NPS/A.Brun Sulphide Glacier Route The route is becoming more challenging in these late season conditions as the glacier continually melts out. As previously mentioned, teams should be prepared for steeper exposed glacial ice and crevasse hazard management from the lower bivy sites to base of the summit pyramid. Plan for more time navigating this terrain. Also, understand that the route up may not be the safest option down as conditions change throughout the day. There have been multiple reports of snow bridges collapsing and parties turning around due to the nature of the glacier. Both the lower and upper bivy sites offer snow-free sites and multiple water sources. There are many sites that have been built at the lower bivy sites, please use the pre-existing impacted sites and do not create new ones. 
Photo by NPS/Preston Fisher Chimneys Route As with other trails and climbs in the North Cascades, expect late season conditions on the Fisher Chimneys Route. Late season brings out the day hikers, so remember, the trail to Lake Ann is a popular day hike, the parking lot is small, and a Northwest Forest Parking Pass is required. Plan accordingly. There are a couple water sources between the trailhead and the NPS boundary sign, but the next reliable water source is likely above Winnie's Slide at the upper bivy site. On hot afternoons there may be a trickle of running water below Winnie's Slide, but this source is not reliable as overnight temperatures are starting to drop with Autumn approaching. The consensus among climbers on the Fisher Chimneys was that full shank boots and 2 ice tools was the way to go as Winnie's Slide and Hell's Highway are steep and icy right now. Both can be protected with a combination of ice screws as well as pickets, so having a few of each makes a lot of sense. As you are climbing, remember that what goes up must come down, so have a decent strategy for getting yourself and your team back down. As with the Sulphide where the routes join, the Upper Curtis Glacier is broken up and requires good glacier navigation skills. The route may involve transitions from ice to snow and back to ice, and tracks may lead you to a dead end or a weak snow bridge. 
Sulphide Glacier Route Shout out to the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest trail crew for the beautification work they did on the Shannon Ridge Trail! The trail is currently in great shape after the winter blow down was removed. If you see a USFS employee be sure to say thank you. The Sulphide Glacier route is in challenging late season conditions. Teams should be prepared for exposed glacial ice and crevasse hazard management from the bottom of the glacier to base of the summit pyramid. Because of hot temps over the last weeks, the glacier is changing quickly and a set of footprints or a gpx track from a couple days ago might lead to trouble in the form of weak snow bridges or a dead end route. Additional caution getting from the snow onto the rock at the base of the summit pyramid, as the moat is growing and changing quickly. Freezing temps dropped to 6500’ on August 19, 2023, but haze from the wildfires moved in as well. The smoke was noticeable in both the smell and in the visibility, but it didn’t stop teams from going up to the summit. The freezing temps surely helped strengthen snow bridges, although this might be a temporary situation if freezing levels rise. Both the Lower and the Upper Bivy Sites are snow free and in good shape. The lower sites have free-flowing water all day, but the upper sites did not have water when we visited in mid-morning. If we may provide a couple reminders: -Please travel and camp on durable surfaces- do not trample or camp on vegetation, but find a rocky site for your tent or bivy. -NO TRASH IN THE TOILETS!! This includes wag bags and blue bags. 
NPS/ABrun July 20th, 2023 The USFS completed clearing the Shannon Ridge trail of trees over the trail on July 19 and the trail is in good shape. Climbers should expect to encounter crevasses on the Sulphide Glacier Route. At approximately 7,900 feet elevation we encountered multiple small crevasses and small patches of bare ice; simple route-finding was required to navigate through these crevasses. Additional crevasses were observed above this point as well but were easy to negotiate. The transition from snow to access the central gully rock was straightforward. There is one small patch of snow remaining in the central gully on the summit pyramid. Otherwise, the route up and down the central gully is dry. Please inspect the rappel stations in the central gully before using them. 
NPS/J. Shields Sulphide Glacier and Summit Pyramid Travel on the Sulphide Glacier from Hell's Highway to the SE Ridge of the summit pyramid was direct with no crevasse navigation or snow bridge crossings. Transition from snow to rock below SE ridge consisted of a clean intersect from supportable snow to loose rock just below the ridge. SE ridge was dry to the summit. Descent of the Central Gully was mostly dry with one large snowpatch remaining ~3/4's of the way down the gully. Several rappel stations found on descent. Be sure to inspect these stations thoroughly before weighting them. Central Gully consists of large blocks of loose rock. Be mindful when descending above climbing party's and when pulling your rope from rappel stations. Transition from Central Gully back onto snow consisted of several weak snow bridges that could easily be punched through. Use caution and inspect snow before commiting to transition. 
NPS/J. Shields Fisher Chimney's Approach from Lake Ann TH involved some snow travel, particularly on the final ascent up to Lake Ann. Patches of snow encountered on traverse from Lake Ann to the base of the Chimney's with significant amount of postholing. Moats are developing at the snow/rock intersect as you begin the initial scramble up the lower and upper chimney. Some large patches of snow remain in the chimneys proper, but can be avoided. Multiple water sources are available on your way up, but the bivy below Winnie's slide does not currently have a good water source. If planning to bivy there, make sure to fill up before gaining to snow field above the Chimneys and traversing over. Bivy spots above Winnie's slide contain a great water source from runoff of the Upper Curtis Glacier. Human waste bags were found at the bivy below Winnie's slide. Please remember to pack out your trash and waste and make an effort to keep this area clean as it sees a lot of traffic. 
T. Denison/NPS June 24, 2023Sulphide Glacier The road is driveable to the trailhead but still has several washout trenches (this time a Corolla was seen at the trailhead.) The blowdown section between 4000' and 4300' is much easier to navigate now that the snow has receded to about ~4900', on the ridge below the notch. The Lower Bivy toilet is snow free and in great shape, and there are a handfull of small snow free spots for 1-2 person tents- maybe 2 spots for larger tents. Plan on camping on snow at the Lower Bivy, unless you are one of the first groups to claim a dry site. The Upper Bivy is still under snow and the toilet is very buried at this time. The Sulphide Glacier route is in great shape with lots of snow covering crevasses and making for easy travel, and the summit pyramid is snow free.
Check out the links below for climbing condition blog posts from previous years: Climbing Conditions - Mt. Shuksan 2024 Climbing Conditions - Mt. Shuksan 2022 |
Last updated: May 7, 2025