sulphide glacier conditions?

[erez]

Any one have recent conditions on the sulphide glacier on Shuksan? I'd like to do an overnight.

[Stephen_Ramsey]

As of last weekend, the central south gully on the summit pyramid was filled with snow, good for cramponing in the early morning. Various parties had kicked good steps. After the sun hits the summit pyramid, small ice chunks start coming down, which may or may not be disconcerting while you are downclimbing the gully. The summit block still had some rime ice on it, but lots of rocks are starting to show through. We found it easy to put in rock pro for a running belay, on the right-hand side of the gully.

 

I don't have much information about the Sulphide Glacier below Hell's Highway. But above Hell's Highway, it was fine. Good snow for walking and skinning. I saw one crevasse on the Sulphide at around 7,700', but it was way off to the climber's right of the route.

 

Parties who came up the Sulphide from Shannon Creek reported that it was only a 15-minute walk from snow line to the trailhead (I can't confirm this because we came from the Mount Baker Ski Area).

 

Cheers,

Steve

Edited April 15, 2004 by Stephen_Ramsey

[JoshK]

Parties who came up the Sulphide from Shannon Creek reported that it was only a 15-minute walk from snow line to the trailhead (I can't confirm this because we came from the Mount Baker Ski Area).

 

Cheers,

Steve

 

 

Ouch, thats sad. When I did the sulfide in may a couple of years ago it was an hour or more walk. Easy access is nice, but it reminds me just how poor the snowpack really is.