Home > Trip Reports > Mount Sefrit S/SW face

Mount Sefrit S/SW face

1/24/22
WA Cascades West Slopes North (Mt Baker)
1796
8
Posted by hedonaut on 1/27/22 9:16pm

During a weekend of pondering evolving conditions, Seth texted me the first shot below, from the parking lot at Mt Baker ski area. 

Mt Sefrit is a peak I’ve long gaped at and wanted to explore, and it didn’t disappoint. It cranks up ~4500’ from the valley, and offers a pleasantly sustained grade of treed and open terrain, topped with a sportier face.

Good fortune awaited, with various types of generally rippable spring-in-winter snow; the more westerly-facing summit stretch was some kind of settled-powder-corn that spurred the steepest turns.

Unaware of any reports on it being skied, and longtime locals say they’ve never seen tracks on it.  However, it is within eyeshot of many shredders, so who knows. Would like to hear tell.

Mini photo journal below—a mix of Seth’s pics and mine, more or less alternating. An album with more pics here.

Hard-won recon photo:

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Leave the Nooksack Cirque trail and wander-boot up

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steep forest, then

momentarily break into the open, choose

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skin-able steep forest over cliffy debris

and rise into the alpine to spy an inspiring face.

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The views are insane, particularly of

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the N Face of Mt Shuksan, and

the scenic travel continued to

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an exposed summit and a fantastic ski.

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Many more turns were had, the subalpine jungle piper paid, and home we went. Aside: As we loitered on the summit, a friend at the ski area texted a phone-binocular photo of our skin and boot tracks leading up to us. Felt, uh, meta. (The pic is in the album above.) Highly recommended ski!


Nice, ive wandered around there with some long time locals...good use of the current conditions! 


Nice work! Fantastic photos, but I want more descent eye candy to live vicariously with.


Pretty awesome, guys, I wanna hear more about the jungle over beers ;-)


Right on! I wondered what you might get up to on the day. Looks like a lot of great lines up there.


Amazing trip! Thank you for posting this! I love looking at the Sefrit couloirs. Did you need an ice axe/crampons at anytime to gain the summit? Avy conditions looked about as stable as they can get! Did you have any reservations from an avy perspective?  What time did you leave the trailhead by Ruth Creek? Dreamy!


Sick! way to get after the corn window! I know woods has skied the south face before. Not sure if off of that particular summit. 


Glad y'all might find this useful--yes eze, there is a ton of ski terrain once you get up there!

bargainhunter: yes, axe and crampons employed--gets pretty steep up top, and there was one firm/icy/narrow section that we skied around (a little drop required) on the descent. Correct, I think the trick is to find those slopes in stable condition--it was never spooky for us. I think you know this, but to be clear for others, we did not go in via Ruth and the north side -- although a party with snowshoes/climbing plates had done so in recent days -- but rather approached up the Nooksack Cirque trail and climbed the ski line. From the Nooksack Cirque trailhead to summit, probably budget ~6 hours, plus or minus an hour? Our route-finding down low was good but not perfect; folks could do better, or worse. And our descent time at right around 3pm seemed just right on that particular day.

edit, 'cause missed eckels's post: thanks for the info, unsurprised as it seems like prime woods territory--would be curious to hear what he shredded--lots to choose from!


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hedonaut
2022-01-28 05:16:25