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
I only have 6 permits total, which means 4 participants, myself, and an assistant.
We will go light and fast over three days:
Day One: Pre-dawn drive up, big hike down past Lake Ann and up through the Chimneys to the top of Winnie's Slide, camp for the night.
Day Two: Alpine start to get across, up, and around the glacier early, take the Southeast Ridge (3-4 pitches of low 5th class), summit, rappel down the gullies (5-7 rappels), cross the glacier back to camp, sleep.
Day Three: Mellow restful morning, pack it up and out, hike back to Lake Ann for a mandatory dip (swim if you're brave), and out. Food pit stop in Glacier or Deming for the long drive home.
You should be comfortable with: glacier travel, steep exposed scrambles, 5th class rock climbing, lead belaying (if need be), and rappelling. This is a long, hard climb, but it is absolutely beautiful, and one of my favorites.
For those curious, this is what the climb entails.
I welcome any and all questions. If you think you are on the edge of being qualified, but aren't sure, I would rather you ask than not apply at all. Call or text: (360) 440-9830, or email: dforestation@gmail.com
IF YOU ARE IN L.D. AND YOU WANT AN EVAL TO ASSIST, HIT ME UP!
| 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 |
