Mt. Baker In A Day - Suggested Route?

[PaulB]

I'd like to ski up Mt. Baker in a day at the end of May.

 

Obviously it will be snow condition dependent, but which route would be the best choice?

- Coleman-Deming via the standard Heliotrope Ridge trail

- Coleman-Deming via the Grouse Creek drainage

- Easton Glacier

 

I'm assuming that by the end of May the road will be open to the Heliotrope Ridge parking area and that the road on the Easton side will also be fully open.

[AllYouCanEat]

The CD is fine. The easton gets pretty broken up but could be fine depending on your comfort level. Since you are asking the question, I would say climb the CD. This route gives you a good feel of the mountain in general, though the boulder park cleaver and others are much more aesthetic climbs and ski descents. Baker via the CD is skiable year around so you can try more than once if you have to. Also, since you haven't been there, the CD offers a good cow path to the top...

[MrDoolittle]

CD

Leave trail by midnight, sunrise on the summit, alone if you're lucky, back to car before noon, if your fast. My fastest time was 9.5h C2C (no skis), but that was early June, and I brewed up at the base of the Roman Wall. Watch crevasses at the top of the snowfield above the hogsback, they are more open in the last few years than usual, and if it's dark it's a non-descript area, easy to get too far to the right or left. Aim for the rocks that peek out on the sky line, and take them on the left, get too right, gets steep, too leftr, crevasses.

[russ]

CD

Leave trail by midnight, sunrise on the summit, alone if you're lucky, back to car before noon, if your fast.

 

Since you said you're going to be skiing, don't go this early. You want to be skiing down when the snow is softened. If you do the CD (which I also recommend), skiing off the summit between 1 - 3 pm should give plenty of time for things to soften and time to get out.

[dylan_taylor]

The south side is a better ski. It is more of a fall line ski from sherman peak on down the easton/squak, then ski skiers right down to the terminus of the Easton. It avoids the off-fall line skiing and traversing of the CD. Plus, If you get a late start, take a case of budweiser and a 30 foot piece of rope up to the snowpark, and get someone to tow you. I've always wondered if that would work...

If you ski the coleman demming, and if there is enough snow, do the grouse-creek drainage ascent and descent. Skiing down the switchbacks on the trail in the woods sucks. You have to skin up to the west/northwest from the football field, then down heliotrope ridge a little ways, then you get a fall line shot back towards the car.

[Eric_Rayl]

I've climbed the Coleman, and Skiid the Easton. I'd vote for the Easton, as someone said, it's fall line all the way, skiing right from your car if you time it right. When I did it we could drive to within about 1/2 mile of the TH. BTW we managed 7.5 hours car-car that day without really trying because the conditions were so perfect.

[PaulB]

Thanks for the info everyone. Despite the crappy forecast, this Saturday is the day. Any suggestions for a start time from the Heliotrope trailhead?

[stinkyclimber]

Esp. considering the colder temps, I wouldn't bother leaving the parking lot before 4AM or 5AM, or even 6AM. As someone else said, and I have found myself too, if you get up so godawful early that you summit at dawn, then 3 things happen:

1. The ski down sucks - still crusty or icy

2. More importantly, the ski up is in the dark, and therefore slightly boring! although watching the sunrise from high up is nice...but fuck it - it looks good from 7K too!)

3. Most importantly, by leaving ultra-early, you will be booting up the Headwall wtih about 40 of your closest friends, most of whom seem like they are perpetually on the edge of pitching and flossing you off. Might as well wait until they are mostly off.

 

The ski down is so quick that there is absolutely no reason to punish yourself by getting up way before light. If you are in decent shape and are an OK skier, you'll have no problem cracking it off in less than 12 hours. This will be even easier to accomplish if the travelling conditons are good for skiing, which they likely are.

 

I'd only leave really early once it is hot enough that snow bridges are manky even for skiers, and the Headwall is slurpee gross/dangerous). I have never understood the 1AM alpine start thing on Cascade volcanos in spring conditions.

[cracked]

Fleblebleb and I did it on Sunday. 9 hours round trip, we started from the TH at 6:30. Make sure you go up the gullies behind the outhouse rather than following the summer trail.

