From Backcountry to Baker: The Epic Finale to Our First Ski Touring Season

TLDR: Jas and I summited Mt Baker, finishing off our first ski touring season. It was epic!

Ending the '23/24 ski season standing atop the iconic North Cascades volcano, Jas and I smile widely with excitement, masking our exhaustion.

Not only did this summit require a lot of effort on the day, but also effort in preparation and planning. But all that lead-up made for an even more rewarding experience. Here's how it went down.

From Beginner to Backcountry

If you haven't had a chance to read the first installment of our ski touring story, you can check it out using this link:

The summary is that Jas learned to ski in the backcountry starting late December 2023, after switching from snowboarding at the resort. I had skied on and off for years, and had unsuccessfully attempted to get into backcountry skiing a few years ago. This time around, things would be different. While the snow quality was lacking, our enjoyment of the winter was not! As I taught Jas to ski, we entered into a new medium of mountain travel, and a new way to spend time together. The investment of time for learning to backcountry ski together had payoffs of epic proportions, and it hasn't stopped!

The Preparation:

Chasing the coattails of the winter ski season, our attention turned to spring objectives. The main goal was to ski tour up Mt. Baker, which I snowshoed in 2023 and swore I'd only return to on skis.

After a text from my friend Anthony asking if I wanted to ski Garibaldi NE Face, the ol' brain gears started turning... I roped my friend Ben in, and after Jas expressed interest in joining, I got excited!

This would be a great opportunity to integrate time with friends and Jas with practicing glacier travel and getting in a big fitness day on skis. I decided before the trip that I would happily forgo summiting Garibaldi to stay with Jas if it meant she would feel comfortable joining. Meanwhile, Ben and Anthony could ski the NE face together. Win-win!

Leading up to this, we had done a few crevasse rescue practice days with friends. We spent time honing our skills of rope rescue using 3:1 and 5:1 pulley systems, digging T-slot snow anchors, and getting a feeling for the situation we all hope to avoid: falling in a crevasse.

Mt. Garibaldi (almost)

On April 13, we woke up at 2 am, met Ben and Anthony, and rumbled off in Ben's Hilux Surf towards Squamish for an alpine start. Don't be fooled by the highlight photos, it was a slog! We started up the Brohm FSR around 5:30 am... 30km, 1700m of elevation gain, and 11 hours later, we got back to the car. It was a bit of a sufferfest, but it was also epic. Jas' longest day in the mountains to date, and both of our longest day in ski boots. We got some sweet turns on the glacier, and the FSR was better skiing than expected on the way down.

While we didn't summit Garibaldi, we did enjoy a great day together, practicing some skills and moving our legs in the mountains. I also borrowed my dad's camera and snapped some photos of Ben and Anthony skiing the NE Face, and my favourite shot was of Jas skiing with Garibaldi looming in the background. This trip was a great investment towards future endeavors!

The Planning

Nearly a month later, the weather was looking good for an attempt on Mt Baker. The forecast was hot all week, and the freezing level above 3000m, which could mean mushy snow conditions. But, the weekend called for two more clear days, which would hopefully result in the surface freezing overnight. Despite the chance of mediocre ski conditions, we had no certainty of good weather in the upcoming weeks, so we decided to go for it!

Saturday, May 11, 2024

After running around in town doing errands, we got down to business packing our gear and pre-making "breakfast" and snacks for the next day.

Gear

After a conversation with my friend Ben, I was convinced that it was worthwhile packing our beacons, probes, and shovels. I didn't bring these last year when I snowshoed Baker, with the advice that avalanches aren't as likely in spring. If one did happen, the person(s) would be swept into a crevasse rather than buried, requiring rope gear not shovels and probes.

While it's true that the chances of avalanche burial are less likely on a glacier in spring (especially on Baker's low angle Easton route), the avalanche rescue tools have other possible uses. The beacon could help locate someone in a crevasse during the ski down, while the shovel could dig a cave in an emergency, and the probe could be used to test snow bridges. Thus, the value of the tools far "outweighed" their bulk and heft.

For crevasse gear with a 2-person group, I use a hybrid rope system: 1 x 30m dynamic BD 7.9mm half-twin rope, and 1 x 30m static Petzl 6mm RAD Line. The dynamic rope goes between climbers, with a shoulder coil of the extra rope, while the RAD line gets deployed in the event of a crevasse fall. Below you can find drop-down lists of the gear we used for Garibaldi and Baker.

