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Mt Shuksan Ski Routes
 
 
This is a summary of ski descent routes on Mt Shuksan, intended as a historical record not as a guidebook. The first known ski descent of each route is listed. For more information about Mt Shuksan ski routes, click here. To submit corrections or new information, contact Lowell Skoog.
 
Mt Shuksan from the NW

Northwest Routes (click photo above to enlarge; NS indicates North Shoulder)

  • NF - North Face, Original Climbing Route - Jens Kieler and Gordy Skoog, March 1, 1981.
  • NFW - North Face, West Route - Alex Gibbs, Casey Ruff, Sky Sjue, Andy Traslin and Eric Wehrly, February 6, 2010. (Sjue and Wehrly skied the lower couloir on February 28, 2008.)
  • NCX - Northwest Connection - Dan Helmstadter, February 2, 2011.
  • NBC - North Buttress Couloir - Dan Helmstadter, January 30, 2011. (Descent involved two sections of downclimbing on crampons and a 36m rappel over the final cliff.)
  • NWC - Northwest Couloir - Rene Crawshaw made a complete ski descent of the route circa 1999. George St. James made a partial snowboard descent starting a few hundred feet below the top of the route on May 28, 1993.
  • HG - Hanging Glacier - First recorded ski descent by Forest McBrian, Aaron Mainer and Dan Otter on March 6, 2010 (via west exit). East exit was skied by Josh Kelling, Ben Price, and Matt Steinman on April 22, 2011. A solo skier is rumored to have skied the route in 2009. (HGE indicates east exit. HGW indicates west exit.)
  • HGH - Hanging Glacier Headwall - East variation: Dan Helmstadter and Drew Tabke, May 9, 2011. West variation: Eduardo Blanchard, Brendan O'Sullivan, May 19, 2011.
  • WSH - White Salmon Headwall - Rene Crawshaw, circa 1997.
  • WSG - White Salmon Glacier - Henry Reasoner and Dr. Otto Trott, March 28-29, 1941.

 

Mt Shuksan from the north

North Routes (see photo above; NS indicates North Shoulder)

  • PNR - Price Glacier, Nooksack Ridge - Ben Manfredi and Sky Sjue, May 2, 2003.
  • PG - Price Glacier, Complete - Seth Holton, Nick Ley, Ben Price, Kevin ??, April 1, 2014.
  • NF - North Face, Original Climbing Route - Jens Kieler and Gordy Skoog, March 1, 1981.
  • NFC - North Face, Center Route - Karl Erickson and Greg Wong, June 29, 1979 (with rappel). Sam Avaiusini and Bill Frans, April 24, 1999 (no rappel).
  • NFW - North Face, West Route - Alex Gibbs, Casey Ruff, Sky Sjue, Andy Traslin and Eric Wehrly, February 6, 2010. (Sjue and Wehrly skied the lower couloir on February 28, 2008.)

 

Mt Shuksan, Price Glacier

Northeast Routes (see photo above; NS indicates North Shoulder)

  • PNR - Price Glacier, Nooksack Ridge - Ben Manfredi and Sky Sjue, May 2, 2003.
  • PG - Price Glacier, Complete - Seth Holton, Nick Ley, Ben Price, Kevin ??, April 1, 2014.
  • PNE - Price Glacier, Northeast Chute - Ross Peritore and Sky Sjue, May 20, 2004.
  • NF - North Face, Original Climbing Route - Jens Kieler and Gordy Skoog, March 1, 1981.

 

Mt Shuksan, Nooksack Cirque

Nooksack Cirque (see photo above)

  • ENG - East Nooksack Glacier - Sam Avaiusini, Jason and Josh Hummel, Sky Sjue and Lowell Skoog during Nooksack Traverse, April 3, 2004. (NH indicates Nooksack Headwall.)

 

Mt Shuksan, Sulphide Glacier

South Routes (see photo above)

  • SC - South Couloir - Dan Helmstadter, January 20, 2013.
  • SG - Sulphide Glacier - First ski descent unknown, probably early 1960s after south-side roads were extended. Ski route was popularized by Joe and Joan Firey and friends around that time.

 

Mt Shuksan, Summit Pyramid

Summit Pyramid (see photo above)

  • SP - Summit Pyramid - Steve Vanpatten and Jim Witte, circa 1987 (spring).
  • SL - Summit Loop - History unknown. Probably first done in the 1970s or 1980s.
  • WSG - White Salmon Glacier Route
  • SG - Sulphide Glacier Route

 

Mt Shuksan from the SW

Southwest Routes (See photo above. Main obstacles are lower on the face, out of picture.)

  • SWL - Southwest Face Left (SW Face Couloir) - Ryan Carter, Jason Hummel, Paul Kimbrough and Davide de Masi, April 27, 2008.
  • SWR - Southwest Face Right - Dan Helmstadter, April 30, 2009.

 

Mt Shuksan from the West

West Routes (see photo above)

  • WSG - White Salmon Glacier Route
  • FC - Fisher Chimneys - Ben Manfredi and Sky Sjue, February 2, 2003.
  • CGN - Curtis Glacier, North - Davide De Masi, Sky Sjue and Mattias Zeigler, March 5, 2008.
  • CGC - Curtis Glacier, Center - Pete Durr and John Wells, February 24, 2008.
  • CGS - Curtis Glacier, South - Dan Helmstadter, February 15, 2012.

 

Curtis Glacier Headwall

More West Routes (see photo above)

  • CGS - Curtis Glacier, South - Dan Helmstadter, February 15, 2012.
  • CGH - Curtis Glacier Headwall - (AKA Southwest Face) Dan Helmstadter, March 25, 2012.


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Last Updated: Wed, Jul 15, 2020 9:43:39 AM