May 29, Coleman Glacier, Mt. Baker
5/15/06
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
2262
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Holdenj and I skied up to 9100 feet on the Coleman Glacier on Monday. Our original plan was to go to the summit, but various factors made us decide to turn around at the start of the ridge leading up to the Roman Wall; weather, plus a late-ish start time, plus other stuff. Still a fun little jaunt up into the high country tho.
We camped Sunday night at 6800 feet, and had moist, sometimes, frozen-moist, fog for much of the night. Also some brief "misty snow" showers, I guess you'd call them.
Was the first time I'd skied roped up, either uphill or downhill. I'd always thought it would suck, that I'd rather rope-up OR ski, but not BOTH fergodssake... But I ended up not thinking it to be too bad after all. Actually we really didn't need to do so this weekend; most of the crevasses were closed, except for a fer very huge ones away from the main route. Mostly just did so for the skills/practice of it all.
When we finally started skiing downhill, starting at 10 am , the first 1000 feet or so was reeaally nice snow. Firm base, pretty much hardpack, but with a fairly dry 1 inch or so of fluff on top of it, which made for nice smooth skiing. No brainer effortless turns. As it happened, that was the only downhill section we skiied roped up for. Shortly after getting below 8000 feet, the snow wasn't so great anymore... dense thick wet gunk, almost like peanut butter; blech.
Then we got back to camp, packed up, and skied down the lower glacier, which was really soggy and mushy, and got more so toward the bottom. We took care to pick safe lines on the way down, but in the process still set off a couple small sloughs, all of which only travelled 15-20 yards. Towards the bottom it got more and more turnable.
Overall, it was cloudy and foggy and misty the whole time we were there, below 8000 feet at least. Visibility varied, from 20 yards to about 1000 yards... but probably averaged about 100 yards. Above 8000 feet it was totally clear, except for small sections of cloudbank which kept creeping up the glacier, off and on.
All told, we only saw about 15 other people the whole time we were up there.
The road is still snowed in about 100 yards from the trailhead. Most of the 2 miles of trail, to where it leaves the trees, had off-and-on snow. Not quite nearly enuf to ski, unless you really enjoy the process of putting skis onto, and taking them off of, your pack, again and again and again. Which I don't. ;D Yep, the best time for this tour would have been about 2-3 weeks ago
Ethan
We camped Sunday night at 6800 feet, and had moist, sometimes, frozen-moist, fog for much of the night. Also some brief "misty snow" showers, I guess you'd call them.
Was the first time I'd skied roped up, either uphill or downhill. I'd always thought it would suck, that I'd rather rope-up OR ski, but not BOTH fergodssake... But I ended up not thinking it to be too bad after all. Actually we really didn't need to do so this weekend; most of the crevasses were closed, except for a fer very huge ones away from the main route. Mostly just did so for the skills/practice of it all.
When we finally started skiing downhill, starting at 10 am , the first 1000 feet or so was reeaally nice snow. Firm base, pretty much hardpack, but with a fairly dry 1 inch or so of fluff on top of it, which made for nice smooth skiing. No brainer effortless turns. As it happened, that was the only downhill section we skiied roped up for. Shortly after getting below 8000 feet, the snow wasn't so great anymore... dense thick wet gunk, almost like peanut butter; blech.
Then we got back to camp, packed up, and skied down the lower glacier, which was really soggy and mushy, and got more so toward the bottom. We took care to pick safe lines on the way down, but in the process still set off a couple small sloughs, all of which only travelled 15-20 yards. Towards the bottom it got more and more turnable.
Overall, it was cloudy and foggy and misty the whole time we were there, below 8000 feet at least. Visibility varied, from 20 yards to about 1000 yards... but probably averaged about 100 yards. Above 8000 feet it was totally clear, except for small sections of cloudbank which kept creeping up the glacier, off and on.
All told, we only saw about 15 other people the whole time we were up there.
The road is still snowed in about 100 yards from the trailhead. Most of the 2 miles of trail, to where it leaves the trees, had off-and-on snow. Not quite nearly enuf to ski, unless you really enjoy the process of putting skis onto, and taking them off of, your pack, again and again and again. Which I don't. ;D Yep, the best time for this tour would have been about 2-3 weeks ago
Ethan
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