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Mount Baker

Mount Baker and Boulder Glacier from the southeast
Elevation 10,781 feet (3,286 m) [1]
Prominence 8,812 feet (2,686 m) [1]
Listing Ultra
List of Cascade volcanoes
Location
Location Whatcom County, Washington, USA
Range Cascade Range [2]
Coordinates 48°46′38″N 121°48′48″W / 48.7773426°N 121.8132008°W / 48.7773426; -121.8132008Coordinates: 48°46′38″N 121°48′48″W / 48.7773426°N 121.8132008°W / 48.7773426; -121.8132008 [3]
Topo map USGS Mount Baker 48121G7
Geology
Type Stratovolcano [4]
Age of rock Less than 140,000 years [5]
Volcanic arc/belt Cascade Volcanic Arc [2]
Last eruption 1880 [6]
Climbing
First ascent 1868 by Edmund T. Coleman and party [7][8]
Easiest route snow (ice) climb
The south side of Mount Baker in 2001. Sherman Crater is the deep depression south of the summit.

Mount Baker, or Koma Kulshan, is an active[9] glaciated andesitic stratovolcano [4] in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. It is the second-most active volcano in the range after Mount Saint Helens. It is about 31 miles (50 km)[10] due east of the city of Bellingham, Whatcom County, making it the northernmost volcano in the Cascade Range but not the northernmost of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, which extends north into the Coast Mountains. Mount Baker is the youngest volcano in the Mount Baker volcanic field.[5] While volcanism has persisted here for some 1.5 million years, the current glaciated cone is likely no more than 140,000 years old, and possibly no older than 80-90,000 years. Older volcanic edifices have mostly eroded away due to glaciation.

After Mount Rainier, Mount Baker is the most heavily glaciated of the Cascade volcanoes; the volume of snow and ice on Mount Baker (0.43 cubic miles or 1.8 cubic kilometers) is greater than that of all the other Cascades volcanoes (except Rainier) combined. It is also one of the snowiest places in the world; in 1999, Mount Baker Ski Area, located 14 km (8.4 mi) to the northeast, set the world record for snowfall in a single season—1,140 inches (95 feet or 2,896 cm).[11]

At 10,778 feet (3,285 m), it is the fourth-highest mountain in Washington State and the sixth-highest in the Cascade Range.[4][12] Located in the Mount Baker Wilderness, it is visible from much of Greater Victoria, Greater Vancouver and south to Seattle in Washington.

Indigenous natives have known the mountain for thousands of years, but the first written record of the mountain is from the Spanish. Spanish explorer Gonzalo Lopez de Haro mapped it in 1790 as the Gran Montaña del Carmelo, "Great Mount Carmel".[13] The explorer George Vancouver renamed the mountain for 3rd Lieutenant Joseph Baker of HMS Discovery, who saw it on April 30, 1792.[14]

Contents

History

Mount Baker was well-known to indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest. Indigenous names for the mountain include Koma Kulshan or Kulshan (Lummi, qwúʔmə, "white sentinel", i.e. "mountain", and kwəlshéːn, "puncture wound", i.e. "crater");[15][16][17] "Quck Sam-ik" (Nooksack: kw’eq sámit, "white mountain");[18] "Kobah" (Skagit: qwúbəʔ, "white sentinel", i.e. "mountain"); and "Tukullum" or "Nahcullum" (in the language of the unidentified "Koma tribe").[19] Mount Rainier, called "Tacoma", effectively means "larger than Koma (Kulshan)".[20]

In 1790, Manuel Quimper of the Spanish Navy set sail from Nootka, a temporary settlement on Vancouver Island, with orders to explore the newly discovered Strait of Juan de Fuca. Accompanying Quimper was first-pilot Gonzalo Lopez de Haro, who drew detailed charts during the six-week expedition. Although Quimper's journal of the voyage does not refer to the mountain, one of Haro's manuscript charts includes a sketch of Mount Baker.[21][22] The Spanish named the snowy volcano "La Gran Montana del Carmelo", as it reminded them of the white-clad monks of the Carmelite Monastery [23]

The British explorer George Vancouver left England a year later. His mission was to survey the northwest coast of America. Vancouver and his crew reached the Pacific Northwest coast in 1792. While anchored in Dungeness Bay on the south shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, third lieutenant Joseph Baker made an observation of Mount Baker, which Vancouver recorded in his journal:

About this time a very high conspicuous craggy mountain ... presented itself, towering above the clouds: as low down as they allowed it to be visible it was covered with snow; and south of it, was a long ridge of very rugged snowy mountains, much less elevated, which seemed to stretch to a considerable distance ... the high distant land formed, as already observed, like detached islands, amongst which the lofty mountain, discovered in the afternoon by the third lieutenant, and in compliment to him called by me Mount Baker, rose a very conspicuous object ... apparently at a very remote distance.[22]

