Kulshan North Ridge

My dude Colin and I climbed the N. Ridge of Baker last weekend, and it was fabulous. It truly is one of the "classic" alpine climbs in our Great PNW. Upon reaching the serac, we were mildly irritated to see a group of 12+ clogging the main ice cliff, and therefore we investigated the climber's right variation that traverses under the cliff and to a small rock outcropping. I managed to nearly get decapitated by falling ice which sort of frazzled my nerves, and so I was stoked that Colin to the lead through this section. We carried skis / splitboard, and descended the CD. I believe we were 9 hours up, 30 minutes from summit to tent....felt like cheating. I've had some thoughts of attempting a shred descent of this route for years, and now having climbed it twice, I think that my personal risk tolerance capacity has shrunk to a more appropriate size than it may have been in earlier iterations of myself. 

With this heat, I doubt the ski descent will still be viable in the coming weeks, but the climbing route up the NR should be stellar for a while still. 

First photo by Jon Skurlock. Standard route in red, our variation in yellow.