Trip Report
Mount Baker/North Ridge
Clear skies and low winds made for a pleasant North Ridge climb. Our first time on this classic route!
Isley Gao
- Sun, May 4, 2025 — Mon, May 5, 2025
- Mount Baker/North Ridge
- Climbing
- Successful
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- Road rough but passable
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Road conditions: Road to Heliotrope trailhead is open. Pretty potholey but as long as you go slow a sedan should be able to make it. No issues in Kelsey's crosstrek. A patch of snow blocking vehicle access to TH but cars can be parked about a quarter mile away.
Snow conditions: Thin crust with powder underneath in the early morning. Firm enough for crampons and kicking steps with considerable effort. Soft by early afternoon and postholing sometimes up to calf/knee deep.
Ice conditions: Solid alpine ice on the north ridge ice cap. Takes 13-19cm screws like a champ. Some dinner plating but generally good sticks.
Glacier conditions: Typical spring conditions. Few open crevasses on the Coleman glacier. Snow bridges holding.
Weather leading up to our climb (Sunday-Monday):
Gear Notes
- 2 technical tools each (Petzl Nomic & Petzl Gully)
- 10 screws
- 60m single rated dry rope (8.6 Edelrid Canary)
- Alpine draws, glacier travel gear, 4 pickets
Dates: May 4–5, 2025
Participants: Isley Gao, Kelsey Hoffman
Route: Mt Baker - North Ridge
Rating: Grade III, AI2-3, 45–60° snow/ice
Roundtrip Distance: ~13 miles
Elevation Gain: ~7,000
Caltopo GPX track: https://caltopo.com/m/F1PTU42
Day 1 – Heliotrope Trailhead to Camp (~6,200’)
We started from the trailhead around 10:30AM under clear skies. The trail was in good condition, with only minor blowdowns to manage and a well stomped down boot pack. Couple of stream crossings, but we were able to keep feet dry. We made decent time up the Heliotrope Ridge trail and into the Grouse creek drainage where multiple ski parties were descending. We chatted with a few groups and none seemed to have been able to summit that day, mentioning high winds.
We made our way past Hogsback camp and traversed left toward Gargoyle Rocks around 6200'. A couple tent sites were already melted out so we were able camp on the rocks rather than have to dig out a platform in the snow. Running water was also available by heading back a little toward the bottom of rocks we had passed on the way to camp so we didn't have to melt any snow for water. Here we were also able to get a good view of the North Ridge and ice cap we'd be climbing the next day.
Day 2 – Climb via North Ridge to Summit and descent
Alarms went off at 1:30 AM and we awoke to clear, calm skies. After double checking our gear and weighing down our tents, we got moving by 2:30 AM. We roped up to cross the upper Coleman Glacier and headed toward the north ridge. Some parties decide to head upwards early and cross the ridge at a higher point. We decided not to take our chances with the uncertainty of the rock steps as it looked like potentially tricky mixed climbing and we had no rock pro, so instead we went around the toe of North Ridge and climbed up the snow. As there were no visible/established boot paths, we expended a lot of time and energy kicking our own steps.
As we approached the ice cap we considered the options: route descriptions say that the left-most variations toward the nose would be lower angle and easier, the steepest climbing in the middle, and also routes that go through the rocks on the right side of the wall. We sort of ended up climbing a variation on the right side. The snow slope steepened before reaching the base of the wall so we set up a picket anchor in the snow and belayed from there.
The first ice pitch was in good condition: solid, slightly aerated alpine ice (~AI2-3). The ice took 13cm-19cm screws well and we pitched out about 35m before I built a 2 screw anchor and belayed Kelsey up. I led up another 35m section of ice before it turned into firm snow and built a picket + axe anchor after running out of rope (60m). Kelsey followed up shortly and continued on for another rope length, and then I cleaned the anchor and we simuled to the top to about 600' below the summit.
From here we had the option of going left and looking for the "secret passage" (Kelsey calls it the "Tunnel of Doom") or up toward the right around the bergshrund and then traverse leftward. We were surprised to see a very obvious bootpack toward the secret passage, so we opted to check it out and try that route (this ended up being the wrong decision).
We pitched out the traverse over soft, unconsolidated snow, and Kelsey down-led through the broken up seracs until she reached sketchy snow bridges over gaping crevasses.
Perhaps in firmer conditions this path would go, but considering how soft the snow was our lack of confidence that any of these steps would even hold our weight, we decided not to take the risk and instead back track toward the other option of heading right, stepping up over the bergschrund opening, and then traversing up and leftward toward the big flat slope before the summit.
Finally we summited at 3:40pm, later than expected, but still feeling in good spirits and happy that we made it up safely.
Descent via Roman Wall & Coleman Glacier
We descended the standard Coleman-Deming route. The Roman Wall had ridge of rime ice, and we down climbed it with two tools. This also took considerable time we as kicked our own steps. It seemed like the past couple days had not seen many climbers come up here so we didn't have the luxury of using someone else's steps. Hopefully whoever comes down next gets to enjoy a comfortable down climb using our steps!
It looked like ski tracks started at the base of the Roman Wall (~9000') and as the slope angle lessened we were super envious of the skiers who had come through this way.
We postholed back toward Hogsback, made an early traverse skier's right toward our camp at Gargoyle Rocks, packed up, and descended in twilight back to the cars.
