To earn the best turns of your life you need to have the knowledge and skills required to get to the best slopes.  In the north cascades in Washington State, near the border of Canada and just a few hours from Seattle you can climb, ski, and gain invaluable mountaineering skills. 

Call Larry Goldie, ski mountaineer, climber, and owner of the renowned North Cascades Mountain Guides.    From glacier travel, finding waypoints, map reading, and worldclass mountaineering skills Larry is a great guide. 

The best place to learn is on Mt. Shuskan, just east of Mt. Baker.  This is the largest non-volcanic glacial structure in the North West.  Plan for 5 full days and go as light as you can as you’ll be carrying skis and boots on your back until you arrive at the glacier and climb up on your skis. 

Building pulley systems with caribeneers, ropes, leads, axes, skis, and your harness is complicated.  When you break down the process you’ll have your own science lesson and know how to build a six to one system to pull your buddy up the moutain. 

If you want to become a mountaineer reading books and watching movies may be a good start but it is no substitute for the real thing.  Glacier travel is a beautiful thing but as Yvon Choundaird said, “adventure is an overused word, in my view an adventure doesn’t start until something goes wrong.” 

Start your adventure today with North Cascades Mountain Guides and if the weather clears and you have the right conditions you’ll climb Mt. Shuskan and earn some of the best turns of your life.