Feb 11, 2006, Mt. Shuksan Sulphide Glacier (w/pics)
2/11/06
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
2784
1
Me and my brother Joe decided the Thursday before to do Shuksan on Saturday. We left Friday night and drove to about 1900 feet by midnight. Many blowdowns had been chainsawed, but we had to remove one lower one with our snow saw. The Subaru Legacy doesn't quite have the necessary clearance for forest roads sometimes. A party of three was allready there and camped when we got there.
We got up at 3:30 am and were on the road by 4:30 (how does it always take that long?). Skinned up the road with eager energy for about an hour and a half to the trailhead at 2500 feet. We somehow ended up searching around for the beginning of the forest road and lost about 30 minutes (It starts out to the left b/t/w). Began on trail in earnest around 6:30am. A nice view of Venus in the eastern sky before sunrise was a bonus. Good skinning conditions all the way to the notch, which we reached at 5400 feet at about 10:30am.
We crossed the just softening traverse and headed up beyond. There was some avy runout from a baseslide off the rocks above (after the traverse). Steer clear of those babys by not heading up too tight in. We must have passed the camp flat at 6500 feet around 12:00 and made it to the base of the summit pyramid at 2:00pm. The party of three turned around at this point.
Donned crampons on our plastic tele boots (which fit like a charm) and headed up the pyramid at 2:30. Visibility was perfect and the snow was a little dry at times, but in general very good for ice axe plunging and some bomber picking for the final 80 feet or so. Made the top by 4:30. A careful decent back-stepping and picking, then plunging and we weren't back to our skis until nightfall at 6:00pm! 3.5 hours on the summit pyramid, what the heck!? We were a little slow and carful, but wow, not what we expected.
The go light approach of no rope/harness/etc. but bringing two ice tools seemed just right. 7.5 hours to the base of the summit pyramid seemed like good time to us. An older lightweight ski set up would have been nice, because believe me, the skiing down by headlamp on windblown chop and breakable crust wasn't good for anything more than the pull of gravity. The nearly fullmoon was a big benefit.
So began the night portion of the trip, which was roughest until we got the hang of the breakable crust, sort of. Faceplants and icy head dives happend. Four hours later we were back at the trailhead and de-skinning for the road glide back to the car. The energy of that morning seemed like a dream from another lifetime. But it was warm and moonlit, and I don't really remember the pain anymore.
The descent was a little rougher and later than we had hoped, but it was safe. And after the fact, there's no question it was worth the sweet ascent, the beautiful views of the North Cascades, and the satisfaction of reaching the summit.
More Pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40959304@N00/sets/72057594067721903/
Next stop Mt. Hood? Some more short access winter climbs are in order with this dry sunny weather.
-Dan
We got up at 3:30 am and were on the road by 4:30 (how does it always take that long?). Skinned up the road with eager energy for about an hour and a half to the trailhead at 2500 feet. We somehow ended up searching around for the beginning of the forest road and lost about 30 minutes (It starts out to the left b/t/w). Began on trail in earnest around 6:30am. A nice view of Venus in the eastern sky before sunrise was a bonus. Good skinning conditions all the way to the notch, which we reached at 5400 feet at about 10:30am.
We crossed the just softening traverse and headed up beyond. There was some avy runout from a baseslide off the rocks above (after the traverse). Steer clear of those babys by not heading up too tight in. We must have passed the camp flat at 6500 feet around 12:00 and made it to the base of the summit pyramid at 2:00pm. The party of three turned around at this point.
Donned crampons on our plastic tele boots (which fit like a charm) and headed up the pyramid at 2:30. Visibility was perfect and the snow was a little dry at times, but in general very good for ice axe plunging and some bomber picking for the final 80 feet or so. Made the top by 4:30. A careful decent back-stepping and picking, then plunging and we weren't back to our skis until nightfall at 6:00pm! 3.5 hours on the summit pyramid, what the heck!? We were a little slow and carful, but wow, not what we expected.
The go light approach of no rope/harness/etc. but bringing two ice tools seemed just right. 7.5 hours to the base of the summit pyramid seemed like good time to us. An older lightweight ski set up would have been nice, because believe me, the skiing down by headlamp on windblown chop and breakable crust wasn't good for anything more than the pull of gravity. The nearly fullmoon was a big benefit.
So began the night portion of the trip, which was roughest until we got the hang of the breakable crust, sort of. Faceplants and icy head dives happend. Four hours later we were back at the trailhead and de-skinning for the road glide back to the car. The energy of that morning seemed like a dream from another lifetime. But it was warm and moonlit, and I don't really remember the pain anymore.
The descent was a little rougher and later than we had hoped, but it was safe. And after the fact, there's no question it was worth the sweet ascent, the beautiful views of the North Cascades, and the satisfaction of reaching the summit.
More Pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40959304@N00/sets/72057594067721903/
Next stop Mt. Hood? Some more short access winter climbs are in order with this dry sunny weather.
-Dan
Nice job. I had hoped for softer conditions high up. Do you have close-up pictures of the summit gullies? Was it filled in enough for skiing? ;D And thanks again for the heel-lever.
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