Six years later, the official narrative of this voyage was published, including the first printed reference to the mountain.[22] By the mid-1850s, Mount Baker was a well-known feature on the horizon to the explorers and fur traders who traveled in the Puget Sound region. Isaac I. Stevens, the first governor of Washington Territory, wrote about Mount Baker in 1853:

Mount Baker ... is one of the loftiest and most conspicuous peaks of the northern Cascade range; it is nearly as high as Mount Rainier, and like that mountain, its snow-covered pyramid has the form of a sugar-loaf. It is visible from all the water and islands ... [in Puget Sound] and from the whole southeastern part of the Gulf of Georgia, and likewise from the eastern division of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It is for this region a natural and important landmark.[22]

Climbing history

First ascent

Edmund Thomas Coleman, an Englishman who resided in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and a veteran of the Alps, made the first attempt to ascend the mountain in 1866. He chose a route via the Skagit River, but was forced to turn back when local Native Americans refused him passage.[13]

Later that same year, Coleman recruited Whatcom County settlers Edward Eldridge, John Bennett and John Tennant to aid him in his second attempt to scale the mountain. After approaching via the North Fork of the Nooksack River, the party navigated through what is now known as Coleman Glacier and ascended to within several hundred feet of the summit before turning back in the face of an "overhanging cornice of ice" and threatening weather.[13] Coleman later returned to the mountain after two years. At 4:00 p.m. on August 17, 1868, Coleman, Eldridge, Tennant and two new companions (David Ogilvy and Thomas Stratton) scaled the summit via the Middle Fork Nooksack River, Marmot Ridge, Coleman Glacier, and the north margin of the Roman Wall.[13]

Notable ascents

  • 1948 North Ridge (AD, AI 2-3, 3700 feet) Fred Beckey, Ralph and Dick Widrig (August 1948)[24]

Geology

Panorama from the northwest showing Lincoln and Colfax Pks Black Buttes and Mount Baker

The present-day cone of Mount Baker is relatively young; it is perhaps less than 100,000 years old.[5] The volcano sits atop a similar older volcanic cone called Black Buttes Volcano, which was active between 500,000 and 300,000 years ago.[25] Much of Mount Baker's earlier geological record eroded away during the last ice age (which culminated 15,000–20,000 years ago), by thick ice sheets that filled the valleys and surrounded the volcano. In the last 14,000 years, the area around the mountain has been largely ice-free, but the mountain itself remains heavily covered with snow and ice.[26]

Isolated ridges of lava and hydrothermally altered rock, especially in the area of Sherman Crater, are exposed between glaciers on the upper flanks of the volcano; the lower flanks are steep and heavily vegetated. Volcanic rocks of Mount Baker and Black Buttes rest on a foundation of non-volcanic rocks.[5]

Park and Rainbow Glaciers on the northeast flank

Deposits recording the last 14,000 years at Mount Baker indicate that Mount Baker has not had highly explosive eruptions like those of other volcanoes in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, such as Mount St. Helens, Mount Meager or Glacier Peak, nor has it erupted frequently. During this period, four episodes of magmatic eruptive activity have been recently recognized.[27][28].

Magmatic eruptions have produced tephra, pyroclastic flows, and lava flows from summit vents and the Schriebers Meadow cinder cone. The most destructive and most frequent events at Mount Baker have been lahars or debris flows and debris avalanches; many, if not most, of these were not related to magmatic eruptions but may have been induced by magma intrusion, steam eruptions, earthquakes, gravitational instability, or possibly even heavy rainfall.[26][27][29]

Eruptive history

Early history

Research beginning in the late 1990s shows that Mount Baker is the youngest of several volcanic centers in the area and one of the youngest volcanoes in the Cascade Range.[5][29] The Pliocene Hannegan caldera is preserved 25 km (15 mi) northeast of Mount Baker [30][31] Volcanic activity in the Mount Baker volcanic field began more than one million years ago, but many of the earliest lava and tephra deposits have been removed by glacial erosion. The pale-colored rocks northeast of the modern volcano mark the site of ancient Kulshan caldera (1.15 million years old) that collapsed after an enormous ash eruption one million years ago. Subsequently, eruptions in the Mount Baker area have produced cones and lava flows of andesite, the rock that constitutes much of other Cascade Range volcanoes such as Rainier, Adams, and Hood. From about 900,000 years ago to the present, numerous andesitic volcanic centers in the area have come and disappeared through glacial erosion. The largest of these cones is the Black Buttes edifice, active between 500,000 and 300,000 years ago and formerly bigger than today's Mount Baker.[9][32]

Modern craters and cone

Sampling fumarole gas at Sherman Crater in 1981

Mount Baker was built from stacks of lava and volcanic breccia prior to the end of the last ice age, which ended about 15,000 years ago. There are two craters on the mountain. Ice-filled Carmelo Crater is under the summit ice dome.[5] This crater is the source for the last cone-building eruptions[33][34] The highest point of Mount Baker, Grant Peak, is on the exposed southeast rim of Carmelo Crater, which is a small pile of andesitic scoria lying on top of a stack of lava flows just below. Carmelo Crater is deeply dissected on its south side by the younger Sherman Crater. This crater is south of the summit, and its ice-covered floor is 1000 ft (300 m) below the summit ice dome. This crater is the site of all Holocene eruptive activity.[27] Hundreds of fumaroles vent gases, primarily H2O, CO2, and H2S.[29][35]

View south into Sherman Crater from Grant Peak (10781ft, 3286 m) in 2004. Sherman Peak (10,140 ft, 3090 m) at left; fumaroles of west rim at right.

