[TR] - nf shukshorn 6/12/2011

[danhelmstadter]

Trip: nf shukshorn

 

Date: 6/12/2011

 

Trip Report:

My plans became obscured with the clouds that rolled in, so it was either descend the white salmon or the north face, I'll be damned if I ski the white salmon again.

Gapers have opened up on the traverse over across the upper hanging, I stopped in my tracks several times to wait for the white out to blow over so I could navigate the crevasses.

Thankfully I didn't have to wait at the entrance of the north face for a window of visibility. The steep upper skiers right entrance was soft -- It's always great come back in the spring and ski routes in easy soft snow conditions that have scared the hell out of me in icy midwinter conditions...

My minor sluff from turns up high grew into a shit storm as it entrained soft snow lower down and raged off cliffs, spilling onto the frozen lake 4500 feet below.

I had to hop a couple cracks and rally big runnels on the lower face. The White Salmon drainage had good corn conditions.

Interesting to note evidence from a MASSIVE avalanche from the winter that apparently started in the NW Couloir, then took out a swath of forest as it went up a hill across the valley and banked -- then went all the way down to the big trees at the very bottom of the valley...knarly...I'll get pictures next time.