A subsidiary summit of the Black Buttes on Mount Baker's west shoulder, most commonly climbed as a short detour off the standard Coleman-Deming Glacier route.
Drive up Glacier Creek Road (Forest Road 39) to the Heliotrope Ridge Trailhead. This road has been subject to periodic washout closures that require checking current conditions before a trip. From the trailhead, the Heliotrope Ridge Trail climbs through forest with several stream crossings before reaching the site of the old Kulshan Cabin near treeline. A climbers' trail continues past this point, breaking out of the trees with views of Baker and the Coleman Glacier icefall, and reaching the glacier's edge around 6,000 feet, where a base camp is typically made. From camp, rope up and ascend the Coleman Glacier, trending south beneath the Black Buttes toward the saddle between Colfax Peak and Mount Baker, at roughly 9,000 feet. This traverse crosses below serac zones on Colfax's north side that have produced icefall onto the route in past seasons, so timing the crossing for firm early-morning snow is standard practice. From the Baker-Colfax saddle, leave the main Baker route and climb snow slopes directly to the summit, working around a false summit before reaching the true high point.
Descend the climbing route. Snow on the summit ridge and upper glacier is often icy into the afternoon on this north-facing approach, so many parties descend earlier rather than waiting for softer snow.