HST Baker Climb

Mount Baker Summit July 30th!

On July 29th and 30th , the Hound Summit Team climbed Mount Baker, Washington in preparation for its Warrior Climb in August. While our primary mission was to scout out the routes and camp sites for our wounded warriors, we also received the added benefit of climbing a classic route in amazing conditions. HST Leaders Joshua Brandon, Mike Pickerel, and TJ Laynor climbed with HST warrior climber Kevin Burke on the Easton Glacier route. We arrived before lunch on Friday, July 29th, and headed up to camp at the base of the glacier. After running Kevin through a skills seminar, we ate some chow and bedded down for the night in calm, starry conditions. After a 1AM wake up, we choked down some watered down oatmeal and set off around 2 AM. We enjoyed absolutely perfect conditions under clear skies and mild weather, reaching the summit a little after 8. The relaxed pace allowed us to enjoy the mountain (as opposed to just our feet), and to get a good fell for the route we will take for the warrior climb in August. After getting some quick pictures on the summit, we headed down the Roman Wall and hung out at the steam vents for a bit. After that, we headed back down to camp, then suffered through the never ended hike back to the car to enjoy beef and cheese sticks and a celebratory Olly. 

Conditions on Baker remain absolutely incredible due to the heavy snows this winter and the mild weather we've had this summer. We're excited to climb the mountain in August with our warriors. It will be a challenging, yet beautiful climb. 

A special thanks to Outdoor Research and Sterling ropes who provided us with some clothing and technical gear to test out on the mountain. We'd also like to give the Girls on Ice (www.girlsonice,org) program a shout out. They were climbing on Baker the same time we were, and they have what looks like a really cool program. 

Summit!

Up to the vents

Down from the Summit

Sherman Peak from the vents

Rainier in the distance