I have tentative plans to climb Sahale this summer. I was going to spend this weekend backpacking on Baker and testing some footwear options on the glacier. The forecast looks like sleeping on Baker won't be very pleasant, and it's just too far for a day trip. Can anybody recommend some other options?
Not that this answers your question, but there are good, protected campsites in the trees right before railroad grade that put you right at the bottom of the Easton glacier.
All of the options I can think of that would get you on a true glacier take the same amount of time or longer as it would for you to get on glaciated terrain at Baker.
there is zero difference between glacier snow and regular summer snow until the year's snowpack has melted off and you're on firn (or some earlier year's snow).
go anywhere there's snow with suncups.
FWIW:
It's 3 miles from the 4th crossing trailhead (5200ft) to the 1st open crevasse (a very small one) on the Paradise glacier (7500ft) (following the Paradise Ice Caves trail)
It's 2 miles from Paradise {5400ft) along the Nisqually Moraine trail to the 1st crevasse on the Nisqually (6400ft) The Nisqually has lots of rock on the glacier at that point.
Thanks for the great recommendations everybody. I intended to go yesterday but had too much fun in the Teanaway this weekend. Rainier Saturday. I appreciate the advice very much.
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