THE MOUNTAINEER 52 



The First Ascent of Mount Shuksan 



By ASAHEL CURTIS 



MOUNT SHUKSAN. situated in the uortheru part of Washiugtou, about 

 sixteen miles northeast of Mount Baker, was, so far as we could 

 learn, never climbed until our ascent made in August. 1906. 



The mountain is the highest point left of the primary upheaval and is 

 a beautiful mass of igneous rock with cascade glaciers flowing outward on 

 all sides, except the north, from a central snow field. On the northern side 

 of this, and a thousand feet above the snow, rises a great black pinnacle, 

 forming the main summit. 



The ascent was attempted first on August 1st by J. A. Lee, Rodney 

 Glisan. E. G. Grinrod, AV. ^L Price and myself. We followed the ridge that 

 leads to the mountain from the northwest until Ave were almost directly 

 under the main pinnacle, but were compelled to turn back by an approach- 

 ing storm, and the lateness of the hour. 



Two days later ]\Ir. Price and I attempted the ascent once more, 

 going this time to the south and climbing along the face of the mountain 

 until we came out on top of the main shoulder to the southwest, at an 

 altitude of about 6500 feet, where avc spent the night. By means of a 

 rude brush shelter we Avere able to keep Avarm although Ave had no blankets. 



On the foUoAA'ing morning avc continued up the ridge to the snow 

 plateau above the loAA'er i)innacles finding still, to the north, the black mass 

 of the summit pile. The ascent of this rock pile Avas a rather difficult piece 

 of rock-Avork that reciuired over two hours. 



On the summit Ave could find no trace of a previous ascent. No rocks 

 had been disturbed, except Avhere the lightning had struck them, and no 

 record had been left. We left a record of the ascent in a glass jar under 

 the cairn that Ave built, claiming the ascent in honor of the Sierra and 

 Mazama Clubs of AA'hich avc Avere members. 



The vicAV from the summit should be particularly fine but at this time 

 Avas hidden by the smoke of forest fires and Ave could just make out the 

 sunnnit of ]\Iount Baker and a fcAv of the mountains in the range to the 

 north. 



