June 17, 2018, Squak Glacier
6/17/18
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
1748
1
We found many vehicles (50+?) parked on both sides of the road to Scott Paul trailhead still not quite drivable to the parking lot. The old logging road had snow to start but soon provided dry and brushy patches to a snow filled gully above the trail that took us to timberline. The Squak had only a couple small crevasses, even at the usual tricky spot at 8840'. A nice breeze kept us cool on the bluebird day.
Skiing down was a little bit sticky on 2-3" of settling mush from Wednesday's storm. We found a route in the second stream bed east of the railroad grade that had just enough snow to ski all the way back to the car with a few short dry carries and two stream crossings. Thanks Duncan, Kevin, and J for joining me on the wild adventure. And George for the ride to Sedro Woolley and stories about the Seattle Russian cllimbing club.
Skiing down was a little bit sticky on 2-3" of settling mush from Wednesday's storm. We found a route in the second stream bed east of the railroad grade that had just enough snow to ski all the way back to the car with a few short dry carries and two stream crossings. Thanks Duncan, Kevin, and J for joining me on the wild adventure. And George for the ride to Sedro Woolley and stories about the Seattle Russian cllimbing club.
Thanks for the adventure, Silas, even if I was a bit too tired and hungry to fully enjoy it at the time.
After a Type 2+ adventure on the logging road and trying to follow the NE part of the Scott Paul trail, the skin up to the crater was pretty uneventful. Crevasses are very manageable, although the Roman Wall takes some focus. The downhill was pretty good. Hoping to avoid our morning misadventures, we followed some crazy old guy (3 minutes after meeting him) down some mostly snow-filled drainages just east of the railroad grade, with 2 significant (boots off, moderately sketchy) creek crossings and numerous bits of dry skiing and snow bridges.
Overall a very full value day. I think Baker is still my favorite volcano.
After a Type 2+ adventure on the logging road and trying to follow the NE part of the Scott Paul trail, the skin up to the crater was pretty uneventful. Crevasses are very manageable, although the Roman Wall takes some focus. The downhill was pretty good. Hoping to avoid our morning misadventures, we followed some crazy old guy (3 minutes after meeting him) down some mostly snow-filled drainages just east of the railroad grade, with 2 significant (boots off, moderately sketchy) creek crossings and numerous bits of dry skiing and snow bridges.
Overall a very full value day. I think Baker is still my favorite volcano.
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