Mountaineers Forums

We made a Mt Baker BG climb attempt via Coleman Glacier, 6/21 -- 6/22, with climb leader, Nick Mayo (Everett climb leader).

Road Condition to TH:    On 6/21 (Sat), high clearance vehicles were able to make it to just before MP 7.  (On 6/22 on our return, probably a quarter mile further). 

The Plan:    If conditions are good, and everyone feels strong, we might attempt to summit the same day after dumping our camping gear at high camp and resting for an hour.  Else we’ll wake up at 2am Sun, and leave camp for summit at 3am.

Approach:   We took the winter route which is more direct to high camp around Black Butte (~4300 ft elevation gain from car).  This also means we bypass the unsafe crossing of cracked bridge over Grouse Creek at beginning of Heliotrope trail.

(Heliotrope Trail bridge destroyed. Fording Grouse Creek will be required to hike the trail (as of 6/18/08 http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/conditions/road_conditions_report.shtml#drd_road_cond).

Topo:  http://picasaweb.google.com/shannonpahl/BakerAttempt/photo#5214835031450281746

Timeframe: We left the car ~8:25am and arrived at high camp around Black Butte ~1:30pm.

Weather Condition: It was cloudy and from time to time we can a whiff of hot air which wasn’t very pleasant when one is feeling hot.  Near Heliotrope, it started to drizzle, but nothing major.  As we headed up to Heliotrope ridge, from time to time we got a strong gush of wind that almost blew one off.   We roped up higher up on the ridge – 3 per rope team; 3 rope teams.

Soon after we arrived at camp, we got hit by very strong winds and drizzle from time to time.  We abandon all plans of possibly summiting the same day.

Summit Route Conditions:  We got some beta from people who summated 6/21.  One group left high camp at 6am, Sat and didn’t return to camp until 3pm!  The snow condition weren’t very good, very slushy and tiring to hike on.  Also there were some sketchy snow bridges to cross.

Summit Attempt:  All night, the wind was very strong.  Our 3-season tent bent this way and that.  At 2am wake up time, the wind was  still very strong, so we decided to wait until 4am, then until 5:30am.  By 5:30, the wind has subsided, but it started snowing and it was whiteout. 

All that plus the previous day unfavorable condition reported by groups who summated on Sat, after careful deliberations, we decided not to make an attempt.  We packed up instead.  Just before we head out for TH, a group who attempted returned.  We learned also another group attempted.  Both turned back at the ridge.  Conditions were bad.

High Camp:  We were amongst the first groups to arrive.  We were amazed to find more and more groups arriving late into the evenings on such a not so good weather condition day.  There was even a group of 12!  And one group of guided service.  On a great weather day, this place must be really really crowded!  

Pix:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shannonpahl/BakerAttempt

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9141982@N05/sets/72157605761608249/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mountain2ocean/sets/72157605760939827/

Misc:  I tried to find out how strong the wind was on NWAC archives but looks like it’s not out yet (at time of posting):  http://www.nwac.us/products/archive/

Thanks:  We had a fabulous group of leaders and BCC students.  Everyone has such a great attitude and we all just sync.  We had a great time.  Thanks Nick for organizing the climb and for being such an amazing climb leader!

Rope Leaders:  Nick Mayo (climb leader), Henry Leap, Shannon Pahl

Basic Grad & rope lead in training:  Siew Moi Khor