Shuksan: Second Day of Summer

By:  Allen
June 26, 2011


Last weekend I was overcome with yearning to get back out on some snow. After 2 failed trips in the previous weeks and a general winding down of the ski season I thought it was about time to get after it again. For one of the first times this spring I found a clear forecast with a freeze up the night before and a nice thaw the following day. We have been plagued by warm cloudy nighttime temps all spring.

I had taken a recon shot of the north face a few days prior. I though it still went but at that angle I wasn’t sure. (the north face is the line on the far left)

At the last minute I called Braiden and offered up some plans. The north face has been on my hit last the whole year, which has been weighing on me. This is Braiden’s first year skiing though so he wasn’t quite up to 2500′ of exposed 45-55 degree skiing. As an accomplished climber though he was up for an ascent of the face. We decided to combine that ascent with a summit and a descent of the White Salmon.

I found some cool tracks in the morning, could be wolverine but that’s a long-shot.

The base of the north face was home to car sized runnels, crevases, and glide cracks. A variable mountain playground. Braiden and I roped up and pushed on.

After crossing the runnels and cracks we found a nice smooth, steep snow slope.

Topping the north face there is a serious contrast walking on to the almost flat Upper Curtis Glacier. It gave us the chance to relax and enjoy some of the most spectacular views I have seen in a long time.

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Read about the author:   Allen
Enjoy this TR? Read another: TR: Slackfest 2009 with M.W. Otto Rhode

Related Stuff:

  1. Shuksan: Anatomy of a Bail 2/2/11
  2. A Week of Adventures on Mt. Shuksan
  3. Shuksan NF Fail
  4. TR: Shuksan, Second Day of Summer
  5. Mt. Shuksan: Hanging Glacier Headwall
  6. A PNW Summer – Part 3

3 Comments

  1. MIcky O (ILOVE2SKI)
    wrote on July 2nd, 2011 at 8:39 am  
  2. Harvey44
    wrote on July 2nd, 2011 at 3:44 pm  
  3. Butch Chamberlain
    wrote on July 15th, 2011 at 10:26 am  
    3

    Nice work! Great looking pics as well. Not too much on the action side, but nonetheless, very nice. There some very dramatic scenery out there. ABasin has given me the most thrill. However, Crested Butte has pretty nice stuff too. My last big plan is to go out to Crystal. Heard a lot about it, although Silverton might be a better choice. Who cares, no matter where you are skiing, as long as you are skiing, it is all MIGHTY FINE!

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