Mount Baker

August 20/21.  Easton Glacier route.  Park Butte trailhead.  Josh W. and Andrew C. 

My cousin Jimmy got married on Friday night before our climb. I watched the sun set over Mt. Baker while I sat in my white chair during the ceremony at the Homestead County Club in Lynden, WA..  Shadows illuminated pink and blue reflections on the volcano snow.  I looked at the mountain wistfully, and felt comfort knowing I would be sleeping there the next night. 

I met up with Josh and Andrew in the parking lot of the National Park Ranger Station near Sedro Woolley.  We rolled to the trailhead together. 

The approach route led us to the Railroad Grade trail; a nearly direct route to the Easton Glacier.  We hiked to the high camp and pitched my tent on the rocks.  I wasn’t sure how she would hold up using rocks and boulders as makeshift stakes.  After setting up camp, we boiled water, ate dinner, and shared stories.  Mostly we talked about our mutual loves for total immersion in the mountains.  During dinner Josh decided he was not feeling prepared to summit the next day.  The singular other gentleman camped in our rock area agreed to be our third rope team member.  Jacques was his name.  During the climb, we learned he was born and raised in Croatia, having learned skills climbing in Eastern European hills.  Warm, inviting, and personable fellow.

We crawled into our sleeping bags after twilight.  Alarm set for 1 AM.  We agreed with 

Jacques we would be ready to climb at 2.  We readied ourselves quickly upon waking.  The air was unexpectedly warm and humid; freezing level was reportedly above 10,000 feet.  During a test stomp, the snow crunched beneath my boots.  It was firm enough to warrant fastening our crampons.  None of us were confident of the path of the route; looking straight up the mountain revealed a large crevasse directly in front of us.  The question we debated – do we move to the left or right of the opening?  It was decided that we would wait for one of the guided groups to move ahead of us.  We were the first team to move up the mountain that morning, and we had no boot pack to follow.  After 30 or so minutes, a group of 12 moved in front, to the right.  We followed behind for the ascent.   In the darkness, I could see the city lights of Bellingham, Everett, and Seattle.  The moon provided enough light; my headlamp was not necessary.   We came to the crater at the crest of sunrise.

The true summit of Mt. Baker lies above the crater and ‘Roman Wall’.  We continued onward, and hit the summit at approximately 7:30 AM.  It was cold, and windy.  We had views of the Sound and San Juan Islands, Canadian Cascades, Glacier Peak, Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Range, and Bellingham.  My first true summit of the summer.  The sense of accomplishment was more dull than I expected; getting to the top of the mountain was a percentage of the experience.  Part of a process that doesn’t have a definitive end point. I felt myself wanting to continue motion, and thought "my life is propelled by the momentum of my emotions and thoughts.”  And, in this moment, while viewing this beautiful backdrop, that no longer seems acceptable. 

We returned to camp around 10:30 AM.  Josh greeted us, we dropped our gear, refueled, and napped for an hour before making the trek back to the car.  Perfect weekend.