Lava flows from the summit vent erupted between 30,000 and 10,000 years ago and, during the final stages of edifice construction, blocky pyroclastic flows entered the volcano's southeastern drainages.[34] An eruption from Sherman Crater 6,600 years ago erupted a blanket of ash that extended more than 40 miles (64 km) to the east.[36] Today, sulfurous gases reach the surface via two fumarole pathways: Dorr Fumaroles, northeast of the summit; and Sherman Crater, south of the summit. Both are sites of hydrothermal alteration, converting lavas to weak, white-to-yellow clays; sulfur is a common mineral around these fumaroles. At Sherman Crater, collapses of this weakened rock generated lahars in the 1840s.[27][37]

Mazama Park eruptive period: 6,600 years ago

Approximately 6,600 years ago, a series of discrete events culminated in the largest tephra-producing eruption in post-glacial time at Mount Baker. This is the last episode of undoubted magmatic activity preserved in the geologic record [5]. First, the largest collapse in the history of the volcano occurred from the Roman Wall and transformed into a lahar that was over 300 feet (91 m) deep in the upper reaches of the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River. It was at least 25 feet (7.6 m) deep 30 miles (48 km) downstream from the volcano.[27] At that time the Nooksack River is believed to have drained north into the Fraser River; it is therefore unlikely that this lahar reached Bellingham Bay. Next, a small hydrovolcanic eruption occurred at Sherman Crater, triggering a second collapse of the flank just east of the Roman Wall. That collapse also became a lahar that mainly followed the course of the first lahar for at least 20 miles (32 km), and also spilled into tributaries of the Baker River. Finally, an eruption cloud deposited ash as far as 40 miles (64 km) downwind to the northeast and east.[36]

Historical activity

Steam plume rising from Sherman Crater, December 1999. Telephoto taken from Bellingham, Washington.

Several eruptions occurred from Sherman Crater during the 19th century;[38] they were witnessed from the Bellingham area.[39] A possible eruption was seen in June 1792 during the Spanish expedition of Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés. Their report read, in part:

During the night [while anchored in Bellingham Bay] we constantly saw light to the south and east of the mountain of Carmelo [Baker] and even at times some bursts of flame, signs which left no doubt that there are volcanoes with strong eruptions in those mountains.[40]
Mount Baker as seen from the Gulf of Georgia. San Juan and Orcas Islands in distance at right.

In 1843, explorers reported a widespread layer of newly fallen rock fragments "like a snowfall" and that the forest was "on fire for miles around". It is highly unlikely that these fires were caused by ashfall, however, as charred material is not found with deposits of this fine-grained volcanic ash, which was almost certainly cooled in the atmosphere before falling. Rivers south of the volcano were reportedly clogged with ash, and Native Americans reported that many salmon perished. Reports of flooding on the Skagit River from the eruption are, however, probably greatly exaggerated [41] . A short time later, two collapses of the east side of Sherman Crater produced two lahars, the first and larger of which flowed into the natural Baker Lake, increasing its level by at least 10 feet (3.0 m). The location of the 19th-century lake is now covered by waters of the modern dam-impounded Baker Lake. Similar but lower level hydrovolcanic activity at Sherman Crater continued intermittently for several decades afterward.[32][39] On 26 November 1860, passengers who were traveling by steamer from New Westminster to Victoria reported that Mount Baker was "puffing out large volumes of smoke, which upon breaking, rolled down the snow-covered sides of the mountain, forming a pleasing effect of light and shade."[42]

In 1891, about 15 cubic kilometers of rock fell producing a lahar that traveled more than 6 miles (9.7 km) and covered 1-square-mile (2.6 km2).[43]

The Easton Glacier (on the south flank) in 2003. The superimposed black line indicates its extent in 1985.

