Here's where I wax [briefly] philosophical.

Everything that I had heard going into this trip led me to the logical conclusion that, given present conditions, Fisher Chimneys was not the route to do. The North Cascades had received a huge amount of late season snowfall and snow levels were very high for the time of year. We were getting next to no beta from local reports (and no, I don't think anyone should rely solely on word of mouth, but if you fly 3,000+ miles and invest money and time, it's wise to pay attention). The night before we left the ranger report finally leaked out and we read that a handful of ascents had been made via the Sulphide and White Salmon Glaciers. Every report - all three of them - mentioned very deep snow and difficult conditions. Many groups had been turned around. No ascents had been reported on the Chimneys (and we saw no evidence of anyone having been on the route this season, though this impression could have been wrong; old tracks could have been hidden in new snow - though I don't think so, I really don't). We knew with all of the snow and warm temperatures that we'd need to climb at night for reasons mentioned earlier - snowpack, avalanche, etc. We had been planning for the Chimneys route for months.

I had raised trying the White Salmon Glacier route a few days before we left, and I did everything I could to get accurate beta for the reportedly potentially heinous approach to the route (recieved, thanks to the very kind Vincent Dunn!). Somehow, I just knew intuitively that we should entertain other options. But... I didn't push hard enough for a change. Brian and I had many nagging matters to attend before the trip, and there came a point where I didn't want to expend any more energy trying to shift gears. And now, sitting in camp, I regretted not pushing the issue harder before we made the trip, or even at the trailhead. I should have known, and I should have steered us elsewhere. You live, you learn. I believe we made the right decision in turning around. I don't regret that outcome, having gone in and taken a look. I do regret that we didn't pursue other options. Sometimes, especially for me, it's tough to downshift. And hindsight is 20/20. I think that even on the White Salmon (the only other route I would have considered at the time) we'd have had a decent chance of running into soft, deep snow up high. We might have had to turn around there too (above Winnie's Slide the White Salmon route follows the same path to the summit as Fisher Chimneys: up the Upper Curtis to Hell's Highway to the Sulphide to the pyramid). Nothing is guaranteed. But at least we'd have been climbing, instead of looking, and thinking about climbing.

We will go back and get it right.

It's funny. I've talked to many folks who have attempted Shuksan. Some very accomplished climbers have had bad luck on the peak. I have heard it described as the toughest moderately easy peak in the range. I have a friend who has been denied three times. I heard of a friend of a guide who has been turned around seven times. We're not in terrible company.