Where Are Baker Seracs?

[Rafael_H]

Hi everybody.

 

Will anybody please give me a description of how to get to Baker seracs often used for ice "bouldering"? Are there specific times or now is good? Any other considerations?

 

I vaguely remember seeing seracs while hiking up via the Coleman route, but don't know of any local specifics.

 

Thank you!!!

[jmace]

there has to be a billion TR's here for you to peruse...

[CaleHoopes]

Yes. I will tell you from just coming back. Drive to the Heliotrope trailhead (standard Baker north side climb). Then take the trail about 2.5 miles to where it splits -> one side goes to the Hogsback camp and the other trail, called the Glacier Overview Trail, descends and meanders to the Harrison Camp which is just above the glacial moraine. This camp is at 4800 ft and has a exposed sit toilet (ROCK ON). Anyhow, you then have a little scramble down a trail to reach the moraine. You'll have to navigate the moraine to get onto the lower glacier and then hike up the ice to get to the more substantial ice seracs and such.

 

Here's a good set of links:

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/979060/Re_Mt_Baker_Coleman_Glacier_Se

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=2Jf8X-26pjMC&pg=PA48&lpg=PA48&dq=Mt.+baker+harrison+camp&source=bl&ots=JZJp52gAoA&sig=19jk-qoVV02tUDqc0OMc-2hug6k&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UZN1UP-KO6fxiwLDrICQCA&ved=0CF8Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Mt.%20baker%20harrison%20camp&f=false

 

The turns CAN be kinda tricky to get there. Just be sure that when you make the turn you'll descend around a little ridge down into a pretty well flowing stream (can be a spicy crossing in the morning as the rocks ice up). If you found the stream in about .1 miles, then you're on the right trail. The trail is probably heading in a bit of a northeast direction.

 

Good luck! Maybe someone here has a bit of a GPS route to get there.

 

[RaisedByPikas]

There are also good crevasses to lower into and climb out closer to the downstream side of that large flat ice sheet below the seracs.

[genepires]

harrison camp is a dreary camp in the big trees on the moraine. From the camp, go downhill but still above the moraine till a trail cuts back across to get below the moraine. Head up glacier to a good entry onto the glacier. Pick your poison, either up glacier to obvious choices that are smaller than they look or go down glacier to cracks that are quite large but you gotta belay from above. Wether you wanna lead or TR will decide which way to go.

[Rafael_H]

Cale, Pika, Gene, thank you guys!!!!!

 

Very kind of you, I barely have time to go climb and crawling all over the web is impossible anymore. Really appreciate it. Have a great fall and winter!

 

Rafael

[CaleHoopes]

No problem, Rafael. It was my first time out there last weekend and my partner and I put up our first leads of anything! Wasn't super risky or hard, but it was good to get practice and "feel" the sharp end for the first time. Enjoy!