Baker started off on a total whim. After getting shut down by weather for Adams, and encountering pretty terrible snow at Hood, Adrien and I decided that we’d better spend even more money on gas, and head up to the North Cascades. Adrien had a line he’d been eyeing on Colfax Peak, and an above-average snow year had us optimistic for 4th of July weekend. Plus, if the line on Colfax didn't go, we could climb and ski the Easton Glacier on Mt. Baker as a backup option.

On the afternoon of the 4th of July, Adrien and I pulled into the trailhead parking lot and snagged a climber’s campsite. It was a creekside campsite, with just enough snow melted out to make it useable. We quickly set up a tent and ate some food. We didn’t hear any fireworks all night, which was honestly a nice change.

July 5th

The 4:00 a.m. alarm couldn’t have come sooner. Adrien and I were a little slow to get out of bed, but we were on the trail by 4:30 and were making good pace. After a few miles, we found enough snow to throw skis and skins on. The sun was starting to rise, and we caught our first glimpse of Baker, painted in the pink morning light.

After a little while, we were passing the Easton Glacier’s base camp. Colfax Peak was coming into view, and unfortunately the line we’d been investigating was too melted out to ski. The Easton Glacier, however, looked great. We could see the ant-like figures miles away, higher up the volcano. We made good time, making sure to eat and drink often. Lately, I’ve been pushing myself to eat at least 100 calories per hour while touring. Gummy energy blocks, trail mix, and Snickers bars all work well.

About halfway up the Easton Glacier, I noticed my back was getting soaked. At first, I brushed it off as being sweat. A little further up, I knew something was off. I opened up my backpack, and my soft-sided water bottle had somehow been punctured by my ice axe, through the bottom of my bag. I started out with 2 liters, and there was roughly half of a liter of water left. Luckily, it wasn’t too cold out, so Adrien and I pushed upward and onward. Lesson learned: sharp objects and soft-sided water bottles don’t mix well.

Adrien and I were keeping a fast pace. We were overtaking the people who had been black specks a few hours earlier, and our legs felt great. Soon enough, we put our skis on our backs, and put on crampons for the final shot up the Roman Headwall. We flew up the face and crossed the summit plateau to reach the high point of Baker.

There was a guided group at the summit, and their guide offered to take a picture of Adrien and I on my camera. We thanked her, put on our skis, and started the long ski down. We skated over to the top of the Roman Headwall, and stared down the Easton Glacier. Over 6000 feet of skiing laid beneath us, and I had to take a moment to take in the view and the amazing day.

The Roman Headwall had around an inch of fresh snow on top of grippy chalk, so Adrien and I opted for the party shred. It’s crazy to think that some of the best snow I’ve skied all year was found in July. The snow slowly transitioned to corn, then to slush. We were whooping and hollering the entire way, flying by the hikers and glissaders. I stopped for a few photos along the way, and the snow conditions became pretty sloppy near the bottom.

We made it to the bottom, and started the hike out. By now, it was the early afternoon. We eventually made it back down to the trailhead, and took a quick rest at our campsite. Then, it was time to pack up to head back home, to Glacier National Park.