at the col? Is there an obvious boot pack if not? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the report, I appreciate the useful details. Very helpful for planning my revisit to the Squak a few days later.

Based on your report of minimal snow along the ridge above the 4600 ft saddle, we decided to take the late summer approach instead, which stays on the Scott Paul Trail for almost a mile past the saddle, then goes up a moraine just before the first glacial river crossing near 5000 ft. Reached continuous skiable snow at 5150 ft that way, following the valley of that stream just west of Crag View.

If I may offer a minor correction, the area that you call the "Upper Easton" (what is commonly, perhaps erroneously, referred to as the east side of the Roman Wall) is actually part of the Deming Glacier. Although the upper part of the Easton climbing route ascends there, all of the glacial ice on that face (west of the 9720 ft Sherman Crater saddle) flows towards the terminus of the Deming Glacier, not the Easton Glacier.


author=ShailCaesar! link=topic=25524.msg107882#msg107882 date=1345228446">
Just enquiring, is there a sign marking the climbers trail off the Scott Paul? Do you leave the Scott Paul right at the col? Is there an obvious boot pack if not? Thanks in advance!


Like almost all climber's trails, there is no sign. The path is very obvious though once the snow is gone. However, it's almost never the optimal way to go once the snow is gone / not continuous from the saddle. Always best to stay on the Scott Paul Trail, either a short distance to the first snow-filled gully near 4800 ft, or the next snow-filled gully, or if those are melted out, continue to the unmarked climber's trail on the moraine just before the first glacial river crossing near 5000 ft (see my August 15 Squak Glacier trip report), or another climber's trail up a subsequent moraine.


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runningclouds
2012-08-13 18:41:46