Power House Hill (Pumphouse, Baker City Crags) Rock Climbing

This band of cliff lies very close to the Mt. Baker Hwy and seemingly, just above the N. Fork of the Nooksack river. It is a relatively shady area in the forest, with beautiful huge firs and cedars. Though it mainly faces south, much of the wall readily grows moss and other vegetation due to the region having so much rainfall, being shaded, and perhaps from drainage coming down the hillside above.

The rock texture varies, from a volcanic-ish cobblestone on the left to a type somewhat like that of Little Si or Newhalem on the right.

Various sources break the cliff band into four or six sections. I think the two furthest east of the six are on a distinct cliff, so I don't include them here. The other four, left (west) to right (east): Cobblestone Wall, Baker City Cliff, The Pumphouse, and Big Daddy.

The Cobblestone Wall has some of the easiest routes, starting from 5.8, and has the lowest angle, being a little less than vertical and having a fairly straight profile. The other walls are steeper on average, blockier, and most sections contain fairly large overhangs or roofs.

The access trails are obvious and short, both starting just across from the first parking area.

Different sources give different names for the cliff band. Power House Hill comes from Jeff Smoot's guide for Washington. The other names appear online, but also seem to be names of specific sections of the cliff.