Shuksan's North Face

Perennial summer steep skiing favorite

July 16, 2006

Mount Shuksan's North Face

Skiing never ends in the Pacific Northwest. The glaciers hold the goods. But for the connoisseurs who require lines that are pure, sultans of steeps, time is fleeting. Really, it's about high time for some alpine rock rage. Ready to rock, but still sentimental for the season of sick steeps, last weekend we tried to have it all.

We spent Saturday cragging on steep granite at the Lower Town Wall of Index. A dip in the Skykomish River at the end of the day was really refreshing. So were cherries fresh from the fruit stands on the way home. Got home in Seattle circa 8pm, still needing to prepare for a 1 am departure to Shuksan. Ouch!

I never sleep, 'cuz sleep is the cousin of death....

Finally got the bushwhack to the North Face styled and dialed. No path, no problem. It's so captivating, looking at the North Face from the ridge above White Salmon Creek. Yeah, baby.

The green glacial waters of Price Lake are mesmerizing. It almost looks as if one could straightrun the North Face and land with a splash, but good luck. From the top, it's about 4,200 ft to the lake. It's steep, but not quite vertical enough to clear all the rock between the North Face and the lake. Not that I plan to test that hypothesis.

Enjoy the ride.