The Last Baker Summit Climb of the Season

Well, the summer season is winding down. August 11-13 was the last of the 3-day Baker climbs. It's interesting to see the changes in the mountain as the season goes by. 

First, the weather. Cold and rain gives way eventually to heat and brilliant sunshine. On this trip we were grateful for some cloud cover on the first day, it helped keep the approach hike cool. Then days 2 and 3 were 'splitter', clear skies and lots of sun. The heat of the summer had come and gone and even the parking lot, usually very hot, was pleasant and cool.

The snowpack has settled into a firm surface that makes for easy and fun climbing. No sinking in now, at least not in the morning. That's one reason why we get such an early start on summit day, to make the travel easier. The settled snowpack also exposes more crevasses. This is good, it's easy to see and avoid them.

And of course the people change. Matt is new this year at Alpine, and has much potential:

Devin and I go quite a ways back. He and I did our medical training together, and he hired on in 2007. Always a ham, that Devo. In 2008 he suffered a detached retina, and in 2009 I lost a testicle, so when we climb together we call our team "three eyes, three balls." We figure that between us there might be a decent climber in there...

As usual, there are decisions to be made out there. Matt and myself are employing a protocol called "Cowboy, Ninja, Grizzly Bear." Cowboy can shoot Grizzly Bear, but Ninja kicks the gun out of Cowboys' hand. Devin took the photo, and afterwards commented that since Matt was dressed head to toe in black, Ninja was an easy guess. Live and learn.

Guiding is subtle. People think I'm being friendly by busting out gummy bears on the summit, which is true, but I'm also getting simple sugar in their blood so they are sharp for the first part of the descent.

Another summit.

After the photo I shooed them off the top so we could have a special guide meeting. The last time Devin and I worked together was with Suz last year on Rainier. So this time I gave him some of her ashes to scatter. He appreciated it. There's a special camaraderie between guides that only guides understand.

So, one more trip on Baker this year, a 6-day instructional course. More teaching, less climbing. Then, the work shifts to Rainier.

Yesterday was my last day at the co-op. Returning to full-time guide work has been a long time coming, and it's pretty bittersweet now. It still feels like the right thing to do. Seems that the mountains have worked their way into my blood now :-)

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