We left home at about 7:15 AM. The road to Schreiber's Meadow was not plowed for the last third of a mile, so we parked at the end of a long line of cars and snowmobile trailers on the road. We left tthe car at 10:30 AM. We followed obvious tracks through the snow, on a road, but somehow ended up following the Nooksack River drainage instead of the summer hiking trail. Here we are where the road leaves the thickest part of the trees and we can see up the Easton Glacier valley.

After establishing a previously unused route up the side of Railroad grade, here is Anne on the top of the Grade.

Maria and Jackson on Railroad Grade.

We reached camp about 4 PM, near 6500' on the Railroad Grade. Jackson was one tired pooch. Maria later found out he had a bad case of snowblindness, and took him down the next morning at 4 AM to preserve his eyes. Fortunately, it was also cloudy the next morning, and Jackson recovered pretty well on the way down.

Anne soaking up rays.

Gregg displaying the biggest feet in the world.

Maria and our tents, the summit in the background.

Jackson guarding the cooking area.

There was a party of 27 Washington Alpine Club climbers camped a couple hundred yards below us. They started walking past our tent around 1 AM. Anne and I rolled out of bed and started our climb around 2:30 AM. Of course, it was dark! This is the Black Buttes at 5:01 AM, with alpenglow gilding the crest. Must have been spectacular on the other side of the Buttes!

Anne taking a break after attaining the area near the notch at the crater rim.

"Jack's party" approaches the notch in the crater rim for a rest stop. We later spoke with them, and found they were a Mountaineer's Intermediate Climb that had taken the Easton Glacier Direct route.

Anne on the summit, which we attained at 7:18 AM.

Gregg on the summit.

Anne and myself blocking Mt Shuksan, snapped by a friendly climber.

Mt Shuksan.

Mt Sherman, the other high point on the crater rim. We left the summit at 7:42 AM.

Descending the Roman Wall, the only part of the route even resembling a climb. The rest is a low-angle glacier hike. I was hoping the cloud layer down lower would dissapate by the time we reached it.

Glacier Peak visible through a gap in the crater rim.

Descending towards the Black Buttes.

A line of climbers from the Coleman Glacier dots the skyline.

Seracs on the Easton Glacier.

We entered the cloud layer that had had not disappated, but had risen up from the valley floor to about 7500'. While the visibility wasn't great, at least we could see some distance in the clouds.

After arriving at camp at 10:30 AM, Anne does some preliminary chores prior to a little 45 minute nap.

Is that really the way down?? Apparently, it was... We left camp at 12:30, and reached the car at about 4 PM, ready for a big turkey dinner at The Turkey House!