Glacier Gear List

Helmet (Petzl Sirocco / Meteora)
Harness (BD Couloir / PZ Aquila)
Petzl Micro Traxion (1 each)
Petzl Partner Pulley (1 each)
Petzl Tibloc (1 each)
2 x Locking Biners (each)
2 x Non-locking biners (each)
1 x 1 metre prusik cord (5mm) (each)
2 x 5 metre prusik cord (6mm) (each)
30m rope (7.9mm dynamic / 6mm RAD line)
Ice axe (PZ Ride / Raven Pro)
Crampons (PZ Sarken / PZ Leopard)
First Aid Kit: C-splint, tensor, custom kit / emergency blanket + bivy

Ski / Avy / Misc Gear List

Clothing List (Greg's / Jas')

I took a crevasse rescue course in 2022, and I'm quite familiar with rope skills from climbing. During Baker and Rainier trips last year I got some practice as well, but thankfully no one fell in a crevasse! Thus, I felt confident teaching Jas the necessary skills for crevasse rescue and glacier travel.

I would highly recommend taking a Crevasse Rescue Course from an ACMG guide, or at least getting an experienced friend to "show you the ropes," before venturing into glaciated terrain.

If you don't have the money or time for a course, or don't have a friend with experience, Petzl has some really helpful resources online, linked below. Freedom of the Hills is another great resource for mountain travel of all kinds, including skills and techniques from rock climbing to glacier travel.

Petzl: Crevasse Rescue No. 1

Petzl: Crevasse Rescue No. 2

Petzl: Crevasse Rescue No. 3

The Party!

Sunday, May 12, 2024

Unintentionally, our trip landed exactly 1 year after I snowshoed Baker; what are the odds! Our day technically started on Saturday, which went something like:

In bed by 8 pm May 11
Alarm for 10:30 pm
Depart at 11 pm
Arrive at 1:40 am on May 12
20 minute car nap

After our nap, we fought off yawns and braved the cold night air. Setting off from the car at 2:20 am, we knew we had a long day ahead.

The beginning of the Easton Route starts with low-grade forest service road, followed by a bridge crossing. We were able to put on our skis pretty much immediately, following a mix a skintrack and snowmobile treads. Soon, we made our way up towards the toe of the Easton glacier.

I spotted headlamps ahead, which came from two groups that started before us. We soon caught up, but we encountered the first navigational challenge that had slowed them down: getting across the many streams to gain the glacier. Thankfully, I had last year's GPS track downloaded on my watch, so I was able to guide us to that route. It was a higher snow year in 2023, so I didn't encounter any stream crossings then. This time around, it would be a major annoyance on the way down, unless we could find an alternative path... After A-framing our skis to boot-pack across a few streams and up embankments, we emerged onto the glacier, just as dawn began to light up the surrounding terrain.

We rounded the corner of the moraine and got our first glimpse of the Roman Headwall and Sherman Peak. Still a long way off, we shut off our headlamps and trudged on.

At this point, we listened to podcasts to pass time as we skinned up the glacier. Our go-to's are Armchair Expert, Armchair Anonymous, and Flightless Bird. Highly recommend!

As the dawn turned to sunrise, our spirits lifted, and we got a spring in our step as we soaked in the scenic horizon of cascading mountains. Aside from one of my ski crampons falling off twice and sliding down the snow (thankfully retrieved easily; but G3, I've got some complaints!), the day was going smoothly. I ended up using my ski leashes to secure the pesky crampons so they wouldn't slide into a crevasse up higher.

After about 4.5 hrs, we reached an elevation of 2000m and decided to sit down for a much needed snack break. We spent about an hour munching food, resting, and applying sunscreen before putting on our harnesses and roping up.

Reinvigorated, we pushed on.

Jas led the charge, partly to set the pace, and partly because I am heavier and more experienced in crevasse rescue if it came to that. We passed several overnight groups higher up on the glacier, exchanging hellos and where-are-you-from's. I recall we started listening to a crazy podcast episode about stalkers on Armchair Anonymous. We had intentionally skipped it during the dark hours of the morning.

The glacier steepened briefly, and pretty soon, we arrived at the volcano crater. This year, it didn't smell as badly of eggs! The wind had picked up, and we spent some time huddled in our parkas eating some more food. I forgot to take any photos because we were so dang cold!

We watched a party of skiers descend the Roman headwall, and all thoughts of skiing from the summit vanished. Snow conditions were mediocre at best, and with the heightened consequence of crevasses below the Roman headwall, it was an easy decision to ditch the skis at the crater.

While neither of us got altitude sick (which can happen at different elevations depending on the person), we did feel less pepp in our step as we boot-packed up the headwall. About halfway up, Jas spotted an object, so I traversed over to investigate. I moved rather quickly over to it, and noticed I was panting heavily from the exertion. 3,000m is a tad higher than sea level! To my surprise, it was a Petzl RAD Line (a very expensive rope), so I shoved it under my shoulder strap to return to the owner.

The summit pinnacle on Baker is rather uninteresting, requiring over half a kilometre of flat walking after climbing the Roman headwall.

Finally, exhausted, we plodded over to the large crowd of people just below the summit. After climbing the short slope to the top, we got blasted by relentless wind. No wonder everyone was hiding in a low spot!

