Is that a hole in yer ass?

Since we downclimbed with so few protection pieces, on many occasions it was just as easy to sit on our butts and slide down the rock, slow and easy. Well for Michelle, that came @ a price since she was wearing some lightweight adventure racing tights. I think these went into the trash bin after our little adventure, didn't they Michelle?

Wild Blueberries!

So we make our way back to camp. Safe and sound we decide to stop and feast on some of the millions (no kidding) wild blueberries that have ripened in the September sun. These things could not taste any better. Many are too perfect for words.

Up, Up, Up and Down, Down, Down

The route description clearly states that little to no protection is necessary for the route through the Fisher chimneys. Just to be safe, I bring 3 smallish cams. Cams are not the lightest pro you can carry, but frankly they are in my mind, clearly the most versatile, hence they reason they were invented.

As we continue to move upward, I get crammed in a small crack with some moss and grass that needs some protection. Michelle gets herself sketched out scrambling up a piece of rock and needs my help to get her down. Hmmm...I thought this route didn't need any pro???? What is up with that....Stupidly, we climb on.

Three small pitches and 4 plus hours later, we're pinched. Climbed ourselves into a rock canyon that I CANNOT climb up. Son of a Bitch. Rat Bastard. Muther Fuck Fucker. The route I THINK we need to be on, is not our route. We're blocked. Shit all mighty, now we need to downclimb this bastard!!!

With very little pro, we get resourceful. I use slip knots and solid knob's to guide us down. We find a picket with a couple of 'biners on it. We use that. I sacrifice a brand new yates picket and Michelle offers up several runners during the course of our decent.

After our scramble down, we hit the safety of the talus slopes a little before noon. Time to get back to camp.

In the dark of the night....

We make our way along the trail head. As we approach the Fisher chimneys, they appear COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than when we reconned them just 8 hours earlier. We placed marker rocks near our suggested entrance point, but without my GPS, they were nearly impossible to find in the dark, even with a good headlamp. Hmmmm...I'm not for one who likes to wander around in the dark especially if you A) don't know where you are, and more importantly B) don't know where you need to go.

So, we decided to wait a couple hours until morning to get a better handle on things.

We have a plan!

I'd suggested we be on the summit no later than 10am, which was kinda pushing the outer limits of where I wanted to be on late summer melting snow. It was pretty consolidated and firm, but melting pretty fast and crevases were opening up on the lower portions. Michelle seemed to be good with my plan. We leave @ 1am.

Shuksan Recon

Michelle and I decide since we have some daylight and energy, we'll do some recon on the route through the Shuksan chimneys to ensure we get on the right track. Having limited confidence in the description in the Beckey book (hard to interpret for me) we sketch out a proposed route based upon what we've read.

We try to pick a route through the chimneys that appears the easiest. We later learned this was MUCH easier to say, than to actually do.

Based upon what we investifgated, we determined going AROUND the rock was easier than trying to climb up one of the cully faces.

Ah Fuck son, it's Shuksan

Before I head off for 2 months, Michelle and I decide to climb Mount Shuksan, via the Fisher chimneys. Here we are on the trail head, near the Lake Ann parking lot @ Baker National Forest.

Mt Baker

So, it's time to climb Baker. Mid-morning departure @ the Heliopolis Parking Lot.
Baker and wildflowers on the way up.

Brian really struggling to make it to Hogsback ridge. As a result, we have to abandon our quest for the top. Later that week, we find out why. I considerd going solo, but thought it was better to stay @ camp. Sunset with Mt. Baker in the background.

I am scarfing the Starbucks Pumpkin Scone I left in my truck the day before. I thought about it, the entire way down, hoping it wasn't too dried out to eat. Man I was prepared for a major bum out if it was hard as a rock. It wasn't, and I ate it in 2 bites.

BTW, in my opinion, Mt Baker area is MUCH prettier (more trees, better scenery, more mountains in the distance) and nicer (not as many people, more rustic) as Rainier.