Home > Trip Reports > October 5, 2007, Coleman Glacier, Baker

October 5, 2007, Coleman Glacier, Baker

10/5/07
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
15839
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Posted by Pete A on 10/5/07 2:00pm
until the day comes that I visit the southern hemisphere, I doubt I shall ever ski such ridiculously powdery and deep snow during the first week in October.

It was good...really good.   A mixed bag of five folks who all barely knew each other gathered together to take advantage of the blue sky and more than two feet of snow piled up on Baker.   The snow above 5500ft was easily 4ft deep, probably deeper.  The top 2ft was as good as any midwinter powder.

We skinned to the saddle where the Coleman and Deming glaciers join but the slopes leading to the roman wall were very wind slabby, so we headed down from there.

The snow was consistantly fantastic all the way down the glaciated terrain...once off the glacier, the snow got a little thicker, but still quite skiable even onto the trail for most of the way back down.


Here are some more pics to go with the great turns we dished out:

Jason checking out a HUGE gaper!

Pete and Jason just above the col between Colfax and Baker.  After setting off a small windslab, we decided it would be a good idea to descend rather than chance the Roman Wall.

Pete putting in hard day of work digging trenches.

man, that all looks so fun.  awesome photos too!

Wow - killer photos, snow, and turns.  I am so jealous!

Pete and Dave:
Nice trip, considering that there still IS a bit of skiing in Argentina and Chile!

Let's hope that..

A) This layer doesn't freeze into a sheet at the bottom of it all over the next week of thawing; and

B) There's lots more where it came from!!!

Great pics...thanks for the report!



It was nice up there - we were just finishing our first run when we saw your group head out.  The light went flat just as we finished our second lap and started descending.

Orange Pekoe. 

Thanks for the photos guys. It was great meeting you all. I threw some photos and stuff here: http://cascadecrusades.org/SkiMountaineering/baker/colemandemming/colmandemingoct2007/cdoct2007.htm

I hope there is more of to come :)

Wonderful way to start the season.  You're spoiled now.  The photos posted and the link to Jason's site were great.  Jill wants a new camera.  ;)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Rock-tober indeed!!

Off the hook pictures Jason!  Who needs ski magazines???  Mike, Jason, Pete, Baldwin, David, it was an honor to share the day with you guys.  Sky, we missed you man...hope you nailed the HW.  If you did, I'm going to be pissed.

Glad you enjoyed dave et all. Oh, a new camera :) I want the d300.

I was glad to get them all up since I lost power during this o:) http://www.komotv.com/news/10288352.html

Funny how the power died before I heard the bang.

Hey Pete A you changed your first photo to Jason.

Jason that photo of Zbo looks like its from November, like last thanksgiving.  Do you have a time machine your not telling us about? ;D

Your photos...lets just say its what I come to expect of you.

BTW orange, I like how that pic shows your tracks. We saw you guys up there on our way out. We were almost sure we had the mtn to ourselves. Good to see someone else skipping work.

yeah, just changed it from one picture of Jason to another picture of Jason ... thought the second one showed the depth of the pow pow a little better :)

great to ski with y'all....one hell of a day up there.

It was indeed an awesome time up there. Great meeting and skiing with you all. Here is a link to my write-up on the TGR board, I have several pictures posted there as well. http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97078

What road and trail head do you access this through? 

Get a map, otherwise it's none of your business.


directions here:
http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/recreation/activities/trails/mbrd/mbrd_0677.htm


We too had an amazing start to the season. Heliotrope Ridge/Coleman Glacier are where it was at! We started up a bit later than you guys did, but had a great trip none the less.  We too found the deep powder and not once did we hit anything lurking in the snow.
We chose the lines to skiers left of where you all skied (towards Colfax Peak). All the slots kind of made us nervous. Good on you for getting the goods!

Awesome powder, bright skies, and great friends. Oh, did I mention the awesome powder?

Just a couple more pics!





Orange Pekoe.


author=Jason_H. link=topic=7892.msg31530#msg31530 date=1191714353]
I threw some photos and stuff here: http://cascadecrusades.org/SkiMountaineering/baker/colemandemming/colmandemingoct2007/cdoct2007.htm


I hope so too!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome shots Jason.

Ian
---

Wow! Looks like an amazing day.
A question from this new guy...
How do you avoid any crevasses that may have been snowed over?  This late in the summer (/early in the winter) are the crevasses just so big that they won't be snowed over or do you somehow know where to ski?

thanks for the education

Are there any crevasses on that route? How turns did you get? Stellar pics, I wish I could have been there.  I sent the pics back to my friends and they are so jealous. I can't wait to get up there!!!!!!!

I don't pretend to know it all, but we were familiar with the area and we also had great visability. With not a HUGE amount of snow, the crevasses could be seen as depressions in the snow. That being said, we chose a more cautious and mellow route that put us out of most of the danger. We did keep harnesses on and had a rope at ready. In addition, we probed around our route on the way up.

I am sure that others may chime in on a safer or more proper way that we should have considered.

Oh sorry, forgot about the amount of turns. We got in about 3000 feet of actual turns - but that included a second lap.

Ilovevermont-

i was talking to a ranger up there in may when we did Baker up the Coleman Glacier and he told me that most people take the crevasse hazards on the Coleman too lightly...knock on wood...the party in front of us had to rescue one of their members from a 35 foot fall.  People have died on that glacier.

After the summer, I have not been up there yet, but as with any glacier, it is the fall...Coleman will be more open than it was in the spring, and the new snow can create some enticing looking bridges or cover, probably most of which would fall through.

Even on something as small and seemingly docile as the Flett on Rainier posed some hazard as a member of our team punched through into a dark abyss...after probing extensively we found it to be a tiny, but very deep crack.

Good comments, Stugie. Worth remembering what the Ranger said.

I don't have much personal experience to share. That said, the few people I know who have either fallen entirely into a crevasse, or have punched scarily down partway into gaping holes, have said that it happened after fresh snow, they felt they could see the crevasses well (they saw open and quite apparent cracks  and/or there were clear depressions in the snow), but where they punched through was smooth and as hidden as could be - in other words, visible signs doesn't prove that there aren't invisible hazards lurking. These "victims" are a bit more cautious than many other folks I know in terms of when to rope up. It's amazing how snow moves around, even when it lays down soft and fluffy.

In any case, some beautiful shots from that day - looks like a lot of good fun was had!

DaleK,
Awesome pics...sooo jealous. How long was the day from the trail head back down? Thanks and way to go!

Had to bring this thread back to the front ;)  Here's a link to a compilation of pics and TR that I put together.  It was great to meet everyone and I look forward to many more trips of the like...

http://staff.washington.edu/dlbrown/Baker_Rock-tober.htm

Nice TR daveb.  I opted for Muir that day as it is much closer for me but it looks like you called it right.  I can not imagine that anyone anywhere had better conditions than you guys.  It serves to remind me what a great part of the planet we reside in.  Keep it up and I will look forward to reading your next TR.

Reply to this TR

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october-5-2007-coleman-glacier-baker
Pete A
2007-10-05 21:00:00