Mt. Shuksan 9,127ft.: North Face ski descent, Grade III-IV, snow to 45°

Date:  April 24, 1999 (Sam's Birthday)

Who:  Bill Frans and Sam Avaiusini

This was a test.  Departure for Mt. McKinley was a few weeks away and we felt like getting on something steep for a little reassurance.  Mother nature deposited 1100" of snow this year and we could think of no better time to give the North Face of Shuksan a try.  Bill picked me up from work downtown at 5pm and we headed for the White Salmon parking lot at Mt. Baker Ski area.  We arrived at the parking lot just before sunset and we skinned up the service road to the bottom of Chair 8 where we left the ski area.  We made a descending traverse to the White Salmon drainage under clear skies and almost a full moon.  No headlamps were necessary.  We reached the saddle at the base of the face around midnight and dug a couple pits to sleep in for a few hours.  Just before dawn, it was time to roll.  Bill and I took turns breaking trail as we entered the face near the icefall.  The snow was a perfect styrofoam and made for excellent cramponing.  Though we had a rope and pickets, we were moving quickly and comfortably and decided against using them.  At the top of the face, we removed our crampons and ate and drank while we pondered what we were about to do.  The North Face was first skied by Gordy Skoog and Jens Kuljurgis  in February 1988.  Since that time, I don't know of anyone else who's skied it, but I have to think that it's been done at least a couple times since then.  Bill offered me the first turns and I accepted, although I was pretty nervous at first.  A fall anywhere on the face would likely result in at least a severe body mangling!  The snow was very firm, but not icy.  We took turns down the face, about 20 at a time.  About 2/3rds of the way down we were faced with the choice of heading skier's right towards the icefall (the way we ascended), or continuing straight down through the cliff band to our bivy.  The opted for straight down for what could perhaps be a first direct ski descent.  Thank God for all the snow we had this year!  We found a route through the cliff band.  It was a gully around 50 degrees and much icier...great care was required here!

we climbed the red and skied the green...

Then it was over.  We arrived back at our bivy and gazed back at the coolest thing either of us had ever done in the mountains to date!  Another 2 hours and we were back at the car less than 20 hours after our departure.  We felt ready for whatever steeps we would find on Denali and most importantly, this was the best birthday present a skier could ask for!

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