Entries from North Cascades

We’re back at camp having successfully climbed the north ridge. We currently have our feet out in the sun and we’re listening to the namesake of the cascades: the sound of cool, running water.

- RMI Guide Tom Skoog

RMI team led by Ray Holt successfully summitted Mt. Baker on their July 7–9 climb. With favorable conditions and strong teamwork throughout the trip, the team achieved a 100% summit success rate, with every climber reaching the top.

Congrats, team!

Custom RMI trip led by Henry Coppollilo successfully summitted Mt. Shuksan. The team ascended via the Fisher Chimneys, a classic route that involves a mix of hiking, rock climbing, and glacier travel through beautiful North Cascade terrain.

The team is back at camp now, and said they had a lovely day.

Great work, team!

RMI Guide Nick Sinapius led his team to the summit of Mt. Baker via the North Ridge early this afternoon. After a successful summit day, the team will spend one more night on the mountain to rest and recuperate before descending to the trailhead tomorrow morning, where they will conclude their trip.

RMI climbers, led by Ray Holt, started their trip on the Fourth of July with the goal of climbing Mt. Baker via the Easton Glacier. At 8:00 p.m. on July 5, they achieved that goal and reached the summit of Mt. Baker! Today concludes their trip as they walk out with another Washington volcano summit story to tell.

Congratulations team!

Due to a snowstorm, the RMI Guide Jackson Breen and  Team turned around at 8,500 feet yesterday during their summit attempt. The team is descending to the trailhead today.

After an early morning gear-check in Sedro-Woolley, we arrived at the trailhead to find front row parking. We made last adjustment to our packs and began our hike. Despite the forecast heat, we found pleasant hiking temps thanks to a cloudy sky and light but steady breeze. On the Railroad Grade we were treated to the peak bloom for Meadow Penstemon and Spreading Phlox. We made camp and were treated to a 2-hour sunset light show. 

On School Day we made a short trek downhill to our site, a small valley that overlooks the Demming Glacier Icefall. We spent the morning building skill and confidence with crampons and ice axes. After lunch our focus turned to safety techniques like Self Arrest and Rope Travel. During the rope travel practice time we made our way to an overlook and admired the icefall for a moment. 

That evening we were down before any sunset lights could begin. We awoke at 0100 and started our climb at 0200. Step kicking from camp we made quick time up the snow and rock from Sandy Camp to the Easton Glacier. We donned the rope and continued through delightfully firm slush (contradictory as it sounds). The glacier provided mostly easy travel, with only a 1,000 or so feet of frustrating breakable crust. At the crater we marveled at the constant hissing and rumble; we may have snickered at the accompanying smell. An hour later we were on top, with relatively few others around. The summit views were spectacular, with clear views of Rainier, the Cascades and the Tantalus. After a quick descent, we packed up camp and tromped our way down the trail to our cars. 

- RMI Guide Joe Crawford

Mount Baker season is here! We met at Bingham Park and got right into it. We framed our climb around team work and risk management, so we spent our morning setting that up with a thorough gear check and packing lesson. We laid out our plans and previewed how each segment plays into our team risk management strategy. The first day would be all about learning the pace and self-care we would need on the upper mountain. We quickly found a pace that could only be described as relentlessly moderate. After a couple hours of hiking in the cool temps we got to our rock outcrop at Sandy Camp. After a brief break to take in the views of the Sisters Range and the Puget Sound, we made a robust snow camp. Snow camping, we determined, is a craft best learned in the warm temps and long days near the Solstice. 

The following day we used our Snow School to fill out our risk management plan by learning the skills to handle moving through snow and ice. Our morning hours were cool enough to provide the firm snow that makes school most rewarding. We learned to walk like French mountain guides (upright with a baguette in hand) and to climb in the heavy metal style of German technique. In the afternoon we roped up and learned to stop each other from falling down the mountain. A small, steep roll in the terrain provided the perfect place to develop trust in our teammates by flinging ourselves down the slope.  

In the wee hours, we awoke and prepared for the climb ahead. We put our plan into play and began the climb uphill with the same group pace we learned on the way to camp. Our team was at the front of a line of 50 or so climbers. While some would pass us for a moment here and there, we managed to keep astride of all comers with our diligent, steady pace. After two of our comrades ended their climb at the crater rim, we carried on up the Roman Headwall. This final steep step tested our new cramponing skills as the boot track was crawling with people. We decided to step out of the track and were rewarded with perfect Styrofoam conditions for cramponing. At the summit, which we had to ourselves, we had a group dance party and took all the pictures. 

Motivated by thoughts of Steak Fajitas and Margaritas, we descended swiftly through punchy snow, and down sandy trail to our cars at Park Butte TH. A short hour later, we shared a final meal at the ever-classic end-of-trip spot Lorenzo's. 

- RMI Guide Joe Crawford

Thursday, 5/28 6 PM PST

All is well up here! Turned at 8100’ and we had a great day of skiing the Roosevelt Glacier instead! Great temps and good skiing concluded the day. 

-RMI Guide Sam Marjerison

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

On the second day of our trip we had a leisurely morning, enjoying our breakfasts while the sun worked its way out of the clouds. We spent half the day practicing roped travel and discussing some of the other techniques involved in glacier travel. After the sun had us half baked we turned around and skied the warm, soft snow on the glacier back down to camp. After a brief siesta we dove into some more technical skills associated with crevasse rescue. Once the spongey parts of the brain seemed at capacity we chilled a little more and made dinner. 

The next day started much earlier with the goal of reaching the crater rim. Undesirable snow conditions made skiing off the top a less attractive prospect. We left camp in the dark and hacked our way through some frozen piles of avalanche debris and old tracks and back onto the glacier. Slowly the pale gray light of dawn bloomed into a stunning sunrise. We paused to take it in, multifaceted in its varying refractions and reflections, the sunrise, as seen from on high, cannot be captured in word or image but only seems to exist in fleeting experience or inferior replica. But I'll attach an image anyways. We made it up to the crater in good style and soaked in the sun and sulfur. The particularly active steam vents were an exciting reminder of the dynamic nature of our mountain home and geological world. The skiing down from the crater was, at first, quite poor. I've skied worse snow but I don't remember when. But thankfully it improved as it became denser and then softened. We broke down camp and descended to the trail. On our way in we were able to skin on the fresh snow over most of the trail. On the exit we walked most of it as the new snow was quickly headed down to join sulfur creek. We finished our trip at Tacos Tecalitlan which has quickly become one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. 

This trip was a success thanks to an enduring team and a little love from the weather. Thanks to this storm I'm hoping to keep my ski season going for at least a few more weeks. 

RMI Guide Will Ambler

Monday, May 18, 2026

The Mt. Baker Summit & Ski Team reached 9,700', the crater on Monday and decided to call that their high point due to snow conditions and incoming weather.  The team descended on skis back to Camp and then continued their descent to the trailhead. Although conditions weren't great for skiing, the team enjoyed their time in the mountains and celebrated their adventure in the late afternoon, completing their trip and continuing their separate ways after sharing a meal. 

Saturday, May 16, 2026

After a cold dreary gear check in the rain, huddling under the picnic shelter in Sedro,  we were delighted to find that it was snowing at the trailhead. Our team did well managing the winter weather on our way up to camp where there is about two feet of new snow. The moment we found a suitable site the sun popped out and has us going to bed warm and dry. 

Tomorrow looks like easy weather so we're planning on going for a ski tour and learning some rescue skills. 

RMI Guide Will Ambler