I’m flying into Vancouver on the night of July 12 (a Wednesday) with a flight back east that Sunday night. As far as I can tell, these are some of the pros and cons of the two standard routes up Mt. Baker:
Coleman-Deming
Slightly shorter drive from Vancouver (+)
Slightly shorter route overall (+)
More elevation gain (-)
Potential for trailhead parking to be inaccessible due to snow (assuming this won't be an issue by mid July, but if it is (-))
Easton
Longer drive from Vancouver (-)
Less elevation gain (+)
Potential for sharing part of the route with snowmobilers (assuming this won't be an issue by mid July, but if it is (-))
Some questions I haven't been able to answer with a bit of internet research, especially to those of you who have been on both routes:
-Any strong opinions on the subjective quality of each route? Better views, more aesthetically pleasing hiking through varied terrain, etc?
-Which route offers more opportunities for sheltered camps (party of 4, two tents, but unfortunately at this point only one of them is 4 season)?
Anything else I'm not asking that I should be? Any/all responses are much appreciated, thanks!