Andy began, "Day 1 began on the south side of Mount Baker. After our pre-trip orientation and gear check, we packed the van and headed up to the trailhead. The snowline is finally receding, and it was my first trip up the Easton Glacier this year during which we were able to camp on dirt at base camp (aka Sandy Camp - 6,000 feet). We spent that night at Sandy Camp and practiced snow skills the next day. Before traveling far on the glacier, everyone had to learn to self-arrest and, because they would be leading their own trip soon, to understand the dynamics of placing snow protection. Our group excelled at this, and we could see this was going to be a productive and fast-moving course.

Day 3 dumped rain and we hung out in the tents a lot and thought dry thoughts. To prove our sincerity and devotion to the climbing cause, we suited up and went climbing anyway. We headed out onto the ice of the Easton Glacier to practice crampon skills, knowing the whole time that hot drinks, hearty meals, and warm bags were within arm's reach. We savored these after a couple hours of snow school. The schedule dictated that we attempt Baker two days from then, rain or shine, and we hoped that there would be enough time for a change in the weather. Unluckily, the rain lasted for two more days. We did crevasse rescue on Day 4 - a very cold day with the rain and all the standing around we had to do - but everyone was thrilled to build pulley systems and to lower down into a crevasse and prusik back out.

On summit day, I realized we were blessed with the craziest and most eager group of climbers I've ever been matched up with. We had the iciest and most foul conditions I've ever experienced on Baker, and our group wanted to brave it! Despite 40 mph winds and ice that froze our eyelashes together, coated the rope as well as the entire Roman Wall, and froze our jackets and pants into suits of armor, we made it to the summit dome. We didn't walk to the true summit because it was too much at that point. We couldn't see from one end of the rope to the other, so we decided it was time to go back and get warm. It took us seven and a half hours round-trip from the time we left to make it back to camp, which is incredibly fast. We couldn't really stop on account of the weather, and the thought of pizza in town spurred us on as well. We packed up camp in no time and were on our way to Washington Pass after that pizza dinner everyone was talking about.

Washington Pass was beautiful. Days 6 through 9 were spent in the sun on the Cascade crest, climbing multi-pitch routes on an assortment of granite towers. The group split up each day to climb a new route with one of the three guides that were there to accompany them. We did several routes during the time where we there, and each climber had a chance to choose a route that presented an ideal degree of challenge for his or her climbing level. From a 2,000-foot 5.8 route on the South Ridge of Cutthroat Peak to the Beckey Route on the Liberty Bell, there was something for each climber on the course. On our last day at Washington Pass, Evan and I took five climbers up the South Arete on South Early Winter Spire and let them practice placing pro, building anchors, and basically integrating the whole climbing system.

On Day 10, we hopped back in the vans and headed back to the west side of the mountains and into North Cascades National Park. The students led this portion of the trip, starting at the vans once we arrived at the climbers' trail for Eldorado Peak. Their objective was the East Ridge, and they led the way from 2100 feet to the mountain's summit at around 9,000 feet. We camped that night in the grassy meadows at 5400 feet, beneath the Eldorado Glacier, and we left camp at 5:00am the next day to attempt the summit. We broke up into three rope teams with Evan and I bringing up the rear. It was a great pleasure to watch our group apply what they had learned and move with confidence over the glacier to gain the summit ridge. We spent two hours on the summit, napping in 65-degree heat and taking in the views. We found an ice slab on the way down and practiced placing screws and building V-threads, since we didn't get to cover that on account of all the rain on Baker. It was beautiful today on the hike out, providing a fitting conclusion to a trip that just kept gaining momentum. The energy and motivation this group possessed was contagious, and we had an awesome time out there."