[TR] Coleman Pinnacle - Standard 12/30/2025

[JasonG]

Trip: Coleman Pinnacle - Standard

Trip Date: 12/30/2025

Trip Report:

 

It has been a slow start to the ski season.  A very slow start. But despite the setbacks, I've managed to have a few good days the past several weeks up in the Baker backcountry.  We're fortunate up this way in that our usual backcountry backyard emerged relatively accessible from the December Floods.  US2 and 410 are quite so lucky.  

I've not been doing anything remarkable the past few weeks in the Baker backcountry, but I do have a new camera that I have been having fun getting to know and so why not post a few photos from the classic Coleman Pinnacle tour?  This is an outing that I tend to come back to over the past 20 years or so, climbing it every 5 years or so if only for the views and the fun run down into Wells Creek.  If you haven't been out that way.....you probably won't like it.  Best to stay near town and reduce your carbon footprint.

Sunrise from the parking lot:

The classic view of Baker from Artist Point never gets old (to me):

@Trent approaching the heli line:

@Trent and Coleman Pinnacle:

Der Shukshan:

@Trent skinning up under Coleman Pinnacle:

Summit of Coleman Pinnacle:

Out to Chowder Ridge:

Descending from the summit with Baker looming ahead:

Ptarmigan in winter plumage down in Wells Creek:

Windy on der Kulhsan:

coming back up over Table on the way home:

Shuksan is one of my favorites in the North Cascades:

Sunset from the parking lot.  As Ice Cube would say, "Today was a good day".

Gear Notes:
flotation, but please, leave the snowshoes at home.

Approach Notes:
Heather Meadows to Artist Point to alpine glory

[FrancisBailey]

What did you use to take these photos by the way? They look really great.

[JasonG]

Thanks!  Those were shot with a Canon R6 MarkII with Canon RF 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f4 lenses 🤓

And no, this isn't a reasonable kit to drag around the mountains. 

I recommend an iPhone.

[FrancisBailey]

Hahaha yes fair enough well looks like it was worth dragging up for this occasion

[bargainhunter]

Great write up and beautiful photos of Steve Barnett's favorite July ski tour! I've been meaning to do it but that southeast side of Table after a good snow spooks me. You hit it right in terms of timing. I was sitting on top of Hadley Peak in late July taking in that view (seen in your Chowder Ridge pic, but from the opposite view). Such dreamy ski touring terrain for an extended snow camping trip!

In Barnett's 1987 book "The Best Ski Touring In America" (highly recommended!), he talks about the winter avalanche risk on that SE aspect of Table (hence his preferred time to do it is in summer), and how a party got caught in a storm on the way back and buried up to their necks by an avalanche off that side of Table. Instead of continuing to Artist Point, the party turned back and made an epic exit via Wells Creek drainage, stumbling over logs and through icy water and devils club thickets in freezing rain. Barnett wrote: "They spent the night keeping warm by wringing their clothes out". Type 2 fun. Even when you hit the Wells Creeks logging road it's still a looong slog back to Nooksack falls and the 542. Coming back via Chain Lakes and Herman saddle is less avalanche risk but that group probably hadn't done it before and the route finding through the trees and hillocks covered in snow can be circuitous. 

I believe Chowder Ridge is actually the ridge barely seen in shadow on the right skyline of the photo. The rounded ridge in front of it I believe is Dobbs Cleaver, draining into Bar Creek. It's wild terrain up there, so close yet feels so remote when you are back in there. The peaklet to the left of Hadley on the connecting ridge is Peak 7842 and continues up Bastille Ridge to the Cockscomb just north of Grant Peak. 

That view of the bowls of Wells Creek in your "coming back up over Table" photo look amazing! Ted Mueller wrote in his 1968 book "Northwest Ski Trails" (with great B&W photos from the Spring brothers): "These north-facing slopes are smooth and unbroken between 4800 feet and 6200 feet. The variety of runs is unlimited throughout this entire area." Rainier Burgdorfer wrote in his 1999 book "100 Classic Backcountry Ski and Snowboard routes" : "Whether or not you decide to reach Coleman Pinnacle, there are abundant possibilities for runs over 1,500 feet in length." 

Thank you for posting up! 

Edited 1 hour ago by bargainhunter