Activity in the 20th century decreased from the 19th century. Numerous small debris avalanches fell from Sherman Peak and descended the Boulder Glacier; a large one occurred on July 27, 2007.[44][45] In early March 1975, a dramatic increase in fumarolic activity and snow melt in the Sherman Crater area raised concern that an eruption might be imminent.[26] Heat flow increased more than tenfold.[9][32] Additional monitoring equipment was installed and several geophysical surveys were conducted to try to detect the movement of magma.[26] The increased thermal activity prompted public officials and Puget Power to temporarily close public access to the popular Baker Lake recreation area and to lower the reservoir's water level by 10 meters. If those actions had not been taken, significant avalanches of debris from the Sherman Crater area could have swept directly into the reservoir, triggering a disastrous wave that could have caused human fatalities and damage to the reservoir.[39][46] Other than the increased heat flow, few anomalies were recorded during the geophysical surveys, nor were any other precursory activities observed that would indicate that magma was moving up into the volcano.[26] Several small lahars formed from material ejected onto the surrounding glaciers and acidic water was discharged into Baker Lake for many months.[9][32]

Activity gradually declined over the next two years but stabilized at a higher level than before 1975.[9][32] The increased level of fumarolic activity has continued at Mount Baker since 1975, but no other changes suggest that magma movement is involved.[26]

Current research at Mount Baker

A considerable amount of research has been done at Mount Baker over the past decade, and it is now among the most-studied of the Cascade volcanoes. Recent and ongoing projects include gravimetric and GPS-based geodetic monitoring, fumarole gas sampling, tephra distribution mapping, new interpretations of the Schriebers Meadow lava flow, and hazards analyses. Mapping of Carmelo and Sherman craters, and interpretations of the eruptive history, continues, as well. The Mount Baker Volcano Research Center[29] maintains an online archive of abstracts of this work, and an extensive references list, as well as photos.

Glaciers and hydrology

A map of the glaciers on Mount Baker

There are ten main glaciers on the mountain. The Coleman Glacier is the largest; it has a surface area of 5.2 square kilometres (1,280 acres).[47] The other large glaciers—which have areas greater than 2.5 square kilometres (620 acres)—are Roosevelt Glacier, Mazama Glacier, Park Glacier, Boulder Glacier, Easton Glacier and Deming Glacier.[47][48] All retreated during the first half of the century, advanced from 1950–1975 and have been retreating increasingly rapidly since 1980.[49][50][51][52]

Mount Baker is drained on the north by streams that flow into the North Fork Nooksack River, on the west by the Middle Fork Nooksack River, and on the southeast and east by tributaries of the Baker River.[53] Lake Shannon and Baker Lake are the largest nearby bodies of water, formed by two dams on the Baker River.

