[TR] Mt. Baker - Squauk Glacier 5/25/2009

[TarHeelEMT]

Trip: Mt. Baker - Squauk Glacier

 

Date: 5/25/2009

 

Trip Report:

Bear with me, this is both my first trip report and my first time leading an alpine climb, being a cragger from the land of no glaciers.

 

We actually intended to climb the Easton Glacier, but between a lost map and the early-season snow throwing off the guidebook descriptions, we followed the wrong snowmobile track and ended up camped near 6,000' next to the Squauk glacier. We figured out where we were, set up camp, and pooled our (and Nelson's guidebook's) collective knowledge about the Squauk glacier: Nada.

 

We decided we'd rather go cautiously up an unfamiliar glacier than spend an entire day getting over to the Easton. Fortunately, a party came through our camp on their descent from the Squauk, gave us some beta on the route (easy, save for a short ridge traverse out of camp) and conditions (great). Excited, we set our alarms for an alpine start and went to bed.

 

Camp:

 

Ridge traverse from camp:

 

This was before the recent warm spell, so snow conditions were great and firm, and the cramponing was great. We had the previous party's deep afternoon footprints and glissade trails to follow up the mountain, so routefinding was a breeze.

 

 

Me goofing off on the summit dome:

 

We missed our tracks (or rather, the party from the previous day's deep afternoon tracks) diverging off to the left, even though we remembered the junction as being "obvious" while going up. Realizing a little too late that it hadn't been so obvious, we descended onto the the Easton Glacier, all the while growing increasingly concerned that we had gone too far down, but also unwilling to turn left and walk blindly into areas of icefall and large open crevasses.

 

We actually got low enough to hit another party's camp on the Easton, which was very fortunate because around that time my partner ventured a little too close to heat stroke, and they were kind enough to provide some extra water and a tent to shelter him in while he recovered. Thanks guys!

 

We descended to the level of our camp, and turned left to cross terrain that, while mushy, was predictable and modest. We got back to camp exhausted from the extra hours, but begrudgingly thankful to have learned a hard lesson about taking route-finding for granted.

 

 

 

Thanks for all the help I got from you guys on the board. I had a great time and can't wait to get back there for more climbing.

 

 

Gear Notes:

SNOWSHOES for approach.

 

Approach Notes:

We post-holed the entire way up to our high camp. Took wrong snowmobile trail, as well.

Edited June 5, 2009 by TarHeelEMT

[Mauri]

At almost anytime of the year the crevasse hazard on the Squak route is less than for Easton. And as you now see it is only a short mile traverse from 6600 feet from one to the other.

[LostCamKenny]

Bear with you?!? That TR wasn't that bad! A bit short maybe, but not everyone is as long-winded as ivan! Nice work man!