Mount Shuksan/North Face

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Take I-5 to Bellingham, and take exit 155 for the Mount Baker Highway (SR 542). Follow SR 542 33.8 miles to Glacier and obtain permit at the Ranger Station. Continue 13 miles past Glacier to Nooksack River Bridge. Continue driving 5 miles to hairpin corner at 3,500 ft, two miles from Mount Baker Ski Area. Turn left at hairpin corner onto White Salmon Road (Forest Road 3075), marked, not at its junction with the Mount Baker Highway, but at its last switchback/junction). Follow to its end above White Salmon Creek. Heavy brush encroaches on both sides of the road for the last mile or two, leaving scratched vehicle sides.

APPROACH

A faint path with some flagging continues through road bed brush for several hundred yards before dropping down faintly from the roadbed with sporadic flagging and making its way over to a more open swath and dropping down to White Salmon Creek. Hike up brushy valley, then ascend eastward up timbered slopes to open areas along ridge crest. Good bivy spots are located at 5,500 ft where ridge meets North Face.

ASCENT ROUTE

From bivy, traverse left on hanging glacier above Price Lake and under upper hanging glacier perched above first rock barrier. After 500 ft, climb to right up firn and ice finger west of upper hanging glacier. Especially in early season, do not go far left onto North Face where avalanches frequently occur.

Continue steeply up North Face to shoulder northeast of summit pyramid. After midseason, route can be very broken and schrund at shoulder quite large. From top of shoulder, traverse ice plateau around east side of summit pyramid and finish climb by standard route to summit.

DESCENT ROUTE

Descend via Fisher Chimneys and Lake Ann Trail to Mount Baker Ski Area. Alternately, descend the White Salmon Glacier for a return to the cars.

TRIP PROFILE

EQUIPMENT

Ice ax, crampons, ice screws, pickets.

NOTES

• Take special care on the summit pyramid gully because of loose rock and multiple parties. Some guide services do not require climbing experience as a prerequisite for this route.
• Leaving a second vehicle at the Mount Baker Ski Area shortens the descent.
• Some parties prefer to camp a second night above Fisher Chimneys or at Lake Ann.
• Descent can also be made via White Salmon Glacier or Sulphide Glacier, although the latter requires a very long car shuttle.

• Suitable Activities: Climbing
• Climbing Category: Intermediate Alpine
• Seasons: May, June, July
• Weather: View weather forecast

• Difficulty: Intermediate Ice Climb
• Elevation Gain: 6,100 ft
• High Point: 9,127 ft

• Land Manager: North Cascades National Park
  Stephen Mather Wilderness
• Parking Permit Required: None
• Recommended Party Size: 12
• Maximum Party Size: 12
• Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 12