Feb 14, 2009, Shuksan, Curtis Glacier/Hour Glass
2/14/09
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
3955
6
Monika and I got a 5 am start from the parking lot. Quick cruise up to Austin Pass and then follow the track into Swift Creek (good snow) and then towards Lake Ann saddle, easy glide for several miles. Followed tracks up to the saddle thanks to Gregg and team who had skied it the day before (good snow). Traversed towards Fisher Chimneys at about 5200-5000 as this was our original plan. Got to the Chimneys and they looked ok for climbing, but not for skiing. Decided to take a closer look at the two gulleys on the Curtis Glacier we had seen on Dan's TR a few weeks earlier. Both looked like good climbs, the one right of the 1951 route looked more filled in so we decided to have a go. The climb was fun and snow was inviting of a descent. There are quite the number of seracs and an icefall that could come down on this line and it should be avoided in warmer weather. From the top of the couloir we set a track towards the hourglass couloir, our second objective of the day. Being beginners at this iceclimbing stuff we belayed two rope lengths and simulclimbed the rest. Iceclimbing with skis on the pack is interesting. Atop the hourglass the weather had totally come in and it was a terrible whiteout. We had to feel our way towards Hells Highway and lost alot of time. The ski down the Curtis was slow as real and imagined (whiteout) exposure played mind tricks on me for sure. Once through a couple of cruxes it was pretty darn good though. Traversing back to Lake Ann saddle went quickly, but we had lost too much time to attempt our third objective of the day (Hidden Bowl on the N side of Shuksan Arm) so we settled for the ski down into Swift Creek, made some water and started the long, but beautiful walk out (snowing lightly and very peaceful). A very enjoyable trip with good company. Monika might post some pictures as I forgot my camera.
Awesome! Way to get a super gnarly tour in conditions like that!
Did you guys climb and ski the lookers right of those two diagonal gullies on the Curtis? Or were you even further over on lookers right?
I wonder if that hourglass leading to the Sulphide is skiable with a deeper snowpack.
Did you guys climb and ski the lookers right of those two diagonal gullies on the Curtis? Or were you even further over on lookers right?
I wonder if that hourglass leading to the Sulphide is skiable with a deeper snowpack.
Dan, do you mean this route?
The Curtis Glacier has always caught my eye. Very cool you guys went up there to check it out.
The Curtis Glacier has always caught my eye. Very cool you guys went up there to check it out.
Jason - hope you had a good weekend. I understand the route highlighted in your picture as the West Face; I think the hourglass feature Oyvind describes is the snow/ice connection between the upper Curtis and the Sulphide (west of the summit pyramid).
googling it, i found a recent tr with some pics
http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=865748
googling it, i found a recent tr with some pics
http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=865748
Hi Dan
Yes, the climbers rightmost of the two gulleys we climbed and skied. There is still one more very nice line that is even further right and it looked very skiable and would be coming down Hells Highway and taking a slight left and continuing down (might be crevassed at the top). We talked about taking this line up, but did not feel comfortable going down this way since it was whiteout and we had not climbed it.
The Hourglass - yes connecting the upper Curtis to the Sulphide as in the trip report. I can not remember seeing it with enough snow on it to ski it. But having seen some of your trip reports I wouldn't be surprised if yet another 'ice climb' gets skied ;-)
Yes, the climbers rightmost of the two gulleys we climbed and skied. There is still one more very nice line that is even further right and it looked very skiable and would be coming down Hells Highway and taking a slight left and continuing down (might be crevassed at the top). We talked about taking this line up, but did not feel comfortable going down this way since it was whiteout and we had not climbed it.
The Hourglass - yes connecting the upper Curtis to the Sulphide as in the trip report. I can not remember seeing it with enough snow on it to ski it. But having seen some of your trip reports I wouldn't be surprised if yet another 'ice climb' gets skied ;-)
...finally got to dealing with my pics.
Thanks to REI for a head injury (don't buy a Novara bike) I can't get to
things sometimes.
The first pic I took the following day taking in some blissful pow runs I didn't get my fix of the day before :)
Anyway Oyvind and I climbed that second diagonal line on the lower curtis. It runs parallel to the first one. Was the most direct line toward the Hourglass. There was enough snow along the edge to avoid the ice bulge in the upper section of the lower curtis. Both the lower Curtis and the Hourglass weren't as steep like I felt a bit nervous about beforehand.
Thanks to Oyvind for finding a way around the cravasses on the sulfide--i could skip that part next time ;)
Nice job, way to get the gnar! Super asthetic, nice work!
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