Since then I have climbed Mount Baker often, mostly on skis in spring, sometimes via an alternate route up Grouse Creek where I didn't have to carry the skis as far as along the Heliotrope Trail. I usually also bypassed the Roman Wall by traversing lower down to the crater where it was less steep and the snow softened up sooner. In the 1970 fumerole activity increased significantly in the crater and I wanted to see this close up. [photo]img454.jpg[caption]The crater in 1966[/photo]
[photo]img393.jpg[caption]Crater from the west 1976[/photo]
I remember that on our first ski tour we often heard the rumble of ice avalanching below the Roosevelt Glacier. In the following years the avalanche debris formed a ramp that eventually reached to the top of the cliff and allowed the glacier to flow unbroken over it. Meanwhile the Coleman Glacier formed a big lobe in the valley bottom. however before the two glaciers could merge retreat began faster than the... To see the full trip report you must login as a paid member. Use the Login Page. (message p3)