Trip: Shuksan - Sulphide Glacier variation
Date: 8/21/2010
Trip Report:
Seb France and I climbed Shuksan car-to-car on Saturday. We left the car at 1am and by the time we reached the camp at 5400ft the moon had already set. So we couldn't see the trail going towards the right at that point. We followed an obvious trail on the left ridge and were encouraged when we saw boot tracks. Unfortunately it was the wrong way and it cost us an extra 1000ft vertical and walking on annoying talus, wet moss and brushes. We finally met the Sulphie glacier at 6400ft.
The glacier is in excellent condition. The snow was hard early in the morning, perfect for crampons.
We were surprised to see only 5 people the whole day. We saw 2 climbers emerging from the Hell's Highway (we were already on descent, way below them). A lot later we met 3 more guys who were going up to camp. I really didn't expect solitude on this popular route.
I learned that I need to be more careful when navigating an unfamilar route at night.
Off route by sunrise
On the Sulphide glacier
Morning light
Baker
The steeper snow
Seb approaching the summit
Icy Peak and Nooksack Cirque
Flowers on the pyramid
2 climbers (in the left corner, below the crevasse) coming from the Fisher Chimneys
The weather moving in
We should've gone to the right here
Our actual route
Gear Notes:
Ice axe, crampons, 30m light glacier rope