Mount Baker is one of the most beautiful volcanoes on the West Coast. Climb this technically moderate 10,781' peak with us on a 3 day day trip. We will climb via the Coleman-Deming route or the Easton Glacier. We also offer this trip as a 2-day climb.
If our prescheduled dates don't work with your schedule, just give us a call at 425-888-6397 x2 to make a private arrangement.
Mt. Baker is one of the most beautiful volcanoes on the West Coast. We usually climb this technically moderate and very glaciated 10,781' peak via the Coleman-Deming Glacier route on the north side. Occasionally, due to poor conditions on the Coleman-Deming, we climb the equally spectacular Easton Glacier on the south side. Based on feedback from our guides and clients, we are now offering regularly scheduled 3-day Baker climbs. If our scheduled climbs don't work for you, just let us know what dates work for you and we can add them to our calendar, or we can put together a private climb for you.
We recommend a 3-day climb because you have a night of rest after summiting before hiking out and driving home. You can expect to be back to the greater Seattle area in the afternoon. A third day also allows the opportunity to summit on the 2nd night/3rd day if the weather does not allow an attempt on the 1st night/2nd day.
Overall Difficulty: moderate
Skills: No prior mountaineering skills required. Experience hiking for long days with a heavy pack and overnight backpacking strongly encouraged.
Fitness Level: Strenuous. You must be able to carry a heavy pack for multiple days in a row for up to 8 hours at a time over 4500 feet of vertical elevation gain.
Coleman-Deming Route
Day 1: We generally meet at the Glacier Ranger Station in the little town of Glacier, WA. From the ranger station we will commute together to the end of the road at 3600 feet. A three to four hour hike will bring us to the spectacular Hogsback camp at 6000 feet. It is a very comfortable camp with running water. We also have the option to camp a little higher near the Black Buttes at 7000 feet. This would shorten the summit day effort a bit, but there is no running water. Either way, both camps are very spectacular.
Day 2: The summit day requires an early start (but nothing a good cup of coffee can't take care of). We will leave camp in the dark and head up the Coleman Glacier. The route will take us beyond the 7000 foot camp, past the spectacular Colfax Peak North Face and on to the Coleman-Deming Col at 9000 feet. It should take about 3 hours to get there. From the col, we will ascend the pumice ridge, and before making the final push up the Roman Wall (it is not that steep; about 35 degrees) to the summit plateau. A quick walk across the plateau will get us to Grant Summit at 10,871 feet. If all goes according to plan, we should summit at around 9am. This should see us back to our tents by the early afternoon.
Day 3: We will wake up, pack up, and mosey back to the cars. You can expect to be back to your cars before noon so you have plenty of time to get back to the greater Seattle area by the early afternoon.
Although tipping is not a requirement, it is considered standard practice in the guiding industry and is appreciated by our guides. We generally recommend roughly 10%-15% of your course or trip cost or a flat amount that you are comfortable with.