[stinkyclimber]

I noticed this beta mentioned earlier as well, I think from you. What are the details on this route? I don't do Baker all that often, so am not that familiar with the terrain. Where do the gullies start and finish? Any obvious waypoints or forks along the way to watch for, or is it totally obvious? When does the creek open up and make the route unusable?

 

Sounds like a much better route - I'd be keen to use it next time. Thanks for the tip.

[JoshK]

If you want something a bit more technical going up the north ridge and down the C/D made for a very nice tour of that side of the mountain. If you aren't used to climbing moderate technical ground with skis on your back, I'd stay away tho. Avoiding them hitting the slope above you can be tricking...

[stinkyclimber]

I did that a few years back as a day trip too. I was especially fond of front-pointing the shitty serac ice in tele-boots. That added to the challenge! But it is do-able...I definately second this recommendation. And it is still day-trippable. And more interesting. But you should probably be comfortable leading WI3, esp. if you are going to in tele boots (although I hear there are various easier sneak ramps and the like thru the serac band, we didn't see any the year we did it, so just go prepared for a short bit of steeper ice).

[PaulB]

Fleblebleb and I did it on Sunday. 9 hours round trip, we started from the TH at 6:30. Make sure you go up the gullies behind the outhouse rather than following the summer trail.

This is exactly what we're planning to do. A 6:30 start sounds just about right.

 

Stinkyclimber, here's a good link showing the alternate to the summer trail.

[jordop]

Paul if yer goin with you know who, makes sure he brings his waterbottle this time

[PaulB]

Paul if yer goin with you know who, makes sure he brings his waterbottle this time

The truth comes out! He told me he turned around because it was too hot.... no mention of a forgotten water bottle.

 

You have to keep an eye on those donkeys!

[To_The_Top]

Esp. considering the colder temps, I wouldn't bother leaving the parking lot before 4AM or 5AM, or even 6AM. As someone else said, and I have found myself too, if you get up so godawful early that you summit at dawn, then 3 things happen:

1. The ski down sucks - still crusty or icy

2. More importantly, the ski up is in the dark, and therefore slightly boring! although watching the sunrise from high up is nice...but fuck it - it looks good from 7K too!)

3. Most importantly, by leaving ultra-early, you will be booting up the Headwall wtih about 40 of your closest friends, most of whom seem like they are perpetually on the edge of pitching and flossing you off. Might as well wait until they are mostly off.

 

The ski down is so quick that there is absolutely no reason to punish yourself by getting up way before light. If you are in decent shape and are an OK skier, you'll have no problem cracking it off in less than 12 hours. This will be even easier to accomplish if the travelling conditons are good for skiing, which they likely are.

 

I'd only leave really early once it is hot enough that snow bridges are manky even for skiers, and the Headwall is slurpee gross/dangerous). I have never understood the 1AM alpine start thing on Cascade volcanos in spring conditions.

Well said. Done the one dayers on both routes mentioned, snow seems to be better for skiing down the S side, the CD is more scenic but can have a more "varied" snow conditions.

[jordop]

Quote

Quote

Paul if yer goin with you know who, makes sure he brings his waterbottle this time

The truth comes out! He told me he turned around because it was too hot.... no mention of a forgotten water bottle.

 

You have to keep an eye on those donkeys!

 

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by jordop

[JoshK]

C'mon, I have no desire to see a dude shooting some white substance into another dude's mouth. What you do on your own time is none of my business...

[Dustin_B]

I'd like to ski up Mt. Baker in a day at the end of May.

 

Obviously it will be snow condition dependent, but which route would be the best choice?

- Coleman-Deming via the standard Heliotrope Ridge trail

- Coleman-Deming via the Grouse Creek drainage

- Easton Glacier

 

I'm assuming that by the end of May the road will be open to the Heliotrope Ridge parking area and that the road on the Easton side will also be fully open.

 

Didn't read the other posts so this may have been mentioned, but I believe the Squak glacier is a more direct line than the Easton. Since you won't be camping near the railroad grade area, you can bee-line it straight up the Squak and join the Easton further up. Did this last June (hiking) and it was rather quick.