Ok Ive been meaning to post some photos from my climb on Mt Baker in the Cascade range of Washington. So here it goes. First I have to pour myself a couple fingers of Jack Daniels and get my head on straight. Mt Baker isnt the tallest peak in the Pacific Northwest but it is the most glaciated mountain other than Mt Rainier. I have been guiding on Baker for over 10 years and have summited about 4 times out of 10. As a climber I am conservative, I like my climbers to come home alive. This trip was the third trip for a friend of mine and his son and I was hoping it was going to come together. I had turned them back a two times before for various reasons and hoped weather and conditions held for us this time... They did. Mt Baker is only a 10,700 foot peak but from 6000 feet you are on glaciers. The risk of injury and death are always there so it is a very serious mountain. This past year, July of 2011, was preceded by late spring snow and cool temps. This can be to an advantage or it can make for problems. The advantage is crevasses that are covered so you can somewhat easily climb. What was unique for me was this was the first time in 8 climbs I climbed kilted. That is why we are here, for the kilts. This was really my first in wearing kilts, even though a few weeks prior I had bought an off the rack Hecktor Russell kilt in Scotland. I ended up in REI in Seattle and got an Elkommando kilt. In all my years of approach climbing with a fully loaded pack this was the most comfortable. The following photos show me in my Elkommando with my clients. Dan and his son Justin were pretty good sports putting up with me and my kilts. They knew me well and knew I was a bit different so the kilt was an amusement to them. The approach to 6000 feet is a 3-4 hour hike up the Helitrope trail to base where we set up first camp. Usually this area has been melted out and has some platforms for setting up camp. This year it was still frozen over with no running glacier melt. We set the next camp at 8000 feet the following day and then got up at 1 am for a 3 am summit start. I had them on the summit by 630 am with a beautiful sunrise. We back tracked down and decide to pack out and find the nearest pub to celebrate... In Seattle Kells Irish pub is the place to go and we enjoyed some good food and some really fine Edradour 10 year old scotch..... The following photos are just a few, mostly to show that a kilt is quite a comfy bit of clothing on the approach. On the summit we had high winds but warm temps so pants were needed, lest my coin purse be open to the breeze... Reaching the summit is never a given, always appreciated and quite a task....


Setting out on our approach,, fully packed



On the trail to base



Putting on the all important glacier glasses to protect eyes



Heading up Hogsback ridge



Kilted at base camp



A little glacier ramble



Camp at 8000




Achieving the summit



Summit, the wind would have raised my kilt