Small team of climbers ascends Mt. Baker for stunning views and ‘source and summit’ of the faith

The B.C. Catholic



Ascending snow-covered Mt. Baker was a spiritual journey for three adventurers who recently scaled its glacier.

Father Bryan Duggan and father-and-son duo Michel and Luc Gloanec climbed the 10,000-foot peak June 4 and 5, then celebrated the Eucharist, the “source and summit” of the Catholic faith, at the summit.

“The whole experience was very moving,” said Father Duggan, the director of the archdiocesan vocations office and an avid hiker.

“I found the beauty and the ruggedness draw me into the heart of God in a unique way. I love encountering Him in the mountains.”

The sleepy volcano in northern Washington State is visible from many cities in the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland. Father Duggan has dreamed of climbing the 10,000-foot peak for years; he would often spy it on the horizon as he drove to the Seminary of Christ the King.

The young priest’s dream became a possibility after he took a mountaineering course two years ago. As he prepared helmets, ropes, harnesses, tents, ice picks, and other safety equipment for his first trip up Mt. Baker this June, Father Duggan also packed away a small Mass kit.

The three-man team hiked three or four hours in snow to a base camp at 7,000 feet June 4. They woke up at 2 a.m. to ascend the glacier before the sun warmed it.

“You could see the entire Lower Mainland lit up, from Chilliwack to Vancouver, yet it was far enough away that the stars were just magnificent. You could see the Milky Way with perfect clarity, other constellations, and Venus low on the horizon.”

They shouldered 50-pound packs and began the climb in darkness, navigating crevasses thanks to headlamps and the footprints of rope teams ahead of them. The light reflecting off the snow looked like “a procession of candlelight,” Michel said.

The sun slowly rose as they ascended Mt. Baker. The last stretch, called the Roman Wall, was especially steep and dangerous.

Father Duggan found the summit was about the size of a football field and almost completely flat. His team was shocked by the view; they could point out Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helen’s, Vancouver, and the North Shore mountains.

“To get to the top was the deepest spiritual experience I’ve ever had while hiking,” Michel said.

“Everything was more real! The sky was bluer, the snow was whiter and crisper. The whole thing was just so wild.”

The team found an isolated spot facing Vancouver. They jammed two ice axes in the ground, laid a backpack across them, and placed a white corporal on top.

Father Duggan pulled out his Mass kit, which included a stole, just enough hosts and wine, a tiny chalice, a misalette, a crucifix, and a relic. They celebrated the Eucharist, praying for Vancouver, for their families, and for their co-workers.

“To me, it felt like the most logical and correct thing to do,” said Luc, Michel’s son.

“When you’re hiking up a mountain like Baker, you’re filled with the wonder of how beautiful God’s creation is.”

The team trekked back down after taking in the stunning views and saying a short prayer to consecrate the pure-white mountain to the Immaculate Virgin.

Father Duggan has celebrated Mass in other unexpected places, including on a beach on Nootka Island and on an old boat sailing around Vancouver Island.

“There’s something very special about celebrating Mass in the beauty of God’s creation and encountering Him in the sacrament, but also in the sacrament of nature,” he said.

He will move to the U.S. for studies this August, but he hopes to find time to explore Colorado and the Rocky Mountains, Mass kit at the ready.