[TR] Mt. Baker - Coleman-Deming and North Ridge 11/26/2013

[TyClimber]

Trip: Mt. Baker - Coleman-Deming and North Ridge

 

Date: 11/26/2013

 

Trip Report:

I've been dying to take advantage of this high pressure system while we've got it, but it seems like most of the cascades are in that annoying shoulder season. Just enough snow to make approaches difficult and cover rock routes, but not enough to bring the winter routes into shape. After spending a day skiing up on Heliotrope Ridge a couple weeks ago I had the north side of Baker on the brain.

 

My plan of attack was somewhat contrived. I was sketched out about crossing the crevasse fields on the Coleman alone so I decided to go all the way up and over the top via the Coleman-Deming, where I could just follow other peoples tracks, and then down climb the North Ridge with a rappel over the ice cliff. It all went pretty smoothly, I guess really I just created the hardest approach possible.

 

I got an early start but was disappointed to find that I still had to walk up to 5k before I could take the skis off the pack and start skinning. I was able to skin up to the saddle at 9k then had to switch to the pons. The wind was heinous when I popped over the ridge. The skis on my pack were essentially sails throwing me all over the place. I struggled up to about 9600' and then gave up and dropped the skis. I had hoped to ski off the top on the way down but I was wasting too much energy and the bigger goal for the day was to do both routes. I still managed to stay more or less on the schedule I'd set for myself and topped out for the first time 4:10 after leaving the car.

 

With the wind ripping there was no incentive to loiter on top and I dropped back down the north side as fast as possible to get back into the lee of the mountain. The trip down the ridge went smoothly and I made good time, conditions were pretty much ideal. I did one 60m rap over the ice cliff and went down to the point I felt like all the interesting climbing was above me. Roughly 9000' I believe. I guess technically I didn't climb the entire North Ridge, but I feel like I climbed everything that gives it such a good reputation. The ice cliff itself was super fun and then it was just a steepish slog back to the top from there. I topped out for the second time dead on 7 hours out from the car. Lucky for me the wind had at least died down a bit by then because I was starting to drag, I swear the summit plateau was twice as big the second time I had to cross it!

 

I picked my skis up on the way down and flailed my way back to 5k. The snow was incredibly variable and I was so blown out by that point that I was in pure survival skiing mode, just trying to stay upright and get back to the car. Putting the skis back onto the pack for the last bit was rough but I had the end in sight. Made it back to the car just as it got truly dark for a 9:10 round trip. Very tired but very happy!

 

I was lame about taking pictures as I was pretty much in continuous motion all day, but here are a few

 

Looking up the ice cliff from the bottom of the rappel

 

I was so psyched to be back on top of the ice cliff I had to take a selfie!

 

Looking up the route from the edge of the ice cliff

 

Approach Notes:

Managed to drive my Subaru Imprezza all the way to the trailhead, but just barely.

[JasonG]

Just like your Eldorado trip, impressively fast!

[TyClimber]

Thanks! That's the fun part of moderate snow and ice routes, you get to cover a lot of ground. I'm just glad I got to ski off this one instead of walking 7000' downhill!

[jared_j]

Crosstraining is the jam.

[TobiasT]

Dude, way make the most out of some shoulder season high pressure. Not a bad way to spend 9 hours.

[ScaredSilly]

Nice, nothing like going up to go down, then up and down again.