The following words and pictures ultimately attempt to describe an alternate realm of existence, a dimension where snow, human, and ski create a pure and beautiful harmony. A harmony which speaks loud to those adjusted to listening, those of us who hear it are drawn to the energy, it provokes the impulsive, usually primitive thirst for a sublime and complex experience, infinitely more intricate than the mind imagines. An experience rarely appreciated from outside the massive alpine cathedrals born from gnarled walls of ice, rock and fear.
This time the congregation; Tom Sjolseth, Daniel Jeffreys, Mike Dahlquist, Jonathon Crabtree and myself camped on the western flanks of Mt. Shuksan just out of reach of the snarling hanging glacier. Our first day on the mountain we basked in its glory. I contemplated on how I could live up to the grandeur of this peak and the chosen line of descent the following day.
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| View from Camp |
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| Beautiful Sunset |
The next day we struggled out of our warm sleeping bags around 5am to begin our ascent of the North Face, there are easier routes to the summit and to the top of the North Face but we felt climbing the face was essential to understand the conditions of face. We all had one question; would conditions let us ski?
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| At the base of the face with Nooksack tower behind us |
Taking turns breaking trail we made good progress up the face and with every step our wildest hopes were realised. The steep north face had been awesomely preserved from the devastating effects of the hot sun, instead chalky powder stuck firmly to a perfect base gave us the confidence to give it a go, but first we had a summit to stand on.
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| Sunrise on Mt. Baker |
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| Lance crossing the summit plateau to the Summit pyramid |
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| Mike and Daniel steps from the summit |
As we stood on Mt. Shuksan's summit around noon our eyes glazed over like a young child at lego-land, to the east thousands of peaks weaved an icy quilt of potential. Endless new routes, summits and ski descents stood before us promising sanctuary to any curious Alpinist. Minutes later the energy that seemed to bubble from the mountain itself, infused our limbs with strength and energy, meaning it was time to descend.
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| Endless views. The obvious range is the Picket Range home to the fiercest of mountains |
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| Mike shredding the SE chute off the summit pyramid |
We made it off the summit pyramid and found ourselves above the huge North Face standing 2000 feet above its base, the menacing 50 degree slope had us on edge. Skiing a massive face like this one demands full-on engagement as no margin for error exists, a fall would be disastrous, there are no ropes to comfort you or link you to your companions. Nothing but ice, snow and rock exist. Your four friends are below you and you must perform, must commit, you initiate your first turn leaving your fate to skill, luck and the mountain.
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| Daniel shreds first |
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| Lance in heaven |
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| Jonathon shredding |
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| Mike putting on a show |
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| Tom enjoying the white smoke |
With every turn cold, white smoke permeated our senses, snow crystals danced and sparkled in the sun while the crisp fresh air filled our screaming lungs providing oxygen to the rippling muscles of our legs. The sharp edges of our skis kept us in balance, teetering between chaos and control.
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| Mt. Shuksan blue line is line of descent |
Skiing this face was a dream, a descent from the holy lands of up high, a phenomenal experience I could never come close to describing here with mere words and pictures.
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