Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta 14,179′
Pacific Northwest
Archival Series (statistic approximate): Climbed 7/21/2014
Total Time: 2 days
Distance: 11.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 7500′
Crux: PD via Trinity Chutes
Companion: Holly
Trailhead: Bunny Flat, trash, pit toilets

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Mount Shasta is the second highest mountain in the Cascades of the Pacific Northwest, the fifth highest mountain in the state of California and one of two 14,000′ peaks in the state outside of the Sierra Nevada. Situated much further north than the other 14ers in the state, it has some of the best glacier routes in California. The easiest route is via Avalanche Gulch from the south, a moderate glacial route with snow and ice up to 35 degrees. It was high on my to do list during my year living in the Bay Area, and Holly and I headed north during one of my first stretches off to climb the peak with an overnight at Helen Lake. Parking at the Bunny Flat trailhead, our entire route was in view, with thin snow coverage leading up Avalanche Gulch up to the Redbanks, the V of snow split by the heart in the center of the gulch.

We shouldered our packs and started up the trail, ascending about 1,000′ before taking a break at the Sierra Club Hut just below 8,000′.

The formal trail ends several hundred feet above the hut at a natural spring, but there was a well formed boot path made by literally 1,000s of climbers each year that we continued on up to Lake Helen at 10,443′. Clouds had formed as we pushed into camp, and we rushed to get up our tent before a rain squall passed through. Lake Helen is hardly a lake but more of a pool of water at the edge of the snowfield from Avalanche Gulch, the snow dirty from late spring rock fall and the hundred of climbers that had already been up for the season.

The only others spending the night were a group of 3 climbers from the Bay Area, the leader (I think his name was Levi?) claiming that this would be his 21st trip up the mountain! Given the thin snow conditions, we agreed that it would be safest if we all climbed together to minimize rock fall. After agreeing on a wake up time, we all headed to bed for the pre-dawn wake up. 

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We should have known early on the day would not be going to plan. As Levi was so experienced on the mountain, I was planning to let him take the lead for the five of us, but we quickly got off track, ascending talus gullies to the northwest up Sargent’s Ridge. Correcting course, we made our way back into Avalanche Gulch and slowly plodded uphill, the snow and ice hardened by the cold night and providing excellent traction. Although steep, we made steady progress, and I gave little thought to route finding with an experienced leader at the front. The sun began to rise as we traversed beneath a series of cliff bands, which we would later realize were the Redbanks. As the sun rose, we began to realize the ice couloirs beneath were not the 35 to 40 degrees as advertised, but closer to 55-60 degrees.

Levi realized that we had missed the right branch around the Heart as part of the ‘V’ had melted out, heading up the more consistent but far steeper left branch. We were now sitting just below the headwall of the Redbanks with dangerously steep ice above and beneath us. Descending would likely be more difficult and more dangerous. Having led us astray, Levi began to cut steps up an icy gully to the top of the Redbanks. Holly froze about 30′ below the top of the icy pitch, and Levi climbed back down and gave her a spot from behind for the last few steps.

Now above the Redbanks, we rejoined the standard route, with a packed path up through the gravel. We took a short break out of the wind to remove our crampons and climb the remaining 1,000’+ to the summit. After the high adrenaline of topping out on the ice, this part was a gravel slog and appropriately named Misery Hill.

Mount Shasta has two summits, a shorter western summit and the higher eastern summit. Between the two peaks are active fumaroles emmiting sulfur dioxide and a small amount of heat, making us acutely aware that although Mount Shasta is not an active volcano, it is not extinct. The use trail led us to the summit with a short scramble up to the high point with about as 360 degree views as you could ever ask for. The other 14,000′ peaks in California as well as Colorado, the summits are a part of a range with other mountains stretching in either direction. Contrast this with an isolated volcano, the view felt closer to looking out of an airplane than being on top of a mountain, and Holly would later say it was one of her favorite views of any summit we had done together.

After spending a good deal of time at the summit we dropped back down Misery Hill, keeping on the use trail to down to the correct, easier break through Redbanks to the (correct) climber’s right/ west limb around the Heart in Avalanche Gulch. The snow had softened with the mid day sun, and we pulled out our ice axes to glissade part of the way down. Aside from learning a lesson on the expert halo and not fully entrusting a stranger to guide us, I learned one more lesson for the day- never glissade with your wallet in your pocket… Getting back to camp, we quickly packed our things and headed back down the use trail, try to beat another afternoon shower. We made it back to the trailhead in time for an early dinner in town before driving back to the Bay Area for work the following day.