Mazamas — For the Love of Mountains
Shuksan is located approximately six miles to the east of Mount Baker in the North Cascades. Mssr. Beckey has this to say about this route: €œIt is a clever and tortuous route, not technically difficult, but involving stimulating route finding.€ (Ahh, that €œstimulating€ Beckey route finding!) This route can be a challenge for those who find steep snow and class 3-4 rock with big exposure to be unnerving. There have been some L O N G days spent on this peak by the unprepared. Know the route as best you can and start early.
Activity Notes
Mt. Shuksan sets the standard for rugged mountain beauty, with jagged edges and multiple glaciers cascading down from a high plateau. The Fisher Chimneys route is demanding, with 3rd/4th class scrambling (with full packs), steep snow, glacier travel, low 5th class climbing, and multiple short rappels. And possibly camping on snow. The full meal!
We’ll have three days of climbing, hopefully avoiding any epic days, but efficiency and team cohesion will still be critical to success. Note that Shuksan is a 6-hour drive, and our approach day starts at 9 a.m. – please count on leaving town Friday afternoon or evening and camping within a few hours of the trailhead.
| Other Information | |
|---|---|
| Driving Distance from Portland | 320 miles |
| Driving Time from Portland | 6 hours |
| General Route Info | summitpost https://www.summitpost.org/fisher-chimneys/155674 mountain forecast https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Shuksan/forecasts/2782 USFS Glacier Public Service Center: (360) 599-2714 Located approximately six miles to the east of Mount Baker in the North Cascades, Mount Shuksan is the tallest non-volcanic peak in the Cascades. From Selected Climbs in the Cascades (Nelsen and Potterfield): "The massive and complex Mount Shuksan - whose handsome profile from Picture Lake has become a frequent photographic cliché - offers no less than five rugged faces, with four of them commonly climbed. Big, remote, interesting, and guarded by sometimes troublesome approaches, Mt Shuksan exerts a strong attraction for climbers drawn to its wilderness slopes and rugged beauty." Beckey writes about the route, “It is a clever and tortuous route, not technically difficult, but involving stimulating route finding.” (Ahh, that “stimulating” Beckey route finding!) The Fisher Chimneys is an interesting and demanding route, providing a serious challenge to those who are out-of-shape or who are nervous climbing exposed slopes on high angle snow or unbelayed through Class 3 - 4 rock chimneys in mountaineering boots. Many parties have had very long climbs on this route (20 hours+!) Clarence “Happy” Fisher pioneered the route in 1927. See Beckey’s Cascade Alpine Guide for more detailed look at this area’s geologic and climbing history. |
| Expected Duration | Car to car in two or more days |
| Interesting Features | Spectacular Views |
| Relevant Books | Selected Climbs in the North Cascades by Nelson and Potterfield Cascade Alpine Guide: Rainy Pass to Fraser River by Fred Beckey |
| Relevant Maps | USGS 7 minute series, Mt. Shuksan, Green Trails Map #14, and US Forest Service Mt. Baker National Forest map Google map https://goo.gl/maps/AE5tpQzsSUr |
| Awards Qualified | 16 Major NW Peaks |
| Useful Links | GPS Track GPS Coordinates Map |
