Mt. Baker Coleman-Deming with Sherman Traverse

This is the big-day version of Mt. Baker — eleven thousand five hundred feet of vertical, both summits, and three glacier descents in a single push from the Heliotrope Creek trailhead. The route climbs the standard Coleman-Deming, drops from Grant Peak (Baker's true summit) into the crater, traverses out to Sherman Peak via the west ridge, descends the Squak Glacier, and circles back over the Coleman to the Heliotrope drainage.

The skiing is the reward for the work. The Roman Wall delivers excellent corn on the right cycle. Sherman's south face skis well in supportive wet snow. The Squak Glacier descent moves through open crevasse country and demands careful line choice — the 8,800-foot crux crevasse is the standard navigation problem. Sun cups slow the lower miles below eight thousand feet.

This is a long, committing day for parties at home on glaciated terrain. June is the standard window — the Coleman-Deming sets up well after the spring melt-freeze cycles establish, and crevasse bridges remain reasonable. Earlier risks deeper instability and longer approach miles; later risks open crevasses that close the Squak descent line. Northwest Forest Pass at the trailhead.