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[TR] Mount Shuksan- Sulphide Glacier - solo day climb 8/2/2005


zoroastr

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Climb: Mount Shuksan-Sulphide Glacier - solo day climb

 

Date of Climb: 8/2/2005

 

Trip Report:

Hello...

Just a quick T.R. about a nice day in the hills--sorry about some of the pics being a bit large, including this shot of my constant hiking compnaion, Mt. Baker....

 

shuk1.jpg

 

My partner's still out with a bad ankle, so I took off this morning to grab the Sulphide Glacier Route on Shuksan. Left Bellevue around 5:30 a.m. and was on trail by 8:30, and in the glacier boot track by 10:30. Took it easy on the glacier, listening to tunes, snacking, and doing plenty of slack-jawed gaping at the incredible scenery.

Much cooler today than a few days ago when I was in the same area--never seemed to get much over mid-to-upper 70's, with just enough occasional cloud cover to cool things off without obscuring the views.

 

shuk3.jpg

 

The summit pyramid was fairly straighforward, involving a short rising traverse of a small remnant snowfield [large, established boot track, 40-degree slope], followed by 20 minutes of easy ledges, interrupted occasionally by short one and two-move 3rd and 4th-class scrambles. Here's a shot of the pyramid above a heavily-crevassed Sulphide Glacier [easily skirted by keeping to the boot track to the west and probing apparent bridges]...

 

shuk8.jpg

 

Heard some distant voices as I approached the pyramid, and eventually noticed a large party strung-out along the route. It turned out to be a guided group finishing a 30-day outing in the Mt. Baker area. Fortunately, all but two of their group were on top by the time I hit the route, and the last two graciously allowed me to climb through. Our intimate group of 13 kicked it on top for a while. They hadn't had any news from the outside world for a month, so I filled them in on the latest gossip--Middle East, London, Major League steroid scandals, etc....

 

shuk4.jpg

 

A parting shot of distant Baker Lake from the Sulphide Gl.

 

shuk5.jpg

 

Gear Notes:

I brought an axe, crampons for the upper snowfield, small day pack with tunes and Rice Krispy Treats [the 11th Essential].

 

Approach Notes:

Several lunar craters on USFS Road 1152, small cars beware.

Abundant salmonberries on the approach trail--come hungry, leave satisfied.

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