U.S. Navy

Two ammunition ships of the United States Navy (traditionally named for volcanoes) have been named after the mountain. The first was USS Mount Baker (AE-4), which was commissioned from 1941 to 1947 and from 1951 to 1969.[54] In 1972, the Navy commissioned USS Mount Baker (AE-34). It was decommissioned in 1996 and placed in service with the Military Sealift Command as USNS Mount Baker (T-AE-34).[55]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Mount Baker, Washington". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=1633. Retrieved 2009-03-01. 
  2. ^ a b Hildreth, Wes (2007). Quaternary Magmatism in the Cascades- Geologic Perspectives: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1744. Reston, Virginia: United States Department of the Interior United States Geological Survey. p. 9. ISBN 1-4113-1945-1. http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/pp1744/. 
  3. ^ "Mount Baker". Geographic Names Information System. U.S. Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1516062. Retrieved 2009-03-01. 
  4. ^ a b c Wood, Charles A.; Jűrgen Kienle (1990). Volcanoes of North America. Cambridge University Press. pp. 155–156. ISBN 0-521-43811-X. OCLC 27910629. 
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Hildreth, W.; J. Fierstein, and M. Lanphere (2003-06-01). "Eruptive history and geochronology of the Mount Baker volcanic field, Washington". Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 115 (6): 729–764. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(2003)115<0729:EHAGOT>2.0.CO;2. 
  6. ^ "Baker". Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution. http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/volcano.cfm?vnum=1201-01=. Retrieved 2008-05-07. 
  7. ^ Oakley, Janet (2005-11-14). "Coleman Party reaches the summit of Mount Baker on August 17, 1868". The Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History. HistoryLink.org. http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=7088. Retrieved 2008-05-09. 
  8. ^ Coleman, Edmund T. (November 1869). "The First Ascent of Mount Baker". Harper’s New Monthly Magazine 39. http://www.stumpranchonline.com/skagitjournal/Washington/Whatcom/MtBaker/Baker2-Coleman1-Intro.html#Harper. Retrieved 2008-05-09. 
  9. ^ a b c d e Scott, Kevin M.; Wes Hildreth, and Cynthia A. Gardner (2005-05-25). Mount Baker-Living with an Active Volcano: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 059-00. United States Geological Survey. http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2000/fs059-00/. 
  10. ^ Topinka, Lyn (15 April 2008). "Mount Baker". United States Geological Survey. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Baker/Locale/framework.html. Retrieved 2008-05-08. 
  11. ^ "NOAA: Mt. Baker snowfall record sticks". USA Today. August 1, 1999. http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/1999/wsnorcrd.htm. 
  12. ^ Smoot, Jeff (2000). "The 100 Highest Mountains in Washington". Cascade Alpine Guide. http://www.climbingwashington.com/features/wahighest.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-19. 
  13. ^ a b c d "A Brief History of Mt. Baker". Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest — Climbing Mt. Baker. United States Forest Service. 2007-10-26. http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/recreation/activities/mtn_climbing/climb_history.shtml. Retrieved 2008-05-11. 
  14. ^ Meany, Edmond Stephen (1907). "Chapter VI: Proceed up the Straits — Anchor under New Dungeness — Remarks on the Coast of New Albion — Arrive in Port Discovery — Transactions there — Boat Excursion — Quit Port Discovery — Astronomical and Nautical Observations". Vancouver's discovery of Puget Sound: Portraits and biographies of the men honored in the naming of geographic features of northwestern America. pp. 81–82. http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/mymhiwe:@field(DOCID+@lit(mymhiwef897p9m4div6)). Retrieved 2008-05-09. 
  15. ^ (PDF) Mt. Baker Highway - A Driving Guide to Washington State Highway 542. Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism. 2005-07-25. http://www.bellingham.org/PDF/MtBaker_Byway.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-09. 
  16. ^ (PDF) The Mt. Baker Foothills Chain of Trails Concept Plan. Mt. Baker Foothills Economic Development Association, Whatcom Council of Governments, Port of Bellingham, Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Department. 2004-12. http://resources.wcog.org/projects/cot_plan.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-09. 
  17. ^ "Whatcom Watch". February 1999. http://www.whatcomwatch.org/old_issues/v8i2.html. 
  18. ^ Mcdougall, Connie (1999-02-05). "On The Road To Mount Baker -- Meander Through A Mushroom Farm, Ride An Old Railway Or Browse A Shop That Has It All On Whatcom County's Back Roads". The Seattle Times. http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19990205&slug=2942551. Retrieved 2008-12-09. 
  19. ^ Beckey, Fred (1995-08). Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes : Rainy Pass to Fraser River. Mountaineers Books. ISBN 978-0898864236. http://books.google.com/books?id=3ek5uvZaNGIC&printsec=frontcover. 
  20. ^ Clark, Ella E. (2003-02-03). Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520239265. http://books.google.com/books?id=Z8-3KVL03UYC&printsec=frontcover. 
  21. ^ Manuel Quimper (1790). "Map of the "Northwest Coast of North America -- Strait of Juan de Fuca" which includes Mount Baker and the Cascade Range". http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/Historical/volcanoes_quimper_1790.html. 
  22. ^ a b c d  This article incorporates public domain material from the National Park Service document "Early Impressions: Euro-American Explorations and Surveys" by G.A. Luxenberg.
  23. ^ Majors, H.M., ed., 1978, Mount Baker: A chronicle of Its Historic Eruptions and First Ascent. Northwest Press, Seattle
  24. ^ Selters, Andy (2004). Ways to the Sky. Golden, CO, USA: The American Alpine Club Press. pp. 156. ISBN 0-930410-83-1. 
  25. ^ Tabor, Rowland W. (1999). Geology of the North Cascades: A Mountain Mosaic. The Mountaineers Books. p. 40. ISBN 0898866235. OCLC 40559713. 
  26. ^ a b c d e f Gardner, C.A.; K.M. Scott, C.D. Miller, B. Myers, W. Hildreth, and P.T. Pringle (1995). Potential Volcanic Hazards from Future Activity of Mount Baker, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-498. United States Geological Survey. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Baker/Hazards/. 
  27. ^ a b c d e Scott, K.M; Tucker, D.S. and McGeehin, J.P. (2003). "Holocene history of Mount Baker volcano, North Cascades (abs)". XVI INQUA Congress Program with abstracts: 162. http://www.mbvrc.wwu.edu/abstracts/abstractText.php?id=17. 
  28. ^ Scott, K.M; Tucker, D.S. (2006). "Eruptive Chronology of Mount Baker Revealed by Lacustrine Facies of Glacial Lake Baker (abs)". GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 38, no. 5. http://www.mbvo.wwu.edu/abstracts/abstractText.php?id=24.  retrieved 2009-03-31
  29. ^ a b c d "Mount Baker Volcano Research Center". http://www.mbvrc.wwu.edu. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