Another climbing party arrived at the summit and we exchanged favours snapping summit photos. It was quite incredible to stand atop the tallest peak that we can see from Chilliwack! The views extended far in every direction from the sea of mountains in the North, East, and South, to the ocean's shoreline in the West.

Ironically, standing on Baker doesn't offer the most stunning views of other mountains. Rather, it dwarfs all the surrounding peaks; a reminder that sometimes the best views come from the least impressive summits, like Elk Mountain back home!

While Jas took a summit snooze, I toodled off to snap some photos of our home Cheam Range and Slesse Peak. Glad I borrowed my dad's camera again for some extended zoom!

After about 30 minutes, I woke Jas and we ate a few morsels of food before packing our bags for the descent. We took our time heel-plunging down the headwall back to our stashed skis. Back at the sulphur pit, I mentioned the lost-and-found rope to another group and they gave me the owner's number. Unenthused about the inevitable back-and-forth to return the rope, I gladly accepted a Seattle team's offer to return it. So, I passed on the RAD line and his number.

We clicked into our skis and tightened our boots, mentally preparing to ski the 2000m back to the car...

The snow was absolute mush, causing our already tired legs to burn. Slowly but surely, taking breaks after a few turns, we made steady downward progress. Thankfully, there are few crevasses on the Easton route, making for less stressful navigation.

As 100m of descent turned into 500m, to 1000m, to 1500m, we started to appreciate the vastness of the glacier and the ground we covered that day. Now in full force, the sunlight illuminated some spectacular sculptures in the frozen landscape. From rocky summits, to glacier ice, to chunky crevasse formations, to little snow homes reminiscent of the Flintstones, there was something to catch our gaze at every turn.

Eventually, we rounded the corner into the exit moraine, losing sight of the summit. As we descended, more dirt and rocks poked out of the snow, along with trees. This reminded us of the finicky stream crossings in the upcoming glacier terminus. We started surveying the path ahead for ways to avoid taking off our skis and walking.

Eureka!

Just up ahead, we spotted a fork in the ski tracks, with one side returning to the rocks and silt, and another shooting off into the woods along a creek bed. After a brief discussion, we decided it would be worth investigating the forest path. Worst case scenario was that we would have to take off our skis and walk, which the alternative option condemned our fate to anyways.

And oh my goodness did we choose well. What ensued was without a doubt the highlight of our day, if not the entire ski season. A path through the forest meandered back and forth over, above, across, and adjacent to a stream for several kilometres. Thanks to all that time on Zoa, tree skiing is Jas' favourite! It was incredibly entertaining weaving our way around treewells and over snowbridges. We laughed endlessly as we soaked in the sunlight streaming through the trees, a magical setting.

With each turn, it seemed increasingly improbable that this ski track would continue unhindered back and forth across the creek. But over and over, we discovered just enough snow to carry on.

Finally, the jig was up, and we caught up to another party taking their skis off to cross the stream. I didn't want to get my boots wet by wading, so I scouted a spot where I could toss our skis to a snowbank and gingerly step on wet rocks to the other side. A little downstream, I found a tree with a limb leaning across a narrow section, so Jas made her way over to it. With one pole outstretched for me to grab, Jas leapt from the branch while I yanked her over with the pole. Teamwork!

After a short while, we rejoined the uptrack and skied down to the car, only taking off our skis three times the entire way down from the crater, and only in the last 30 minutes of the day! Back at the car, we began peeling off the layers of jackets and ski gear. There are few things in life that cause as much relief as removing skit boots after 15 hours in them. Feet white and wrinkled, we stepped into a change of clothes and drove back home. We got back around 9 pm... 22 hours after we departed. Energy tanks empty, but hearts full. Now that's what I call a perfect end to our first ski touring season!

Epilogue: an Ode to My Wife

I'm so incredibly proud of Jas. This year, she ventured out of her comfort zone to learn how to ski, with her first day being in the backcountry! Overcoming her fears of speeding downhill out of control, she worked on her pizza turns until she could confidently make her way down. Pizza turned to french fry, and pretty soon she was able to really enjoy the terrain in our backcountry. After an already solid first ski season, she tackled not one, but two massive days on skis with style and a smile: Garibaldi and Baker. Jasmine is strong, courageous, cheerful, hilarious, adventurous, and she loves going uphill. I'm a lucky guy to be married to such a spectacular woman.

This season has certainly been one to remember and revel in. It also happens to be our first year of marriage. While ski adventures are a blast, eventually our focus will shift to other things, especially when we start a family. But one thing is for sure, life's seasons will bring plenty of challenges to face, along with valuable lessons and opportunities to grow. Much like weeding, tilling, sowing, and reaping a harvest from a garden, so is the relational process of growing together. Here's to a lifetime of "gardening" together, with many adventures and a whole lot of growing to look forward to. I love you Jas!

Links to Strava Activities: (click photo to access Strava Link)