Mt. Baker - check! 10,778 feet!

Well, this weekend I made a summit attempt at Mt. Baker. The weather was looking a little sketchy on Saturday but we woke up at 12 a.m. on Sunday morning to crystal clear skies!


Hiking on the way up the morraine

As we walked up on to the final part of the moraine before the section we got onto the glacier, I got hit in the knee by rock fall. I wasn't even about to let that slow me down! I was going to climb that damn mountain!


Sunset over Mt. Baker


Lincoln Peak

It was really pretty easy I thought but I was getting tired by the time we got to the Sherman Crater. Did I mention Mt. Baker is an active volcano? Well, it is and there were sulfuric steam vents that were really quite loud and you could see the steam coming out of the open section of the volcano!


Sunrise over Sherman Crater


Tom and I below Sherman Crater

As we trudged up the final 1,000-1,500 feet we got to the flat section on top of this mountain that is about the size of a football field. It was quite odd because you would sit there and see nothing but blue sky until you walked closer to the edge and you would see the surrounding mountain ranges. There were guys throwing a frisbee up there and I got a big kick out of that! The flat area is actually the false summit so we dropped our packs and headed out to the REAL summit and stood up there to take pictures of the crater from above it.


Laying down on the snow at the false summit


Relaxing on the false summit with Tom


The True Summit


False Summit


Me standing above Sherman Crater


Tom, Darren, and I at the True Summit


Looking at Sherman Crater


Crevasses

I led the route down and we practically ran with plunge steps. I was ready to get off of the mountain by then because it was sweltering hot and you have to wear gortex pants and jacket so if you fall you don't get ice burn or worse, hypothermia, from falling in a crevasse.


Ice formation


More Ice formations


Me leading the climb down