- Home
- Climbs
- Aug 02, 2017
-
-
Email -
Facebook -
Pinterest -
Twitter
-
Soaked and Stoked — A Family Climb of Mount Baker
Madness guide Mallorie Estenson shares a soggy but successful Mount Baker climb with a family and their friend. Interested in a climb with your family? Also check out Mount Adams and Ruth Mountain!
On Thursday, Arthur Herlitzka and I drove down the Mount Baker Highway, coffee in-hand and windshield wipers working. After a full month of trips in perfect weather, the ‘Pacific North Wet’ was finally living up to its reputation.
I thought to myself, “I hope everyone brought good rain gear.”
As we got to the trailhead, we transitioned into boots and full raingear and set off down the trail at a comfortable clip. Arthur and I were traveling with a party of five, the Dahl family and their friend Michaela Flum. Maybe the group was really strong, or maybe nobody felt like hanging around in the rain, because we only paused for a break once on the way to camp.
Fortunately, the rain let up long enough for us to get through snow school, where we covered the basics of walking on snow and self-arrest. We had Thai vegetable curry for dinner and then got to bed early, hoping that the break in the weather would last.
Fast forward to 2:00 a.m.: I unzipped my tent and rainfly to reveal a sky full of stars. It was a good start to an excellent day.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSunrise_on_Baker_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=24c334e1c500791d2ff3fcd96e7b5233 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSunrise_on_Baker_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=025084ab5218b6bc956d665962fdc770 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSunrise_on_Baker_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=459490f023bbb453215e6621637a94b4 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSunrise_on_Baker_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=900d166e9ba71b61edd9895e030cf516 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSunrise_on_Baker_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=40b0a173d469c9cbe9a00357e4b7321a 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSunrise_on_Baker_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=4728c6f5b1081dc6c5b9cb266330e551 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSunrise_on_Baker_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=b2bc9150b38471673d1b7d1ce5171140 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSunrise_on_Baker_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=a84ae6e45d59e6ac569020be75d97905 1600w)
A beautiful sunrise on Mount Baker.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHigh_Roman_Wall_looking_at_Colfax_and_Lincoln_Peaks_foreground_Anacortes_Bellingham_Canada_beyond_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=3624a260630888dd85ec2b5b17636b8e 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHigh_Roman_Wall_looking_at_Colfax_and_Lincoln_Peaks_foreground_Anacortes_Bellingham_Canada_beyond_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=985726bc2536fe221ecc449d6bf42e1a 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHigh_Roman_Wall_looking_at_Colfax_and_Lincoln_Peaks_foreground_Anacortes_Bellingham_Canada_beyond_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=24de78b300ab61f4fe83f5567721cdd9 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHigh_Roman_Wall_looking_at_Colfax_and_Lincoln_Peaks_foreground_Anacortes_Bellingham_Canada_beyond_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=a14383f872f9eee226be52c37db689ca 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHigh_Roman_Wall_looking_at_Colfax_and_Lincoln_Peaks_foreground_Anacortes_Bellingham_Canada_beyond_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=7270b4db66e33bb365da556551e61408 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHigh_Roman_Wall_looking_at_Colfax_and_Lincoln_Peaks_foreground_Anacortes_Bellingham_Canada_beyond_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=5c2525c015e079c5f882ae5934da4a9f 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHigh_Roman_Wall_looking_at_Colfax_and_Lincoln_Peaks_foreground_Anacortes_Bellingham_Canada_beyond_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=139b7a37f43623cbcb477d0554bfbd91 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FHigh_Roman_Wall_looking_at_Colfax_and_Lincoln_Peaks_foreground_Anacortes_Bellingham_Canada_beyond_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=5d491091b74fb8cccd5ea165e5e900a3 1600w)
High on the Roman Wall, my team pauses to take a look at Colfax and Lincoln Peaks in the foreground; Anacortes, Bellingham and Canada beyond.
After a quick cup of coffee, a ham and cheese breakfast croissant, and a few crampon adjustments, we were on our way to the top just before 4 a.m.
Arthur roped up with the Dahl parents, Dan and Megan. I was excited when I learned I would have an all-lady rope team with the Dahl daughters, Tatum and Scarlett, and their friend Michaela.
Once again, we set off at a speedy clip and found ourselves on the summit just before 9:30 a.m. With a few quick breaks along the way and a pause for blister mitigation, we made excellent time climbing from Hogsback camp at roughly 5,500 feet to the top at 10,781 feet.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTop_of_Baker_CD_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=b479a15df1abacd0c9ec1543a9d25621 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTop_of_Baker_CD_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=2a307eb9fca95c6c2249c78237fffe24 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTop_of_Baker_CD_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=cf34cafb42f5eb83750c131b0e8609e6 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTop_of_Baker_CD_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=a33d7622f73facf117aea61e09d047bd 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTop_of_Baker_CD_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=876e0a1e0a8d53ab612a170c28fbc575 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTop_of_Baker_CD_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=154b483a3e838e2c52057698cae4fb3b 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTop_of_Baker_CD_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=3c54d8ee9a9ccd891ad634f745cd9ae2 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FTop_of_Baker_CD_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=4c61237f2f8a2b1e0ab0edcf3eb2fe27 1600w)
Our team on top of Mount Baker (10,781’) after climbing the Coleman Deming route.
After summiting, we enjoyed a leisurely afternoon around camp and happily climbed into our sleeping bags before sunset.
I woke up around 5 a.m. on our final day to the sound of wind blasting my tent and rain pelting down from above. I willed myself back to sleep hoping that it would clear up by 7 a.m., when we’d planned on getting up. Once again, I woke up around 6:30 to the sounds of the storm… And when it was finally 7 a.m., it was still raging. Thank goodness we’d gotten our perfect weather window the day before.
As we began the hike out, I think our party was both soaked and stoked; drenched by the downpour but excited that we’d made it to the top. It was an excellent trip.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSoaked_and_stoked_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=347d2520ebf78629e901ad2e4a256f83 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSoaked_and_stoked_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=fcec48f76b9502cdd2b3f7c94496f674 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSoaked_and_stoked_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=0ac26244c78e1d7d6b96da8bf8764003 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSoaked_and_stoked_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=41217bb3c0afda658181c84f841eb9d9 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSoaked_and_stoked_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=21d79f4d19400a46018e41a7c97799a8 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSoaked_and_stoked_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=19b423d85c1e5990d4805adb56168d9a 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSoaked_and_stoked_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=9679ed9ed91c1e4c7780f84a8da21a31 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FSoaked_and_stoked_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=6e3737cd2359540d6acfa5b7d10b2220 1600w)
Soaked & stoked with Michaela and the Dahl family!
~Words and images, MM Guide Mallorie Estenson