We did
not get around to climb Mt Shuksan on our first
visit to the Cascades in 2003, so the peak was high on our list this time
around. We were hoping to get on the north face but the lack of snow coverage
on the approach combined with the very warm conditions convinced us to pick
an alternate route. We set our minds on skiing the Sulphide Glacier.
On July
3, we're up early and gulp down some breakfast, before driving up to the Shannon
Ridge trailhead. We get to see a black bear on the road on the way there.
Once at the trailhead, we spend a good half-hour getting the packs ready.
We look like christmas trees with the skis, boots, pickets, ice axes, ice
tools, helmets, and water bottles strapped to our packs.
The trail
follows the gentle grade of an overgrown logging road for the first couple
of miles. Heavy packs... we're not used to this anymore. It's our first overnight
trip in a while. The trail is in good shape though. We then reach the point
where the road turns into a climber's trail, going steeply uphill toward the
ridge. Good trail for a while longer, then snow cover and deadfall begin.
A bit of care is required here to stay on tracks. There are flags in the branches
here and there, but not in a consistent line, as is often the case. We use
a mix of GPS and intuition to lead us. Really, all we need is to get up to
the ridge, no big deal. No real bushwhacking to be found under the big trees.
Just some deadfall to navigate around.
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The
Sulphide Glacier and the summit pyramid, seen from Baker Lake.
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Packing
at Grandy Lake campground.
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Eric
fine tunes the skis.
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Starting
the long approach.
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The
approach follows an old logging road and a climber's trail in
the forest before reaching a snow ridge leading to a col and the
glacier.
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Once on
the ridge, the snow cover is continuous and we change to skis and skins. We
skin up and down the rolling ridge to the base of the steeper (maybe up to
35 degrees) slope to the pass. We manage that on skins as well although traction
is not great (few inches of very soft mashed potatoes on top of firm neve).
The views of Mt Baker are spectacular. The last few feet to the col are on
dirt. The col then leads to a long traverse NE across steep snow (maybe 40
degrees?). Given the difficult traction and edging with the skins, we take
the skis off and boot traverse those slopes. It's pretty exposed but not difficult
at all. We eventually get back on gentler slopes near the toe of the Sulphide
Glacier and put the skis back on for the last couple of miles to camp. We're
getting pretty worked going up the last few hundred feet of elevation.
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Changing
into ski boots on the ridge.
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Skinning
up the rolling ridge with Mt Baker in the background.
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Lucie
taking a breather just above the col.
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We
take off the skis to make an exposed traverse on steeper snow.
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The
last snow slog just below camp.
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Eventually
(7 hours after leaving the trailhead), we reach the inviting flats at the
base of the west edge of the glacier and beautiful camps (on snow). One party
of two older guys is there. They attempted the summit this morning (we saw
them coming back down) but turned back at the base of the summit pyramid,
reportedly because they were too tired from the approach the day before.
We pick
a ready-made snow platform on the side of a minor ridge line, just above the
main bowl. We're reasonably protected from any wind but still high enough
to get incredible views. The glacier looks in really good conditions for skiing.
We set up camp and start melting snow, for a few hours… Then dinner and to
bed by 8PM.
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The
views from camp are incredible.
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We
spend the evening melting snow and...
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...looking
at the summit pyramid surrounded by clouds.
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Settling
down inside the tent.
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Camp
at sunset.
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The alarm
is set to 3AM for an early start (we figure it will take us 1.5hr to get ready
and leave camp). We stuff ourselves with food and water for breakfast, get
everything ready and go. It's 4:45AM by the time we leave camp. We are treated
to a beautiful sunrise.
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Room
with a sunset view of Mt Baker.
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Leaving
camp at sunrise.
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Sunrise
views.
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Looking
down toward camp.
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The
Sulphide Glacier with the summit pyramid in the background.
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We decide
not to rope up as the glacier looks very smooth; no sign of any crevasse on
the left edge. We skin up. The surface snow is already soft leaving camp.
Higher up, things get pretty firm, and we use our ski crampons to continue.
At some point, the snow gets hard enough that the ski crampons don't even
penetrate fully anymore.
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Skinning
up the gentle glacier.
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Taking
a break along the way.
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Great
views of Mt Baker in the early morning.
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And
up...
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...and
up.
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We crest
the bulge into the upper basin and see a party of three heading toward the
pyramid. Shit. They're coming from Hell's Highway and the Chimneys. We decide
to leave the skis near Hell's Highway, as we think we can see signs of covered
crevasses in the final slope to the base of the pyramid. Eric changes into
his La Sportiva Trango boots, while I stay in my ski boots (my leather boots
are a bit too soft for steep snow). We also rope up in glacier mode and start
up the slope (kicking steps; no crampons). It's a longer way than it looks
to the pyramid, but we are making fast, steady progress. The party of three
is now climbing the central couloir and appears to be moving very slowly.
They are belaying pitches.
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Slogging
up the slopes of the upper basin.
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Ascending
the snow slopes above Hell's Highway with Mt Baker in the background.
