[TR] Mt. Baker- Coleman-Deming 5/29/2005

[robert]

Climb: Mt. Baker-Coleman-Deming

 

Date of Climb: 5/29/2005

 

Trip Report:

After our climb of Hood last month the girls were ready for their first big climb. My wife was sick so it was just the three girls from our Camp Fire group and me. We arrived at the trailhead around noon and after some last minute packing were on our way up the thankfully shady Heliotrope Ridge trail. Despite the hot temps the stream crossings were no big deal and we were soon ascending snow patches and trail up to the Hogsback camps.

We headed up the snout of the Coleman to the rocks to the right of the cattle path where TrailPair had found some flat ground next to some running water. Running water at almost 7000’ score! That saved hours of melting snow for four people. As we were setting up camp I asked if the girls had ever done any backpacking. They hadn’t. This was their first time camping more than a few feet from a car. You never would have known it as they handled their packs with aplomb on the approach, but that is pretty typical for them. We were in bed just after 7:00 pm and up and climbing by 2:30 am. The route on the Coleman is pretty direct right now, though there is one crevasse just below the col at 9000’ that is probably open by now. On the decent I saw that someone looked to have put a leg through at some point in time. No big deal as it will be easily rounded on the left. We took a short break at the base of the Roman Wall to give the groups ahead of us some space and then we started up.

The snow was just starting to refreeze, but the big steps made crampons unnecessary.

We climbed the wall in the shade stepping into the sun on the summit plateau on a beautiful morning.

We chatted with TrailPair and a couple of other groups on the summit and enjoyed lounging around in the warm sun and very light wind. The decent was equally straightforward transitioning from firm snow with good steps on the wall to shin deep slush on the football field just below our camp. Packed up and got in a good glissade to the Hogsback and some standing glissades on the slopes below. After a quick hike back to the car it was down to Glacier for some ice cream. It was a great weekend in the hills.

 

Gear Notes:

Ice Axe, Trekking Poles, had crampons didn't use them.

 

Approach Notes:

Stream crossings straight forward even in the heat of the day. Some patchy snow below 6000', but not much.

[letsroll]

saw your group while we were going up the Nose. We were the very slow team of three heading up. Girls looked like they were having a good time. what a great day/weekend to be up there.

[robert]

There were quite a few teams moving slowly up the wall. I talked to one team that wanted to know how much farther when they were about 1/2 of the way up the wall. Fortunately for them they were almost done. I am not sure that they would have made it if they had had much more than that to go. I knew that there were going to be a whole herd of cc.commies up there, but didn't get to talk to many. Maybe next trip.

[thelawgoddess]

nice work! i wish i had [had] opportunities to do things like this when i was that young. what a great first "backpacking" trip.