Mt Shuksan (9127'), Sept, 2008

If at first, if at second, if at third .... try try again. So my previous umpteen attempts at Shuksan have been weathered out. I've gotten up to the sulphide 3 times and have had to turn around in misery because of weather twice ... and the third time, well, you can read about it here. We wont mention the even less successful trips. So with the summer winding down after all of the other trips, I convinced Keith and Alison to make a go of it - both of them newbies to alpine stuff, but both wanted see what all the fuss was about. We decided to go Fri/Sat to eliminate possible highways up on the sulphide and summit pyramid even though weather was a tad suboptimal. Also decided on the sulphide because of group experience and my familiarity with the route.

We got a latish start as Alison had to work in the AM and took off from the trailhead (2800') at about 3. We made it to 6750' or so at the foot of the sulphide at sundown. It was the first reasonable place to camp, although we'd soon find out that on rock fingers about 10 minutes away down 400 ft there is camping with toilets. ... but what's the fun of that, I mean, no blue bags. We dug two platforms and got stuff ready for the morning and got some shut eye.

4 O'clock came early, we rose and were on our way due N to the summit pyramid. Breaks in the clouds gave us glimpses in the dark sky, but we wouldn't be in the clear until 8,000 ft or so. Slow snow slog on the well graded glacier. At one point we were in the clouds and I beared a little too far E and we went right past the summit pyramid into a meandering maze of giant crevasses. I really just wanted to give the two newbies some excitement and up close encounters with the fun creatures and immunize them a little bit. We went back NW and got back on track to the summit pyramid. Pictured is Keith and Alison back on track above the clouds, with gorgeous Baker behind. ... and Baker was the only view we had this trip.

Up the summit pyramid, again, we didn't find the "class three" gully quickly and ad libbed. K is pictured wondering what the path of least resistance up and to the typical route is . Protecting a few moves in hiking boots we made it to the summit by a less than standard rout. Lunch on top and a more direct route down went more uneventfully. K and A back at camp with the summit in the background. Back at the car at sundown for the long way home. Only regrets is the huried nature of the trip - sorry Keith!