Home > Trip Reports > May 28-29, 2005, Mt. Baker (Coleman-Deming)

May 28-29, 2005, Mt. Baker (Coleman-Deming)

5/28/05
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
5771
9
Posted by silaswild on 5/29/05 10:10pm
Lara and I got a leisurely start from Edmonds Saturday morning, nice hike in shady woods to the short steep grunt to 6300' camp under Heliotrope Ridge.  Thinking Tim Place was camped somewhere higher, we took an afternoon ski to 7800' where we found a group of 14 who had dug out a wonderful kitchen and dining room.  We'd hoped to have dinner with Tim, but failing to find him, the group with a massive home sufficed.  While they practiced rope management and self arrest, we had dinner, and offered them the 3 buck chuck that we could not finish ourselves, before heading back to camp in reasonable corn conditions.

After a ten hour rest in the tent, we got a sunny start at 6:30AM, had a nice hot drink at the "kitchen" where two of the 14 waited for their friends to return, found ski crampon conditions from 8500-9000', then booted from the saddle to the summit, happy that we had started late enough to do without crampons.  Just as we reached the summit dome, none other than Tim and Rod appeared, headed down, Tim sporting a helmet cam.

We spent half an hour on top enjoying the glorious view of the North Cascades, and an odd dark shadow of a jet contrail.  Conditions were perfectly smooth for the ski off the summit and back to camp in an hour with lots of stops for shooting video of each other.  Then an hour and a half rehydrating, eating, and packing before skiing (may not be possible next week) right back to the Coleman Glacier Trail just beyond the climber turnoff.

Several folks were skiing the peaklets along Heliotrope Ridge as well.  Good corn, if a bit deep or sticky in some spots.  Definitely the best Memorial Weekend weather I can remember in at least a decade.
Sounds like a good time, Silas. Weather-wise you made the right choice choosing Baker instead of the Sisters.

Yes, it was truly an amazing trip.  This being my first time on Baker, I'm not sure I can top it! Silas failed to mention that the ski from the summit couldn't have been more perfect.  Open crevasses were minimal and the snow perfect-varied from perfect, smooth corn, to just a wee bit deeper corn at the lower elevations. Picture-perfect indeed! :)

While I want to hit them in the future, I'm glad we made the very last minute decision to ditch the Sisters option, as well as the Hidden Peak option.

Where to next?

~Lara

How long was the walk before you could start skiing?
Greg

It's about two hours to the top of the Hogsback, from where you can skin to the saddle (3.5 hours) and then boot to the top (1.5 hours).

Just an addition, it's a 3000' hike to Heliotrope Ridge and another 4500' skin to the summit.  It is possible to skin 1000' of the 3000' hike if you follow the trail to the final river crossing before you hit the Coleman Glacier overlook.  However, I'm not sure how long that snow will last. This is the 1000' stretch we skied back from camp (a life saver on the knees!).

~Lara

Four of us started out for the Coleman Glacier on Saturday morning.  With me were Rod, my usual Powder Pig bud, Gary, a snowshoeing friend who has always wanted to climb Baker, and Mr. Coleman, the ashes of the dad of a friend.  Judy had asked me if I could do this, since her dad was named Mr. Coleman and he was from the linage for which the Glacier was named. He had always wanted to go up the Mountain his grand daddy had pioneered, and now here was his last chance.  What could I say?  Besides, how much can a baggie of ashes weigh, anyhow?

Eight Pounds!!

So, the four of us started up the trail.  I was thinking that somewhere near the trailhead would be a nice resting place for Mr. Coleman, but he insisted that it was the Coleman Glacier or bust.  My friends were betting on bust!

Like most groups, we make our decisions about rest stops, route, and so forth, democratically.  When Rod noticed that Mr. Coleman  always voted the same as me, and that it was I that articulated his votes, he suggested that perhaps Mr. Coleman should be a non voting partner. Mr. Coleman would have none of this. He insisted that he should not be discriminated against just because he was no longer alive.  If such a condition does not keep people from voting in Chicago and King County, it should not be used to ignore his vote on Mt. Baker.

So, up we trundled, up the Hogsback, up to our usual camp under the rocks of Marmot Ridge.  Here we found the perfect stop for Mr. Coleman, complete with a marker overlooking Puget Sound.  After a few pleasantries, Rod started down.



Tim,

That video is a wonderful treasure!  Now I wish Silas and I had something like that.  Silas and I took some vid, but I'm still waiting to see it. Silas???

~Lara

Tim, how have you rigged the cam since I noticed you're not carrying it?

Lara -- it would have been fun to shoot together.  Helmet cams only really work as an altrernate POV in a vidi of a skier.  Just the HC shot by iteself is monotonous.

Jon -- I wanted the skiers view, so I have the "Lipstick lens" velcroed to the bill of a baseball hat.  It is mounted about three inches above the bridge of my nose.  I tried it on a helmet, but then you are seeing from one side of the skier's head.  I wanted the camera to record what the skier sees, as much as possible.

Of course, when the camera is mounted on a hat, you see the head tipping back and forth more than if the skier was holding the camera in his hands. I try to ski with my head still and pointed down the fall line, but ...

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may-28-29-2005-mt-baker-coleman-deming
silaswild
2005-05-30 05:10:07