jhflying Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Trip: Mt Baker - Coleman - Deming Date: 6/8/2007 Trip Report: With sunny skies on Friday and a forecast storm for Sat AM, 7 of us headed up the Coleman-Deming Glacier route. The trail was snow-free for the first mile. No major problems crossing the streams in the morning. Camped at 7,200' under the Black Buttes. Alpine start at 3am under clear skies, but ominous lenticular cloud off the summit. Wind was howling at the saddle and we could see the storm clouds coming from the west. Storm hit while going up the Roman Wall, but we continued to the summit in a white out. Sadly, freezing level was high at 8-9,000, so it was blowing sleet. Ice covered everything, including goggles, so had to brunt the storm with no eye prot. Returned to tents, which were covered in ice, in howling winds, horizontal rain / sleet. Ah, climbing in the NW! Thanks to the team ahead of us who removed their .25 wands on their descent. Sure, I should / could have wanded it next to their wands, but who removes wands in a white out when another party is behind them. Bad form, in my book. John Gear Notes: pickets, wands, rain gear. Approach Notes: Heliotrope Ridge trailhead open and dry. 1st mile snow free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhflying Posted June 12, 2007 Author Share Posted June 12, 2007 Here's some pics: about 4,000' on trail 6,500' approaching black buttes high camp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Nice images and way to persevere in the storm. Yeah, they could have left their wands assuming that you'd pick them up...but I find it odd that you would (presumably) encounter this group in person and not communicate about the wands when you had a chance, but then slam them later online and anonymously... bad form, in MY book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfort Posted June 13, 2007 Share Posted June 13, 2007 So you're supposed to automatically give up all your wands if you encounter another party w/o any wands? I guess I need to brush up on my wand etiquette - but anyway I don't bother with wands anymore (I lost them all to a party that pulled this trick on Glacier Peak about 8 years ago - but at least they did stop and say "please leave your wands in or else we'll never find our way back down") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnplannedBivy Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Nice pics. We're going to be taking some climbing newbies up the route next weekend. How's the route look regarding crevasses? Appreciate the beta regarding the snow on the trail too. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hefeweizen Posted June 14, 2007 Share Posted June 14, 2007 Trip: Mt Baker - Coleman - Deming Date: 6/8/2007 [ Thanks to the team ahead of us who removed their .25 wands on their descent. Sure, I should / could have wanded it next to their wands, but who removes wands in a white out when another party is behind them. Bad form, in my book. John Gear Notes: pickets, wands, rain gear. Approach Notes: Heliotrope Ridge trailhead open and dry. 1st mile snow free. Nice that you had wands, that indicates that you were prepared to be self-relient. Isn't that one of the great feelings of mountaineering? You had pickets as well, if one of your party fell in a crevasse would you have been counting on a rescue by someone else? I'm not trying to tear you down, but you can't reasonably expect anyone but the people who are your partners to take responsibilty for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhflying Posted June 15, 2007 Author Share Posted June 15, 2007 I agree that that was my mistake. However, the winds were howling and communication difficult. Next time, I'll place my own wands, and leave them for another party if needed. You could probably hear the fear in my writings, since it could have turned bad if I got our group lost over the North Ridge. Live and learn ... John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhflying Posted June 15, 2007 Author Share Posted June 15, 2007 I had wands, but erroneously assumed that the existing wands would be in place on the way down. Never again will I assume that. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhflying Posted June 15, 2007 Author Share Posted June 15, 2007 Crevasses were still covered except for the small ice fall on the upper Coleman. The large crevasse cutting across the upper Coleman from the black buttes required some navigating out to the middle of the upper coleman. The roman wall was in great early season shape. I'll be up there again this weekend with a group. We'll be under the black buttes again. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhflying Posted June 15, 2007 Author Share Posted June 15, 2007 Yep. I learned that lesson, and I won't make it again. But if I see some of you nice folks on a mountain and you ask - I'll leave my wands for ya. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnplannedBivy Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 (edited) Thanks for the beta. We're planning to be up the weekend of 6/23. Hoping for good weather! But you take what you can get... Edited June 15, 2007 by UnplannedBivy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashw_justin Posted June 15, 2007 Share Posted June 15, 2007 I don't think you should willingly leave anything on the mountain. Pack it in, pack it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scot'teryx Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Leave no Trace. Be prepared. If you forgot your compass should someone leave it for you? What if nobody was up there and you had no wands? Who would you be pissed at then? my .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scot'teryx Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Leave no Trace. Be prepared. If you forgot your compass should someone leave theirs for you? What if nobody was up there and you had no wands? Who would you be pissed at then? my .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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