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NPS/C. Owen Sulphide Glacier Continuous snow begins around 4600', just before the NPS Boundary. Both the lower(~6200') and upper(~6500') bivy sites have 2-3 dry tent pads each. Both composting toilets have been dug out of the snow. There is runing water at the lower bivy, but none at the upper. Fisher Chimneys Parties reported the chimneys were largely snow free, with a few patches in the lower sections. There are snow free bivy sites both above and below Winnie's Slide. (~6800' and ~7000'). There is running water at the upper sites. Winnie's Slide, Upper Curtis Glacier, and Hells Highway are all in favorable condition, with no blue ice, and few open crevasses. Summit Pyramid There is no running water at the base. The SE Ridge is snow free. The central gully has intermittent snow patches. 
NPS/T. Meyers Sulphide Glacier The Shannon Ridge trail is snow free until about 4000' and above 4400' the snow is continuous. Most parties are not using flotation and seem to be able to avoid the rotten snow and trap doors above flowing water easily enough. The snow generally feels like supportable summer time snow. At the Lower Bivy there is one tent site that is snow free, so expect to camp on snow unless you are the early bird who gets this worm. Additionally, bring wag-bags or blue bags, as the toilet is still fully buried. The good news is that there is flowing water near the bivy site, and it even seems to have a healthy flow in the early morning hours. This may be the last water source for now, as there is no reliable water at the base of the summit pyramid. The Central Gullies Route is still a steep snow climb, but the SE Ridge Route is snow free! Fisher Chimneys The road to Artist Point is still closed at this time, but this could change in the near future. Stay tuned on the WA DOT website for more information. For those who don't mind the extra walk up the road, expect a snow covered Lake Ann, and snow all the way to the base of the Chimneys. The Upper Curtis Glacier seems to have a decent amount of snow, and there are few crevasses visible at this time. 
NPS/F. Preston Sulphide Glacier Mid May delivered quite a bit of new snow on Mount Shuksan, as low as 4000' elevation. The trail is soggy for the first 2+ miles, and there is an abrupt snow line at 4200' elevation. Over a foot of fresh snow has compacted to 6-8" of wet snow that is coating Shuksan from tip to tail. The summit pyramid looks to be a snow climb with little rock showing. The new snow was beginning to pinwheel off of the steeper slopes between the 5600' notch and the lower bivy site, and we observed some cornice debris on and above the standard route to the bivy site. With warmer weather and full sun in the forecast this new snow may become unstable. Both the upper and lower bivy sites are completely buried in snow, and the toilet is likely under 10+ feet of snow, so bring your blue bags and be ready for some snow camping. The Sulphide Glacier route appears to be in nice early season conditions with minimal crevasses showing. This may be deceiving, however, as the blanket of snow might be hiding trap doors. 
NPS/F. Preston Fisher Chimneys The Fisher Chimneys are in challenging late season conditions but still worth the effort during spells of good weather. Expect blue ice on Winnie's Slide for a pitch, and some steep snow and ice on Hell's Highway for more than a pitch. The summit pyramid is dry rock, but on shaded slopes there was remnant snow from last week's precipitation. If you are headed up after a weather event, expect new snow and ice at any and all elevations, as fall is here. 
T. Denison/NPS Sulphide Glacier The trail is entirely snow-free to the lower bivy area which has plentiful running water. The upper bivy area may have water in the afternoon but is unlikely to in the morning. There is much exposed rock and ice above the upper bivy area, and the route will almost certainly require travel on ice. The route currently crosses several open, visible crevasses before reaching the top of Hell's Highway. After this the route travels through a very crevassed area and uses several snow bridges, but some parties have rerouted to climber's right to avoid this area. There is no running water reported at the base of the summit pyramid. Please be aware that the toilet at the lower bivy is closed at this time. Plan on using blue bags for your climb. 
NPS/B. Bracken Sulphide Glacier The Sulphide Glacier is getting tricky as late season conditions warrant navigation around crevasses, walking on exposed glacier ice, and numerous managment styles. Please be aware that the toilet at the lower bivy is unusable at this time. Plan on using blue bags for your climb.
Check out the links below for climbing condition blog posts from previous years: Climbing Conditions - Mt. Shuksan 2024 Climbing Conditions - Mt. Shuksan 2023 Climbing Conditions - Mt. Shuksan 2022 |
Last updated: July 6, 2025