[TR] Mt. Baker - Easton Glacier 9/4/2014

[runningclouds]

Trip: Mt. Baker - Easton Glacier

 

Date: 9/4/2014

 

Trip Report:

Perfect spring corn skiing from the summit all the way down.

 

Recent snowfall covered the suncups and the summer dirt and the sun made perfectly smooth surface. We went for the views but were very pleasantly surprised by the skiing.

 

The Easton is quite broken up by now, there is only one or two passages that are relatively easy (by that I mean no belaying needed over the crevasses). We got onto the glacier about 200 yards from the toe (5950 ft / 1814m) and hiked the bare glacier ice for a while. There was no track until we hit mountaineers track around 7172 ft (2186 m). We followed them until they started making what looked like a too far right swing toward Deming (9130 ft / 2783 m). At that point we just went up straight aiming for the crater's col hoping for a passage and we found it. This saved us at least an hour, maybe more. Roman Wall is broken up but few S curved switchbacks between the crevasses allowed for a relatively straightforward ascent.

 

We skinned up roped, switched to crampons halfway up the Roman wall (but this was unnecessary, we could have skinned up all the way, there was no ice at the top).

 

Skied of the summit around 3:30 under perfect sky. Hollering all the way down to the blueberries! Skied down unroped but with more caution than usual.

 

Skiing Easton Glacier:

 

Gear Notes:

skis, skins, ski crampons, boot crampons, ice axe, rope, ice screw

 

Approach Notes:

Trail and Railroad Grade to High Camp is dry and snow free.

[Bigtree]

Fantastic pics. I love skiing Baker.

[Dt1]

Phenomenal pics! What camera did you use?

[HHinkkala]

Looks like a great outing!

[runningclouds]

Thanks! The photos were taken with Canon G16; RAW format processed in Lightroom.