Mt. Baker: Davis Recounts Climb of the North Ridge
The low pressure system plaguing the North Cascades cleared the area before we began our approach to the Hogsback Camp on Mt. Baker under clear blue skies. It is a relatively short hike compared to other North Cascade objectives and we endured sweaty backs for only three hours to our upper camp. We spent the first afternoon relaxing in the warm sun looking across a long glacier towards our climbing objective the following day.
We woke at 2:00 a.m. to a waning crescent moon and began the traverse across the Coleman Glacier, navigating the crevassed field of soft snow and ice by headlamp to the base of the North Ridge. Two and a half hours of walking brought us to the bergschrund guarding the access couloir and soon we were kicking and swinging our way up 50 degree snow onto the North Ridge. We climbed in the shadow of the Ridge as the sun lit up the terrain to our left and promised its warmth just as soon as we were ready to crest the Ridge facing Canada.
The real climbing begins halfway up the route on a feature known as the ice step. Our team climbed onto the step swinging left onto the face and climbing the sun baked ice for two pitches. The sun was in full effect as we gained the steep slopes that continue unbroken for 1,500 vertical feet under Mt. Baker's final serac band. Just below the summit, we shed clothing wet from the dripping ice. Four more pitches of 55 degree snow brought us to the serac jungle guarding Mt. Baker's summit and we entered the jungle with eyes overhead to watch for falling ice. A large smoke canister marked the entry to the jungle passage, dropped from a helicopter a few days prior staining the snow a bright red. A two person party had been caught in whiteout conditions and abandoned their gear just below the summit. We came across two packs with clothing, rope, and some climbing gear which we shouldered and carried up and over cleaning the mountain of unnatural detritus.
Soon, we stood on top Mt. Baker's broad summit plateau and ventured over to the other side to begin the descent down the Coleman-Deming route to our camp on the Hogsback. All told, we spent 12 hours climbing the North Ridge of Mt. Baker. We arrived at camp as large clouds built up to the south and basked in the late afternoon sun, falling into a deep sleep satisfied with a great adventure on a great route.
RMI Guide Leon Davis
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