Given the fickle nature of the East Nooksack Glacier, with its heavily corniced drop in point (optional schrund directly below, already opening up), robust jumble of seracs and crevasses, thorough bombardment from Jagged Ridge above, not to mention some of the heaviest weather in the Cascades, the window for a lower stress version of this traverse can be brief. Josh and I got that window, so off we went.

Day 1: Up the White Salmon Glacier to an 8000 ft camp on Shuksan's Crystal Glacier.

Day 2: Drop, weave, duck, and cover across the East Nooksack Glacier, followed by a mellow ascent/traverse of Icy and Ruth peaks. Camped just below the saddle N of Ruth.

Day 3: Down and out through the Valley of Death, where we feared no evil we couldn't do anything about, and the Hannigan Pass TH.

SLIDESHOW