[TR] Mt. Shuksan - BYS couloir 5/1/2009

[danhelmstadter]

Trip: Mt. Shuksan - BYS couloir

 

Date: 5/1/2009

 

Trip Report:

I could not let a workless good weather day slip by, despite being a touch sore from my ski of the SW face the day before, and I have the approach the N side routes dialed. I skinned in bueatiful but softening corn up to the col overlooking price lake, then cramponed up hard snow to and through lower north face. I knew the west faceing BYS would be soft as it catches direct afternoon sun, but I wanted to scope the upper north face; and perhaps connect a ski of the BYS with the upper north face as Sky and Eric did last year. As I crested the ridge to the upper half of the north face, I discovered nasty breakable ice crust... not at all desireable ski conditions, and I did not want to gamble with time and climb the upper face - hopeing the late afternoon sun would soften the crust, as the sun is not too direct on North aspects this time of year, and there was a but of a breeze, and I had skiied the face 2 times before; but it is oh such a good ski line! I made my way to the entrance of the BYS which was not too far to the west.

 

 

 

Lookin down on the upper couloir:

 

I found ripper corn in the couloir for the most part:

 

 

 

The traverse out was quick and easy:

 

I did not ski the lower ramp section like Sky and Eric did last year because it was melted out to rock in several sections; instead - I traversed over to the lower northwest couloir, and skiied some great fall line.

 

Very stoked to have skiied such a great line in good condtions.

 

The classic shot:

[ryanl]

Glad you got it Dan. And glad,too, that you got to witness that slide on the north face from the uphill side.