June 5, 2010, Mt Baker via Coleman

Headed up the Coleman Glacier via Heliotrope Ridge Trail from the end of Glacier Creek Road #39. Great day and flawless weather. We were anticipating a great powder run down the Roman Wall but when we got to Colfax col around 9000 feet everything was glazed over with ice. We already had the ski crampons on from around 8500 feet but we weren't getting any penetration above the col. My skis were teeter-tottering over the crampons on the hard, impenetrable ice. None of us had brought boot crampons or ice axe. We got to around 9500 feet and decided we were improperly equipped for the conditions. The skiing would have been bone-jarring on the Roman Wall anyways. Folks with proper gear were heading up without problem.



Grouse Creek just below the parking lot.

Jumbles of ice.

Top of the moraine.

Our route from around 6500 feet.

Around 8000 feet ASL.

Colfax Peak.

Nicolas looking cold on the Roman Wall.



Off to grab a few more turns.



Looking back to the Roman Wall on Mount Baker. Part of the Black Buttes in the foreground.

Philip skis.

Nicolas skis.

Does this have a name? Lincoln Peak?

Guided party heading up. Our tracks heading down.

Looking down from the top of Heliotrope Ridge Trail. The trail comes out of the forest at the bottom of the snow tongue.

Philip hiking back. We managed to ski to this point and now had to walk the rest of the way back to the trailhead parking lot.