Shuksan N. Face attempt TR

[Norman_Clyde]

Left Seattle 12:30 am June 23 with Keith Schultz to climb Shuksan N. Face. We had never been to this part of the mountain, but I felt well armed with info from the recent TR's. We did not summit, due to two primary factors: we left too late for a dawn start, and we did not stay high enough at the end of the cat track, descending instead into bushwhack purgatory where we consumed one and a half to two hours we could have avoided wasting had we stayed high up.

Left the car at 3:30 AM. There was one other car at the gate. Weather was warm: the bulletin board at Glacier ranger station said freezing level was 11,000 feet. Easy walk to the end of the cat track, at which point it looked like a straight traverse was too high, and would expose us to risk from slides ahead. This would not have been the case. Anyone else trying this approach in the dark, remember: do not descend early, not even a little, after leaving the cat track. Stay on snow slopes (at least at this time of year) and you will eventually arrive at a gentle chute which brings you down to the valley. The place we descended brought us to an impasse between two creek waterfalls, necessitating a rappel as well as more bushwacking on the valley's East side. But routefinding was not problematic, at least, and by 8:30 AM we were at the col beneath the N. Face. The views were glorious. A party of 3 or 4 was topping out on the shoulder. Light wisps of cloud were forming crazy spirals as they blew past the summit.

It was too warm at this hour even to be comfortable in a light jacket. We had some apprehension at the risk posed by our late start, and were just wondering what to do when a large slide came across the hanging glacier, fueled by some source high above, and cascaded in a huge arc off the 300 foot cliff at the glacier tongue. The area of exposure from this source is very small, but if it hit you there you would be done for. This made up our minds for us. It was difficult to turn away from this climb-- what a grand, glorious setting it is!-- but just to tour that side of the mountain is a pleasing alpine experience.

We were not treated to any icefalls off the Hanging Glacier, but below the White Salmon ice cliff on our path we found big blocks of hard blue glacer ice, fallen almost to the valley floor. There were no visible descent tracks down the White Salmon, but tracks on Winnie's Slide suggested a few parties have now taken Fisher Chimneys.

Hats off to the party ahead of us, who must have had a fine day of it. Joekania and Terry, if you all summited on Saturday, hats off to you as well.

[gregm]

that was probably us you saw topping out. we had hiked in saturday and camped at the base of the climb. we were moving the next morning at 4:10 and by the time we topped out it was getting somewhat slushy. if you try again go left around the pyramid (unless the ridge is snow free and climbable). we went right and lost a lot of elevation we had to regain. i guess you already know about the approach

 

here's some pictures if you're interested.

[joekania]

Sounds like what we expected to see there, glad you made it back safe and enjoyed what you could. See my TR in Alpine Lakes for our epic on Mt Stuart.

[Dru]

quote:

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Originally posted by gregm:

that was probably us you saw topping out. we had hiked in saturday and camped at the base of the climb. we were moving the next morning at 4:10 and by the time we topped out it was getting somewhat slushy. if you try again go left around the pyramid (unless the ridge is snow free and climbable). we went right and lost a lot of elevation we had to regain. i guess you already know about the approach

 

Sounds like a good glissade back down White Saddle.

 

You see any cougars up there

?

 

here's some

pictures

if you're interested.

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