Home > Trip Reports > September 30, 2005, Baker

September 30, 2005, Baker

9/30/05
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
4022
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Posted by Oyvind_Henningsen on 10/2/05 10:13pm
Friday, last day of September, nothing like waiting to the last minute to get turns!!  Joe E and I went up to Heliotrope ridge at Baker, made camp at 7,600 and headed up for turns.  Never seen it so broken up, visibility real bad.  Got to about 8,500 and turned around, enough for the day.  Started snowing after dinner, nice to sit in the Kiva and enjoy some fresh brew and snow!!  Snow kept coming durning the night and wind was blowing hard.  Woke up to very low visibility and skied a few 100 VF.  Decided to call it a day and started to head down around 10am.  Went down the way we came up, straight up from summer trail.  Navigating crevasses took quite some time as visibility came and went.  Our plans to climb Baker and Colefax did not materialize, but turns were had and glad to report the the crew and the North Fork are ready for the ski season.
1st time poster, long time reader.  Oyvind H
Nice way to nail two month's worth of turns, Oyvind.
And Welcome (now, officially) to TAY.
Happy Skiing  ;)

Thanks for posting O.  Got any pictures of fresh snow/fresh tracks?

So have you been up there this time of year in the last few years?  I'm just curious, thinking of a baseline from which to compare, "Never seen it so broken up..."  I might like to crawl up the CD route some time soon, maybe.  I hear there's some good skiing off the top.

Welcome aboard, Oyvind. I believe we've talked skiing before, I'm Greg from Louie's in Ballard . . .

Sky - just coming out of summer after a BAD snow year, I'm sure it looks worse than our Sept./Oct. turns up there in '02 and in '03.

yeah... but how does it compare to last year?  We were up there in mid-October.  The lower glacier, below 7000ft, was "more broken up than I'd ever seen it" (I've been up there in fall for the past 5 or 6 years probably, and the snowfield/depression below heliotrope ridge had always been smooth with almost no crevasses, but last year it was full of holes).

However, above 7000ft the route was fine (a bit circuitous on a snowboard, but not so bad).

I'd guess it's probably worse than last year?

Pics from September 18th climb.

Ugh!

I'd guess it's probably worse than last year?

Pics from September 18th climb.

Ugh!


look at all those freshiez dude!

The freshies on 2" were just enough to hide the blue ice from stuff you could actaully turn on here are a few pics.



Great vis on the way down



O making turns



Fresh snow



O contemplating the next chess move on the Colman

This is only my second post I tried to keep the image file size down let me know if I am out of line.  It sure was good to wake up to fresh snow regardless of quantity.

Thanks for posting O.  Got any pictures of fresh snow/fresh tracks?

So have you been up there this time of year in the last few years?  I'm just curious, thinking of a baseline from which to compare, "Never seen it so broken up..."  I might like to crawl up the CD route some time soon, maybe.  I hear there's some good skiing off the top.


Oyvind and I skied the CD from the Summit on April 23 this year.  By crossing Heliotrope Ridge we skied the Grouse creek drainage to the trail head and down the road to the truck for a 7000' day.  It was by far one of the best routes and luckily was perfectly timed.  The only glacier gear we used was crampons for the climb up the Roman wall.  We discussed it this weekend and figure this route should be good much earlier given stable snow conditions.  The slopes in Grouse drainage are definitely prone to sliding when they warm up.  

Hey Oyvind and Joe, This is Eric from the everett moutaineers. I remember you guys talking about this at the meeting last tuesday, sure kept to your word. I look forward to taking more trips with you this season!

-Eric Schmitz

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september-30-2005-baker
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2005-10-03 05:13:00