Glacier Mountaineering Society

Sat, Jul 16 2011 - Fusillade Mountain (View Original Event Details)

Coordinator(s):		David Schuler
Participants:		Daniel Ostrem, Frank Wesolovski, James Hulvat, Michael Barragan, Stephen Smith, Greg Notess, Rodney Falkenberg, David Schuler, Caitlin Hunt

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Write Up:
Fusillade means” A discharge from a number of firearms, fired simultaneously or in rapid succession” Common theme to the terrain names in the area. Mt Fusillade did a barrage of avalanche damage from this past winter covering the trail for about a mile to the Gunsight Lake. On July 16, 2011 nine GMS climbers climbed Mt Fusillade following Gordon Edwards route description from the climbers guide. With word of the main bridge taken out by avalanche, we continued our exploratory to conquer the peak of this 8750-foot mountain. Not an easy peak to bag from all description noted from other mountaineers from the past. The summer view of the majestic mountain peaks from the harsh winter of 2011 covered still in several feet of snow make mountaineering more exciting. Avalanche debris that crossed Gunsight Lake trail we had to deviate from Gordon Edwards’s route up mountainside through the avalanche debris and snowfields. Thanks to team bird dogs, that scouted out a route going up through the avalanche debris, bushwhacked up to the snow on the ridgeline. We traversed crossed snow looking for the magic class three climb to the summit. The first Two attempts to the summit we found the class 4/5 were some climbed up the rock cliffs like spiders. A couple of us continues along the ridgeline and found the class three route. For future climbs, this is the coordinates for the class three route: As you the west end near the top go to this position first 48-38.382N 113-43.395W then up to the summit to 48-38.391N 113-43.395W. We had a great day, no wind, a grandview of the park in all its glory. We started at 0800 and last person off the trail was 2100. Over 15 miles of ground covered. Thanks team for the great climb, teamwork, and most of all Great Spirit. Fusillade is not an easy mountain but we conquered the summit.

Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Tim Anderson at twamontana@gmail.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.