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Looking
up at a party of three, ahead of us on the summit pyramid.
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Simul-climbing
the steep icy section in the central gully.
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Summit
shot.
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We follow
their track to a constriction at the base of the upper couloir. Things here
get a bit more interesting and pretty steep and exposed so we put on our crampons
for extra security. The other three are now just above Eric, stopped at a
small rock island. Their leader is just starting up, placing pickets and on
belay. We decide to try and pass them (after asking). Eric quickly leads through
the ice and rock restriction, placing two nuts for running belay, then heads
straight up the snow gully, passing the other leader on the left (he approved).
No tracks anymore (they were probably wiped out by wet sluffs the day before?).
Good step kicking in pretty soft snow. We zoom past the other party, then
reach another water-ice section just below the summit. Eric clips a runner
into a rap anchor (slings) for a quick running belay, climbs the slippery
section then belays me up. Fifteen vertical feet to go to the top. On steep
rock. We don't use protection; it's class 3 and 4 scrambling. We have a summit!
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Summit
views .
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Ditto.
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Smiile!
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Going
down the rocky 4th class section near the summit.
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Descending
the snow slopes to Hell's Highway where we left the skis.
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Perfect
blue skies and great views, particularly of neighbouring Mt Baker. We put
on our puff balls, have some food and water, take pictures, and start thinking
about going down. We wait for the party of 3 to summit and immediately go
down. This should minimize the time we'll spend exposed beneath them. We scramble
back down to the top of the icy section, and make one rap (from existing anchor)
past the ice and into the snow. Another party of two is coming up (unroped).
We pull the rope and follow the now well established tracks back down to the
top of the small rock island where we had passed the other three. Things looks
a bit sketchy below here. The snow is now very slushy and this section has
very little of it or none at all in spots. We elect to rap. An anchor is already
here anyway. With a folded 60m rope though, we barely reach to the middle
of the hard section. So we set up another anchor (from scratch: two nuts and
a cordelette), and finish rapping the icy section and back into the snow.
Straightforward stepping down from here (though it is still steep).
We head
back down to the upper basin and change back into skis. We first need to climb
back up to the bulge (put skins on) before we can enjoy the long ski back
to camp. We were anxious about our skill level (the last time we skied was
three years ago on Mt
Adams…), and about the snow becoming too heavy. Fortunately both fears
are unfounded, and we find ourselves making exhilerating turns down the gentle
slopes all the way back to camp.
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The
summit pyramid seen from camp.
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Views
from the tent.
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Napping
in the tent.
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Beer
time! Well, that is if we had brought any beer...
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More
views.
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Once there,
we don't really feel like going down, as initially planned. The views are
awesome, the weather perfect, and we have an entire afternoon to relax in
camp. Hard to pass. It also turns out that we have plenty of fuel left (we've
melted a lot of snow in the sun, using our trash bag and a large platypus).
We're staying. The party of three is still making their way very slowly back
down the summit tower. We spend the afternoon lounging in the tent (the sun
is beating down hard so we need the shade). Nobody else at camp! We have lunch
(bread and saucisson), and get a bit of on-and-off sleep in the tent. Then
dinner, and watching the views and sunset from the ridge. Pure bliss. A party
has set up camp a few hundred feet below us… they're missing the views; I
guess they ran out of juice short of the normal camp. We go to bed late. No
alarm needed!
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Playing
with the camera...
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More
views from camp.
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Lucie
looking at the summit pyramid as the sun is going down.
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Sunset
views from camp.
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Ditto.
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We head
back to the trailhead the next morning. We get up not too late but take quite
some time having a leasurely breakfast and packing up. Temperatures are sweltering
hot. When finally ready (it's 10AM), we shoulder our heavy packs and tentatively
point our skis down the slopes. It's a lot of work but we actually manage
to make pretty decent turns on the way down. We reverse the traverse on skis
this time (getting better edging without the skins), and reach the col. We
step down from the col onto the steep slopes below, then put the skis back
on and make more turns back to the ridge. The snow here is still OK but there
are very deep melt runnels that make the skiing pretty tricky. We make the
best of it, and follow the ridge until we start down again following patchy
snow between the trees.
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Camp
in the early morning light.
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Panoramic
view of the Sulphide Glacier and the summit pyramid from camp.
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Packing
up.
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Skiing
down to the col.
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On
the snow slopes below the col.
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We finally
stop and remove the skis 300 ft or so below the ridge, when progress becomes
nearly impossible. Back to boots, and to carrying those heavy planks! Within
a few hundred feet, we make it back to the trail (thanks to Eric's good navigation!),
and walk down. Amazing how much melting has occurred in the last 3 days! We
hike down, meeting a group of 8 or so who are making their way up. We're back
at the trailhead around 1:30PM, suprizingly fresh thanks to the mixed mode
of travel. We almost ready to drive away when another large guided group shows
up (Mountain Madness) with 12 people…! Glad we did the climb when we did it.
It will be a zoo up there tonight!
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Following
the climber's trail...
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...and
the abandoned logging road...
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...back
to the car.
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