Baring Mountain, Mountain summit in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington, US.
Baring Mountain is a peak in the central Cascade Range, about 2 miles northeast of the Skykomish River and US Highway 2 in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Its large, sheer Northeast Face drops about 750 m in only 250 m, then another 380 m at a lower angle to Barclay Lake. The Skykomish River lies at 230 m, while Barclay Lake sits at 1,128 m, giving the mountain a prominence of about 740 m.
The first documented ascent occurred in 1897 when John Charlton and Albert Sylvester reached the summit and established a route to the top. This early exploration made it a recognized destination for climbers in the region.
The name Baring comes from the nearby town on the Skykomish River; the peak itself was called Mount Index until 1917, when that name passed to the mountain now known as Mount Index. The easiest ascent is nontechnical, so an earlier Native American ascent is considered possible before John Charlton and Albert H. Sylvester's recorded climb of July 28, 1897.
The standard route is the Northwest Ridge Route, which is off-trail, partly through brush, and needs some scrambling near the top. Barclay Lake at the base is reached via Forest Road 6024 and a 2.2-mile (3.5 km) hike. The Skykomish River and US Highway 2 lie about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of the summit.
The northeast face offers technical climbing routes with challenging difficulty grades that only experienced mountaineers attempt. This draws advanced climbers seeking terrain beyond the standard hiking paths.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,864 contributors worldwide.