[TR] Mt Shuksan - North Face attempt 2/14/2009

[Cornfed]

Trip: Mt Shuksan - North Face attempt

 

Date: 2/14/2009

 

Trip Report:

My normal ski partner (Ari) took off on Friday to join danielpatricksmith for an early approach of a North Face attempt. Ari phoned me from their camp at 5100 feet. I told them I'd text in the am if I was on my way. I considered making the solo drive on no sleep, and then trying to find and catch them prior to their planned departure at 5am.

 

This was more daunting than the route itself. Just as I was about to bail, SmilingWhiteKnuckles (John) agreed to become partners in crime. We left the trailhead at 4:30 am and could make out the twinking headlamps of Ari and John getting ready to start climbing. By 6am, they disappeared over the ridge line near the start of the climb. We were feeling good about following their skin track and boot pack up the route to speed our ascent given that a previous trip report called the round trip at 17 hours.

 

We arrived at Dan and Ari's camp at 7:20, just as they re-appeared at the ridge line -- bad sign--so much for having a packed out route to speed our ascent. Contemplating the weather, they decided they weren't willing to start up with clouds hovering all the high peaks and flurries in the air.

 

John and I seeing a lot of blue sky now that they sun was up and being all dressed up without any place else to go continued up the route knowing we could always turn. At the base, we encounted lots of snow, but decided to switch to boots and crampons and rope up. We were expecting several inches on top of hard packed snow. What we got was well consolidated deep powder. The higher we went the softer the snow became. John led for heroically to the Bergshrund at 6700 feet through knee deep powder, which took about 75 minutes.

 

Fact: The route gets steeper (so we've read)

Fact: The snow was getting deeper

Fact: Flurries were still flying and the top remained in light cloud cover.

Fact: Facts one and two increased our concern about avy danger.

 

Conclusion: We felt good despite little sleep, but we were moving too slow. The snow conditions and increasing steepness would slow us even more or perhaps force a retreat higher up. Continuing meant embracing an epic, and there were still flurries and light clouds circling the high peaks.

 

The ski down was fantastic, and we lapped a north facing fan shaped coiloir which had the same deep snow we encountered low on the route before leasurely continuing our retreat. We smiled all afternoon and felt good about turning.

 

Another week of no snow and it may be in great shape. I'd be interested to hear of anyone climbing the whole thing.

 

John took all the photos -- we'll try to get something posted.

 

 

Gear Notes:

We took 2 screws and 3 pickets and a pair of axes each. I tink the ski poles on the climb and a mountaineering axe would be the recommended tools. We didn't encounter any hard ice, but we had another 1700 feet of steep climbing to go.

 

 

Approach Notes:

From the clearcut, we traversed nearly parellel (perhaps losing 100') staying in the thick trees, for a couple of miles. There are several small gulleys to cross. We dropped down at one of the last gulleys (another 100-200') which enters the bowling alley of avy debris below the White Salmon glacier (above right) and Hanging Glacier (above left).

 

[sisu]

did you get any pictures? please share if you have time!

Edited February 16, 2009 by sisu

[SmilingWhiteKnuckles]

Rob's suggestion below the route was to keep skinning. Probably should have done this and saved some energy...I guess I thought the snow would become harder. It did not and was slow going.

 

But the shot of Rob with the north face above him really sums up the day. We were two happy dads, psyched to be out in the alpine. And we gained a lot of good knowledge for the next go and had some fantastic turns both down the lower north face back to the ridge and down the fan we climbed between (and below really) the north face and hanging glacier.

 

It's a pretty awesome cirque up there!

[SmilingWhiteKnuckles]

A couple more photos: Rob skinning up the steepening "fan". And Rob about to shred said fan.

[sisu]

wow! thanks! looks like you found some good snow.

[DRep]

Right on boys! Sounds a little different from the ice and neve we experienced a few weeks ago. There is no way in Hell I would want to be high on that exposed face in waist deep snow! Way to know your limit.