Mt Baker (10,778 ft)

The moment arrives,
the silence of the night broken by the cry “Let’s go climbing!”
Multi-colored tents burst into life, as headlamps flick on and climbers begin their preparations
Stoves roar, heating water for a quick breakfast
Last minute equipment checks are made
Rope teams assemble and climbers rope up and check each other
“figure-eight through the loops? biners locked? harness doubled back? prussiks right?”

Climbers await their turn to head out into the night, as one by one the rope teams string out
Finally, finally, shivering in the cold, frosty night air, the team begins to move, one climber at a time,
stiff frozen ropes uncoiling on the crusty, frozen snow
The long line of rope teams wind their way up the slopes like a giant caterpillar
a string of headlamps inching their way towards the summit

The night is illuminated by moonlight and the multitudinous stars shine in all their glory,
accompanied by the sounds of ice axes and crampons on crusty snow
and the incessant clatter of pieces of ice skittering down the slopes

As the climb progresses, altimeters are checked,
seven-thousand, eight thousand…
City lights begin to appear in the far off distance
Dawn approaches; the sky begins to grow light
Headlamps are switched off one by one
Mountains are bathed in the pink of dawn
The smell of sulfur grows stronger as the climbers near the caldera with its rising steam

A break and then the final push
The Roman Wall is breached and then climbers crest onto the ridge
The summit comes into sight,
basked in the brilliance of the risen sun; the ice glazed ground glistens
The climbers struggle on,
feeling the climb and the thin air

Then at last, at last
the summit, the summit!

The moment has arrived!


Baker comes into sight


Easton Glacier; Black Buttes


camp at 6300 ft


route up through the Easton moraine


the approach route to the summit crater


Colfax Pk


summit crater


view south


clouds gather


sunset toward Rainier


rest stop at the caldera


the caldera


the caldera


view south


Lincoln & Colfax Pks


Baker casts its shadow


Sherman Pk & crater


rope teams coming up



skirting the caldera & crater


the route up




the caldera from above


the caldera








crevasse


icefall


seracs


approaching the summit


gathering on the summit


summit view west


summit view south


summit view north


summit view southeast


view southwest


the route across the crest


heading back down