Spent the weekend in a blizzard on the Coleman glacier on Mt Baker. We turned away from the summit at 9500ft due to worsening(!) weather and increasing navigation difficulties.
A fun time and certainly more memorable than if it had been blue bird
Dividing gear at Glacier ranger station
skis on 20 feet from the car for a couple of miles of forest road
through the forest and several creek crossings - this was by far the most civilised
out of the trees and into this
but I don't want to get out of the tent!
This is what we woke up to
gearing up
we did catch some glimpses of glacier
but mostly it was a white out
We bailed at 9500ft the last hour had been pure misery, some roped skiing, logging GPS way points - further progress required leaving the skis and donning crampons - it jut wasn't worth it.
a few turns had on the way back to camp
which now looked like this
after breaking camp we hauled ass back down to forest for some more bush wacking (in the rain) and the road back to the car
Results 1 to 16 of 16
Thread: Mt Baker TR - Mid winter in May?
-
05-08-2006, 06:24 PM #1
No I'm not an Australian
- Join Date
- Dec 2003
- Location
- Seattle
- Posts
- 33,934
Mt Baker TR - Mid winter in May?
Originally Posted by Downbound Train
-
05-08-2006, 06:37 PM #2
Jack's got my back
- Join Date
- Jan 2005
- Location
- cb, co
- Posts
- 5,317
Yeah, trips like that are always more memorable than the easy bluebird days. As a bonus, success on another day and time is always better after being unsucesssfull. Thanks for the pics, it almost makes me want to get tentbound in a storm.
-
05-08-2006, 07:45 PM #3
Registered User
- Join Date
- Feb 2005
- Location
- North Vancouver/Whistler
- Posts
- 14,442
Nice PNWBrit. We got stormbound at Joffre at "only" 9,000 ft and summitted in 100kmh gusts - had to tie into a picket so we could take off our skins. I won't forget that day in a hurry
-
05-08-2006, 07:58 PM #4
TR Junkie
- Join Date
- Mar 2004
- Location
- Reno
- Posts
- 2,434
Does it???.....then write back to my hotmail Dude! Originally Posted by goldenboy
Fun pictures.......thanks for sharing.....looks fun.Donjoy to the World!
-
05-08-2006, 11:09 PM #5
Registered User
- Join Date
- Dec 2003
- Location
- Jackson, WY
- Posts
- 5,642
Harsh! But it still looks like ya had fun
-
05-08-2006, 11:17 PM #6
Registered User
- Join Date
- Nov 2004
- Location
- NYC
- Posts
- 812
Looks like it was fun despite the conditions. Way to get after it!
"I just looked down to see if I was wearing my seatbelt, and I'm sitting at my desk in my room."
http://www.flickr.com/photos/owencaprell/
-
05-08-2006, 11:51 PM #7
Skiing = FUN
- Join Date
- Mar 2004
- Location
- Second star to the right and straight on till morning
- Posts
- 2,204
Nice. Always fun to embark on an adventure.
Nice TR.Days on snow 06-07: 3
Days behind a boat summer 2006: 24
"Coming here and asking whether you need wider skis is like turning up at the Neverland Ranch and asking Michael if he'd like to come to Tampa with the kids" -bad roo.
-
05-09-2006, 09:31 AM #8
OG
- Join Date
- Sep 2001
- Location
- Babylon
- Posts
- 13,699
nice action!
we all pray for snow and forget to add when!
-
05-09-2006, 09:53 AM #9
Registered User
- Join Date
- May 2005
- Posts
- 4,002
Nice TR. So... how was the snow - looked like pretty nice pow in that one pic after you bailed, like maybe 6 inches?
Thanks for the expedition stoke!
-
05-09-2006, 10:17 AM #10
No I'm not an Australian
- Join Date
- Dec 2003
- Location
- Seattle
- Posts
- 33,934
About 6 to 8 inches of graupel. Skiing back down to camp at 7000ft was more a matter of navigation than making turns.
Below camp we got about 3000ft of gradually heavier snow - enough for good turns despite shredded legs and overnight packs. Originally Posted by Downbound Train
-
05-09-2006, 10:37 AM #11
Que demande le peuple?
- Join Date
- Mar 2005
- Location
- Crystal Mtn, WA
- Posts
- 1,454
Nice TR, nothing like a little character building in the spring!
I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.
-
05-09-2006, 11:02 AM #12
Registered User
- Join Date
- Jan 2006
- Location
- Teton Village
- Posts
- 2,671
Great TR! I love tent shots- they're great. As mentioned above-
Originally Posted by goldenboy
Ski Shop - Basement of the Hostel
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don't tell them where they know the fish.
Mark Twain
-
05-10-2006, 03:55 PM #13
Registered User
- Join Date
- Feb 2005
- Location
- North Vancouver/Whistler
- Posts
- 14,442
PNWBrit - Baker by Easton - Demming or Coleman - Demming/Roman headwall? Sometime over your Memorial Day?
Or you could just come up here
-
05-10-2006, 09:07 PM #14
Registered snow offender
- Join Date
- Oct 2004
- Location
- Baker backcounty
- Posts
- 330
I'm doin' the C-D + Roman Wall this Saturday. Memorial weekend is for Adams. PM if interested.
It's hard to wag your tail when it is tucked between your legs.
-
05-10-2006, 10:02 PM #15
Registered User
- Join Date
- Feb 2005
- Location
- North Vancouver/Whistler
- Posts
- 14,442
Would love to T but Im committed to helping out at a bike race this w/e. Last week of June Im windsurfing in Hood River. Could i talk either of you into an attempt on Hood?
-
05-10-2006, 11:11 PM #16
3...2...1...dropping
- Join Date
- Mar 2006
- Location
- PNW
- Posts
- 106
looks like a lot of fun
I want to do that in the next couple years
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks