Home > Trip Reports > December 7, 2014, Heliotrope

December 7, 2014, Heliotrope

12/7/14
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
23409
9
Posted by Norseman on 12/8/14 1:11pm
Skied up to the col between Colfax and Baker summit, plus one bonus lap on Heliotrope. Bailed on summit push due to blasting SW winds. One party of two went for it and summited.

Dirt walkin' until the climber's trail breaks uphill. Good wind-blown pow above 8k, then fast spongy/zippered rainmunge.





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Those are some really beautiful photos you took.  Nice job and thanks for sharing.  All the skiing this year is going to have to be high at this rate!  58 and heavy rain tonight...

Thanks, dudes.

Runningclouds, your excellent photos from last week inspired us to make the cruise up there. It was nice to squeak in a decent size tour before the rainy BS began.

-S

Nice work. My party saw you guys up there. If only our alpine start didn't begin at 10am we might have joined you higher than Heliotrope ridge. Oh well, the rain crust was fun skiing.

Hiking up there in TX-pros was fine but I can't wait to get my F1 Evos ready to go, especially considering the likelihood of higher elevations being the only game in town in the near and far future. :(

I went for the tennies and Yak-Trax  ;D

Norseman, I am glad to hear that info sharing works! I cannot wait and go back. A snow dance tonight, fingers crossed tomorrow.

Good work my friend!  This goes to show that decent snow can be found and I'm inspired by your mantra to have fun no matter the conditions. 

nice photos! very beautiful. My brother and I were the group of two that headed to the summit. . . Those were some intense winds up there! The snow right off the top was very nice though. made it seem worth being whipped in the face by ice crystals for an hour. I didn't bring my camera with me, so it was great to check out your pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Right on. We watched you guys ski off the top while lounging in the flats of the glacier. Figured it must have been decent snow based on the turns you made.

I'm glad you chimed in here, because I was hoping to talk to you guys that day but never crossed paths... Check your ski bindings, dude! I found a fine-pitch machine screw in the snow on the upper Coleman glacier, inches from one of your switchbacks! It looked just like the ones used with the stainless inserts.

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december-7-2014-heliotrope
Norseman
2014-12-08 21:11:04