Down we went and the way was obvious after a little descent and several vegetable belays. Soon we were on the moraine above Price Lake and headlamps were unnecessary. We stopped to change into our boots and I found a troubling surprise. The canting rivet on my right boot had blown, and there was now a hole where there once was a joint. Things didn't feel too noticeably sloppy with the boot cranked tight so we continued.

I booted up a little, then returned to skis to cross a 'schrund and coast. We took a food and gear break at a mildly sketchy spot. I booted the rest of the traverse to the couloir on a gently ascending line and made careful steps through the couloir's apparent bergschrund danger zone. I tested each step thoroughly and they held. It was a miserable wallow at first, but once above the 'schrund the snow turned into an excellent shallow layer of slush above a more consolidated base. Calf deep postholing is just fine with me.

We crossed the couloir as quickly as possible to get out of the cornice fall zone. Then we booted to the ridge, and some rocks. We didn't attempt to top out since there was nothing above us but a cornice and then the gentle top of the North Face. It was a little late for a summit attempt on the pyramid, and Ben needed to get back to Seattle, so we were content to ski from where we were.

The couloir wasn't nearly as sloppy as it seemed like it might have been. One could barely classify it as slush, I'd rather think of it as fresh corn. My sloppy boot didn't bother me a bit with the favorable snow conditions.

The vantage from the couloir was excellent to pick a line through the bulk of the Price Glacier, so we were able to take a very favorable route back to the notch below Nooksack Tower. The ski descent was amazing, great conditions the whole way. After the last time, I would never have imagined the Price actually being so enjoyable of a ski. OK, maybe I would imagine it, why else would I return? I wouldn't have expected it to be so good.

Ben Kaufman and I talked some about Ben Manfredi. We talked about the line we skied the previous year. Ben Manfredi had suggested the chute, but I didn't want to traverse that much. I thought another line above us looked easy enough. He didn't take the route I intended, but Ben zoomed ahead and intrepidly found a way through the cornice. Then I left it to his guidance and we skied the crazy fluted chute. Ben Kaufman had wanted to ski with Ben Manfredi, but it never came to pass. We talked about how today could very likely have been the day.

I would have never taken to skiing the Price Glacier without Ben Manfredi's craftiness. He had the route finding skills and knew the approach. I feel really lucky to have followed him. Now I can't help myself but ski the Price, and I'm able to lead the way there, but I'll never forget following Ben there the first couple times.

Thanks for sharing, Ben. Thanks for showing me the way.

Mt Shuksan, Northeast Chute skis

May 2004