  30. ^ Tucker, D.S.; Hildreth, W., Ullrich, T., and Friedman, R. (2007). "Geology and complex collapse mechanisms of the 3.72 Ma Hannegan caldera, North Cascades, Washington, USA". Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 119 (3/4): 329–342. doi:10.1130/B25904.1. 
  31. ^ Tucker, D.S. (2006). Geologic map of the Pliocene Hannegan caldera, North Cascades, Washington (accompanying text). Digital map and Chart Series. 3. Geological Society of America. pp. 3. doi:10.1130/2006.DMCH003. http://gsamaps.gsajournals.org/maps/10.1130-2006.DMCH003/10.1130-2006.DMCH003-TXT_E.pdf. retrieved 2009-03-31
  32. ^ a b c d e  This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "Mount Baker, Washington, Brief Eruptive History" by Lyn Topinka (retrieved on 2008-05-11).
  33. ^ Scott, K.M.; Tucker, D.S. and McGeehin, J.P. (2003). "Island of Fire in a Sea of Ice - The Growth of Mount Baker volcano and the Fraser Glaciation in the North Cascades". XVI INQUA Congress Program with Abstracts: 51. http://www.mbvo.wwu.edu/abstracts/abstractText.php?id=18. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
  34. ^ a b Tucker, D.S.; Scott, K.M. (2004). "Boulder Creek assemblage, Mount Baker, Washington: a record of the latest cone building eruptions". GSA Abstracts with Programs 36 (4). http://www.mbvrc.wwu.edu/abstracts/abstractText.php?id=20. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
  35. ^ Werner, C.; Evans, W.C., McGee, K.A., Doukas, M.P., Tucker, D.S., Bergfeld, D., Poland, M.P. and Crider, J.G. (2007). "Quiescent degassing of Mount Baker, Washington". GSA Abstracts with Programs 39 (4): 65. http://www.mbvrc.wwu.edu/abstracts/abstractText.php?id=45. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
  36. ^ a b Tucker, D.S.; Scott, K.M., Foit, F.F. and Mierendorf, R.R. (2007). "Age, distribution and composition of Holocene tephras from Mount Baker, Cascade arc, Washington, USA". Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 39 (4): 66. http://www.mbvrc.wwu.edu/abstracts/abstractText.php?id=43. retrieved 2009-03-31
  37. ^ Warren, S.N.; Watters, R.J. and Tucker, D.S. (2006). "Future Edifice Collapse as a Result of Active Hydrothermal Alteration and Geologic Structure at Mt. Baker, Washington". Eos Trans. AGU 87 (52): Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract V53A-1746. http://www.mbvrc.wwu.edu/abstracts/abstractText.php?id=29. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
  38. ^ Tucker, D.S; K.M. Scott, and D. R. Lewis (2007). "Field guide to Mount Baker volcanic deposits in the Baker River valley: Nineteenth Century lahars, tephras, debris avalanches, and early Holocene subaqueous lava". in Stelling; Tucker. Floods, Faults and Fire: Geological Fieldtrips in Washington State and Southwest British Columbia. Geol. Soc. Amer. Field Guide. 9. Boulder, Colo.. p. 83. doi:10.1130/2007.fld009(04). http://books.google.com/books?id=F1Sx3i2CZyUC&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=Field+guide+to+Mount+Baker+volcanic+deposits+in+the+Baker+River+valley:+Nineteenth+Century+lahars,+tephras,+debris+avalanches,+and+early+Holocene+subaqueous+lava&source=bl&ots=BU0goxQPfc&sig=LYF8y8t6SIcknXHbaGF_WrGDCvw&hl=en&ei=_ZvSSY6eIpC6tgOurf3JCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#PPA83,M1. 
  39. ^ a b c Scott, K.M.; Tucker, D.S. (2003). "The Sherman Crater eruptive period at Mount Baker, North Cascades, 1843 To present: implications for reservoirs at the base of the volcano". GSA Abstracts with Programs 35 (6). http://www.mbvrc.wwu.edu/abstracts/abstractText.php?id=19. retrieved 2009-03-31
  40. ^ Kendrick, John (1990). The Voyage of Sutil and Mexicana, 1792: The last Spanish exploration of the Northwest Coast of America. Spokane, Washington: The Arthur H. Clark Company. p. 108. ISBN 0-87062-203-X. 
  41. ^ Scott, K.M. and Tucker, D.S., 2004, Natural dams and floods of legend at Mount Baker volcano-evidence from the stratigraphic record of volcanic activity during the Sherman Crater eruptive period (AD 1843 to present):GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, n. 5, p. 377 [1] retrieved 2009-03-31
  42. ^ Alexander Begg. British Columbia: From the Earliest Times to the Present. http://www.archive.org/stream/historyofbritish00begguoft/historyofbritish00begguoft_djvu.txt. 
  43. ^ Lewis, D.R.; Scott, K.M. and Tucker, D.S. (2007). "Debris avalanches in Rainbow Creek at Mount Baker, Washington- dating and matrix analysis". Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 39 (4): 66. http://www.mbvrc.wwu.edu/abstracts/abstractText.php?id=37. retrieved 2009-03-31
  44. ^ "Boulder Debris Avalanche". Mount Baker Volcano Research Center. http://www.mbvrc.wwu.edu/images/images.shtml. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
  45. ^ Frank, D., Post, A. and Friedman, J.D., 1975, Recurrent geothermally induced debris avalanches on Boulder Glacier, Mount Baker, Washington; Journal of Research, US Geological Survey, v. 3 n. 1, pp. 77-87
  46. ^ Brantley, Steven R. (1999-01-04). "Volcanoes of the United States, Online Version 1.1". USGS General Interest Publications. United States Geological Survey. http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volcus/. Retrieved 2008-05-11. 
  47. ^ a b Post, A.; D. Richardson, W.V. Tangborn, and F.L. Rosselot (1971). "Inventory of glaciers in the North Cascades, Washington". USGS Prof. Paper 705-A: A1–A26. 
  48. ^ Topinka, Lyn (2002-07-09). "Mount Baker Glaciers and Glaciation". United States Geological Survey. http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Baker/description_baker.html. Retrieved 2008-05-09. 
  49. ^ Fountain, A.G.; Jackson, K., Basagic, H.J. and Sitts, D. (2007). "A century of glacier change on Mount Baker, Washington". Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 39 (4): 67. http://www.mbvrc.wwu.edu/abstracts/abstractText.php?id=35. retrieved 2009-03-31
  50. ^ Pelto, Mauri S.. "North Cascade Glacier Climate Project". http://www.nichols.edu/departments/glacier/. Retrieved 2008-05-08. 
  51. ^ Pelto, M.; C. Hedlund (2001). "Terminus behavior and response time of North Cascade glaciers, Washington, U.S.A". Journal of Glaciology 47 (158): 496–506. doi:10.3189/172756501781832098. 
  52. ^ Beckey, Fred (1995). Cascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes : Rainy Pass to Fraser River. Mountaineers Books; 2nd edition. ISBN 0-89886-423-2. OCLC 33204115 50137587 14692076 33204115 50137587. 
  53. ^ Hyde; Crandell (1978). "PostGlacial Volcanic Deposits at Mount Baker, Washington, and Potential Hazards from Future Eruptions". USGS Prof. Paper 1022-C: C1. 
  54. ^ "Mount Baker". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Department of the Navy -- Naval Historical Center. http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m15/mount_baker.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-19. 
  55. ^ "MSC Ship Inventory — USNS Mount Baker". Military Sealift Command — Ship Inventory. Department of the Navy - Military Sealift Command. 2002-03-26. http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/ships.asp?ship=127&type=AmmunitionShip. Retrieved 2008-05-19. 

