Mt. Baker, Coleman Glacier Serac-ing

[Colin]

I've been serac-climbing on the lower Coleman Glacier once, many years ago.

 

Can anyone tell me relatively current beta on the best spots, and the best place to descend from the Heliotrope Ridge trail? What elevation is the best zone? (because it's fine to hike in the rain, but I'd rather climb in the snow)

[genepires]

If you can find "mirkwood", walk down the moraine on a small climbers trail that eventually cuts back onto the glacier area. mirkwood is the heavily wooded area on the moraine that is next to the lower coleman and below some prominent rock butte called photographic spot or something like it. If you stay left at all intersections, you should hit mirkwood. The forest service calls it something else but AAI guides call it mirkwood for obvious reasons if you are there in a drizzly day. Call the american alpine institute for exact directions as they go there weekly.

[G-spotter]

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/975496/gonew/1/TR_mt_baker_seracs_8_29_2010#UNREAD

[kurthicks]

here's the approach beta:

Hike up Heliotrope until near treeline. stay left at the trail junction (the right goes to Hogsback). Continue across a couple streams (troublesome on hot afternoons), going east towards Survey Rock. Follow the trail to the last creek, cross it, and descend into a flat forested camp area on the ridge crest. This is Harrison Camp (for the USFS) or, as we call it, Mirkwood. walk east through camp, then turn left when you reach the eastern edge of camp/the moraine. follow a trail near the crest as it goes down the hill, descending a couple hundred feet. wrap around and onto the flats of the Coleman at about 5000'.

 

the best climbing is in the upper icefall, around 5700', give or take. stay away from the huge cave--it calves off frequently. the right side seems the most stable.

[Choada_Boy]

Even easier:

 

1) Follow the trail to the moraine

2) Take a left

3) Find the trail to the glacier past all the people with way too much new gear

 

[Colin]

Thanks for the helpful beta, guys.

 

Drew, that TR is recent enough that I should've just looked back and found it... thanks.

 

By the way, Drew, wanna update the Pocket Glacier webcam once more in a week or so? It'd be nice to do one crampon-less lap this summer...

[G-spotter]

I don't think anyone went up over the long weekend but I'll continue to monitor the sitchmo

[OffTheSteppe]

Great info. I hope to be up there Wed pm to set up camp. By what road do you access the Helio .trail head? Do I come south from Glacier on a F.S. road or N from Burlington?

[fishstick]

Drive about 1 kilometer east beyond the hamlet of Glacier. Turn RIGHT on Glacier creek road. Follow the road for about 10 or 15 minutes until you get to the one and only obvious parking lot 300m beyond a sign advising the need for forest passes at trailheads.

 

The trail takes a bit over an hour to get to the campsite on the moraine.

 

Take ski poles for the last two creek crossings.

 

Cheers,

 

GB