zoroastr Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 (edited) Trip: Mt. Baker - Solo Day Climb Date: 9/3/2007 Trip Report: At once pretty and frustrating, the approach trail traverses a seemingly endless series of moraines before finally turning toward the mountain. Fewer parties than I expected on the mountain. I had originally contemplated another trip up the parade route on Rainier, but this climb turned out to be every bit as aesthetic and rewarding as any of the one-day trips I've made up Baker's larger neighbor to the south--and much less crowded! The Baker climb also seemed slightly more challenging than the DC on Rainier; the terminal slopes before the summit plataeu ramped up nicely, and reminded me of the chute on Rainier's Kautz Glacier route. Mountaineering instruction on the upper moraines. On Baker's lower slopes, a commercially-guided rope team plods upward... A bit later, the same party pauses a few hundred feet below the first set of large crevasses. I'm not sure if they planned to summit, because they turned back and began descending from their position in this photograph...can you pick 'em out? A narrow snowbridge takes climbers through one end of this monster. I'd heard reports of deteriorating snow conditions from some descenders, but I found the upper slopes very nicely frozen, a fact which made for some highly enjoyable cramponing in the final few hundred feet. Taken from the summit 5 hours and 57 minutes after leaving the car. The wind on top was feirce and relentless, making the 10-minute walk from the flat summit plataeu to the true summit, a curious little sand hill, seem like an hour. I forget the name of this satellite peak, but it was incredible--a complex, majestic jumble of ice and rock. Edited September 3, 2007 by zoroastr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtree Posted September 3, 2007 Share Posted September 3, 2007 Nice TR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crag Posted September 10, 2007 Share Posted September 10, 2007 What glacier where you on, having been to Baker only once I'm having troubles getting my bearings from the photos. I think the little sand mound is called Grant...not sure though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
To_The_Top Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Sherman in background via Easton? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotly Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 That last photo is fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurthicks Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 the easton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kane Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Zoro Check your pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Thanks....back in 2001 I did the North Ridge, I hope to get back some day and do the Headwall....nice TR and great pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug Posted September 11, 2007 Share Posted September 11, 2007 Cool. Thanks for the pics and fun TR! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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