External links


Major Cascade Volcanoes
British Columbia
Mount Rainier from west.jpg
Washington
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California

Travel guide

Up to date as of January 14, 2010

From Wikitravel

Whatcom County : Mount Baker

Mount Baker [1] is part of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and is a major outdoor recreation area (ski, snowboard, mountaineer, hike, etc.) located east of Bellingham (Washington).

Nearby Mt. Shuksan, Washington during winter.
Nearby Mt. Shuksan, Washington during winter.

Understand

History

Mt. Baker has worn several appellations in its 400,000 years. Long before white settlers came, Nooksack Indians called it quck-sman-ik, meaning "white mountain." The Lummi Indians near Bellingham Bay called it kulshan, meaning "broken off." Presumably, they were referring to the frequent volcanic activity.

English explorer Captain George Vancouver rededicated the mountain while charting the region in 1792. He named it for Lt. Joseph Baker, a young officer in his command who spotted the peak while their sloop "Discovery" was sailing off the coast of Washington, near Dungeness Bay.

Climate

Temperatures in the Mt. Baker area range from 70s with clear skies in the summer to upper 20s with rain and snow through the winter. Annual rainfall in the lowlands is 30 to 50 inches. At higher elevations, precipitation ranges from 70 to 140 inches.

In 1999, Mt. Baker set the new world's record for the most snowfall ever measured in a single season-- 1,140 inches (2,895.6 centimeters)!

Get in

To get there from Bellingham (Washington), take I-5 to exit 255, take Sunset Drive east until it becomes state highway 542, and follow that highway 56 miles to the ski area. This drive takes about 90 minutes in good weather conditions. The road is plowed regularly, so it should be passable to regular cars except during storms. Note, however, that chains may be required on two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles during inclement weather as determined by the Washington State Patrol. Only vehicles over 10,000 gross vehicle weight rating must carry chains between November 1 and March 31.

Another popular route, for Canadians, is to take the Sumas border crossing, in Abbotsford, and continue following the road signs as you drive southeast for 45 minutes.

Fees/Permits

A Northwest forest pass is required to park at all trailheads and at the Artist Point parking lot. Passes can be acquired at all ranger stations or by calling: (800) 270-7504.

  • Day Pass $5
  • Annual Pass $30
  • Federal Golden passports are also honored at NW Forest and park sites:
    • Golden Eagle $65 (federal annual pass)
    • Golden Age $10 (life-time pass for US citizens 62+)
    • Golden Access Free (Qualified Disabled US Citizen)

See

Summer A summer must see is the blooming alpine flowers found on many high level trails. The late snow melt means that the flowers bloom quite late in the year, usually late July or August. Fireweed and Columbine are some of the most amazing.

Picture Lake, at milepost 55, provides a postcard view of Mt. Shuksan and is a popular photography stop. Mt. Shuksan is the most photographed mountain in the world.

