[TR] Baker - North Ridge 7/10/2011

[YocumRidge]

Trip: Baker - North Ridge

 

Date: 7/10/2011

 

Trip Report:

Ed Hobbick and I climbed the North Ridge on Baker car-to-car on Sunday 07/10/11, following my 6 hour drive from PDX. Here is an update on the conditions.

 

We started at the Heliothrope TH at 2.40 am and 3 hrs later we were crossing the upper Coleman gl towards the shrund. Continuous snow begun at 5500’, but snow pack was well consolidated making for easy travel.

 

The upper Coleman glacier is in very good shape right now and mostly filled in. I counted 2.5 crevasses (with fat frozen snowbridges) that is worth watching out for.

 

 

“45 F” promised by NOAA turned out to be a full on winter with all layers on.

On the approach, in July:

 

 

We accessed the North Ridge via the ramp on the left side of the main shrund through the couloir to the rock bands and then up weaving around a few crevasses to the base of the ridge.

The route we took:

 

 

Ed heading up the couloir:

 

 

Myself above the rock bands:

 

 

Good Omen:

 

 

The beast looms. Is that Palmers Lift Headwall Direct?

 

 

We climbed one of the lines 10 meters to the left of the Ice arête:

 

 

Ice was variable and took a lot of whacking and digging for placing solid screws.

 

Myself on the first ice pitch:

 

 

Ed topping out on the ridge:

 

 

Climbing along the ridge proved more difficult than what it first looked like and took way more digging and whacking of rotten ice, snow and snice due to sun exposure. On the top of the ridge, there is a 30’ crack/crevasse separating its western and eastern lobes - with tempting solid blue ice in its walls. I crawled in it to place a screw when both my feet blew. Thank god the tools held and I managed to chimney out back on and up to the ridge.

Myself on the second pitch along the ridge:

 

 

Ed approaching the Secret Passage:

 

Secret Passage. Whiteout is approaching and it begun snowing shortly after.

But what else do you expect in July, right?

 

The summit.

 

None of us was up the Coleman-Deming before, and being unsure of the descent, we waited, and waited and waited - for the snow to stop. Some 3 hrs later we finally made it down to the saddle, melted snow for water and headed down to the car.

 

 

Gear Notes:

6 screws

[sprocket]

Good job guys. I think it was you two we were watching as we packed up camp down on the Coleman between 10:30am and noon. We saw a couple of parties crossing the glacier that morning and a party of 3 finishing up the Headwall. Crazy it snowed up there given it was so nice the preceeding day and a half but it was clouding up on out hike out and yes it was a bit chilly in the morning.

 

Thanks for another great TR. Hope you had a safe drive home.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

 

Nicely done!

 

FWIW I climbed the CD dog route 7 years ago at the same time of year and we had horizontal snow about 9000 feet and temps in the teens. Good times in the PNW!

[CamelJockey]

Nice work guys!!!! Way to get in a great day of winter climbing in July! ;-)

 

[YocumRidge]

Yeah, the one who seeks will always find.