Hey everyone,
I'm working on my trip list for next year, I have Mt Shasta down for July but I wanted to try to get another summit in the area while I'm there any suggestions?

Shastina, Lassen, Eddy, Castle Dome, McLoughlin

Not much else around that's particularly interesting.

Bob Burd wrote:Shastina, Lassen, Eddy, Castle Dome, McLoughlin

I would definitely do Mount Eddy if one had the chance. While Shasta obviously takes in more territory, I think the view from Eddy is better since Mount Shasta is front and center on top of an already expansive vista. If you want something more challenging but don't mind obscurity, I recommend the Grey Rocks. Further afield, one ought to hit Cory Peak or Billys Peak. Of course, if you push that far to the west, the Trinity Alps are loaded with great peaks.

Those of you who have done the avalanche gulch route is it a waste of time to camp at the lake? I'll only have 4 days in California.

That depends on your objective and physical shape. If your goal is just the summit then do it in one day. If you want more mountaineering-like experience, I would recommend overnight (but there is no lake at Helen Lake camp).

ChristopherFranklin wrote:Those of you who have done the avalanche gulch route is it a waste of time to camp at the lake? I'll only have 4 days in California.

I am a sea level guy and I had trouble doing it in a day. I was with my brother, we were in our mid 20s and in very good shape generally and cardiovascular shape in particular. I got sick at 11,500 and descended, my brother got sick but after he made the summit. Threw up on himself mid-glisade back to Helen Lake. We had a much better time last summer, climbing the Bolam/Whitney ridge with our overnight camp at 10,000. No problems other than a very slight headache. I'm sure you've heard this before, but everyone's body responds differently to altitude and physical fitness matters little.

Altitude issues aside, you only have 4 days but I might try a more interesting route on Shasta that is better done in 2 days. Give yourself another day in case conditions warrant waiting it out (it can be windy to the point of being unsafe). Avalanche Gulch was kind of played out when I went. Quite a few turd piles laying around at camp and in some boot tracks. Even some of the more "difficult" routes on Shasta aren't really technical. If you are getting into glacier travel, seems like it would be a perfect opportunity to spend your time at camp practicing skills before trying one of the glacier routes.

And I second Lava Beds, if you are open to more than peaks. It is not heavily used and you can explore a lot there on your own as I recall.

Altitude effects are very subjective so it is always hard to say how people will be affected. But I will say 2 of the 3 times I did Shasta were 1-day'ers. Those two times I was beat and a little disoriented. Not bad, but it is never something to appreciate. The 3rd time my team camped at 7900 (I live at 200), so about the top of the tree line. We did a May 29th ascent so snow the entire way, more gear etc. But even at Misery Hill, I was feeling tip-top. Tired, but going great.

Based off my limited and very relative comparison, I say you should overnight it. 7900 isnt even terribly high, but it ~seems~ to help. But if you're confident in your conditioning, yeah a 1-day'er shouldn't be a issue. But it's a long day.

ChristopherFranklin wrote:Those of you who have done the avalanche gulch route is it a waste of time to camp at the lake? I'll only have 4 days in California.

Depends how you feel about pooping in a bag.

Unfortunately high altitude sickness may hit you randomly (regardless of your past exposure to elevation) and be very tricky, so you have to watch for symptoms and understand what might happen next if...

However, one of the common mistakes people make (especially inexperienced) is to pace themselves too fast. Seemingly one may be in very good physical and cardio conditions so obviously would have tendency to go up faster and then possibly get sick. If you slow down and enjoy the mountain and its surrounding (take some pictures, talk to others climbers) you may be completely OK. Same is with overnight trip. If your backpack is relatively too heavy and/or pace to fast even though you may not feel that way, the next day you still may get sick and/or your body collapse. It's not the first part of the trip but usually the second half when your body collapses, but based on factors of the prior one. Not all people summit each time they climb.

It is more important to acclimatize before the climb, for instance, to spend a night and have a good rest at the trailhead than one or two days approach. Personally I don't really like one day attempts and mostly do it if feel out of shape to test myself.

clmbr wrote:
However, one of the common mistakes people make (especially inexperienced) is to pace themselves too fast. Seemingly one may be in very good physical and cardio conditions so obviously would have tendency to go up faster and then possibly get sick.

Looking back, my brother and I now think this was part of our problem. That and our Uncle cooking up some huge BBQ burgers for us rather than a bowl of carbs before our departure.

My training mountain here in AZ is 12,600 I camp at 9,000. I have similar systems at the summit mild headache. I prefer to camp but my climbing buddy likes to brag about record summit times.

I've heard there's a train you can take from the Sacramento airport to the mountain is this true?

If you're going up the Gulch, I strongly recommend camping at (or near) Helen.

ChristopherFranklin wrote:I've heard there's a train you can take from the Sacramento airport to the mountain is this true?

Well, the Amtrak Coast Starlight runs north from Sacramento in the middle of the night with an early morning stop in Dunsmuir (south of and down the hill from Mt. Shasta City). You'd probably have to look into a way from the airport to the Amtrak stop (the airport is north of downtown). Then you'd have to get from Dunsmuir to the trailhead, and would likely have trouble checking out any other peaks (Shastina and maybe Eddy could still work out).
http://www.amtrak.com/san-francisco-bay-area-northern-california-train-routes

Here is a similar thread:
http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB3/options-for-getting-from-sacramento-airport-to-shasta-t58689.html