Winter

Mt. Baker lift ticket, your ticket to ride.
Mt. Baker lift ticket, your ticket to ride.

The Mount Baker Ski Area [2] has seven lifts, covering 1500' (455m) elevation gain. The area claims typical snowfall of 647 inches (1,638 cm) per year. Adult lift tickets are approximately USD $40 per day, while an adult season pass is about $660 (as of December 2005; various discounts available).

Hiking. An abundance of trails cover the Mt. Baker area as soon as the snow melts. From the Artist Point parking lot (the end of the road) a few of the more popular trails are the demanding climb of Table Mountain, the stimulating variety of Chain Lakes Loop and the awe inspiring closeness of the mountain itself at Ptarmigan Ridge.

For those with less ability to walk a distance the Artist Loop trail provides a great view of the mountain on an accessible paved loop, with the opportunity to continue up the hill just a little way to find small meadows and late summer ponds which are perfect private lunching spots. The rocky terrain here makes it feel like you are in the backcountry when in reality you are less than a mile from your car.

Eat

There are two day lodges with parking and full amenities (White Salmon and Heather Meadows), and a third ski-in lodge ("Raven Hot Cafe") with food. Tip: bring US Dollar cash; while MasterCard and Visa are accepted for lift tickets and gear rentals, cash gets you a discount, and only cash is accepted at some food counters. Heather Meadows lodge is a better starting point for new visitors, since it has a wider range of gear rental and good access to the slopes.

  • Mt Baker Lodging[3] provides the closest places to stay to the mountain itself. Most of their cabins are located in and around Glacier (about 30 minutes from the upper parking lot). A variety of different cabins to choose from can make for a quiet get away in the woods or a weekend in a cabin for ten with friends. Prices are in the mid to upper range depending on size and amenities of the cabin. 1-800-709-7669.
  • Canyon Creek Chalets[4] offers private, self catered, fully equipped vacation lodging, located 35 minutes from the Mt. Baker Ski Area and minutes away from the Mount Baker Recreation Area. Each cedar chalet comes with furnishings, bed and bath linens, kitchen utensils, TV/DVD, DVD movie collection, and outdoor hot tub. 1-866-839-5342.
  • Mount Baker Cozy Chalet, Glacier, WA, ☎ 360 393 5630, [5]. The Mount Baker Cozy Chalet is a luxurious 3 bedroom , 2 bath cedar chalet in gated resort style community. This is the closest lodging to Mt. Baker Ski Area. Property features Hot Tub, Fireplace, B.B.Q. and home theatre system. Swimming pool (seasonal) and tennis on site. From 199.  edit

The US Forest Service maintains three campgrounds situated along the Nooksack River on Hwy 542 east of Glacier: For information call 360-856-5700 Mt. Baker Ranger District

  • Douglas Fir has 30 tent sites at Milepost 36.
  • Excelsior is a group site with two units that hold 50 people each at Milepost 40.
  • Silver Fir has 20 tent sites at Milepost 46.
  • The Inn at Mt. Baker, 8174 Mt. Baker Hwy., Deming, WA 98244 (In the Cascade Mountains on Rte 542, Mt. Baker Hwy, 30 miles East of Bellingham, 7 miles west of the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and 23 miles west of the Mt. Baker Ski Area), ☎ 360-599-1776, [6]. checkin: 4PM-6PM; checkout: 11AM. European style Bed & Breakfast. Amenities include a gourmet breakfast, hot tub, free parking, feather beds, and a helicopter landing pad. Close to the Mt. Baker Ski Area. NOTE: no children or pets. $150-180.  edit
  • Use caution on access roads: watch for obstructions such as rocks, sudden bends, and parked vehicles/pedestrians.
  • Safeguard your possessions by keeping them out of sight. Lock your vehicle.
  • Carry the ten essentials.
  • Stay on trails. Wear adequate footwear and use a topographic map/compass.
  • After hiking, check yourself for ticks which may carry Lyme disease.
  • Horses can startle easily. When stock approach, make your presence known and stand on the lower side of the trail.
  • Report down trees or washouts to the nearest ranger station.
  • Do not depend on cell phones as there are many 'dead spots.'
  • Always tell a friend your travel plans including destination and expected return time.

Wildlife

The North Cascades is home to many species of wildlife from a common chipmunk to a grizzly bear, it is important to keep wildlife wild. Animals can be attracted to food and other scents. Human food is both unhealthy for animals and can lead to potentially dangerous encounters with bears.

  • Try to have your sleeping area about 100 yards (90 m) up wind from your cooking area. Keep sleeping gear free of food odors and cosmetic scents.
  • Store food, garbage and toiletry items in either bear-resistant canisters (available on loan from National Park Service offices) or strung up 15 feet (5 m) off the ground and at least 5 feet (1.5 m) from tree trunks.
  • Pack out all food waste.
  • Never feed wildlife.
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