Avalanche Gulch is not the most technically easiest route on Mount Shasta, but it's lack of approach makes it the easiest and most popular way to climb Mount Shasta. It can be climbed in a day, but is commonly climbed with an overnight at Helen Lake. This is also a classic ski descent. Fletcher Hoyt, an Andes mountaineering pioneer, and four others were first to ski from the summit in December of 1947. The route they took was Avalanche Gulch. Avalanche Gulch got a lot of publicity in the 1930s when Oliver Kehrlein skied the "longest and continuously steepest ski run in the world," down Avalanche Gulch.
Vertical Gain: 7,282
Round Trip Distance: 11 miles

Avalanche Gulch From Bunny Flat TH. Photo: Scott Armstrong

Approach

Start at the Bunny Flat Trailhead (6,880'), and head up the trail 2 miles to Horse Camp (7,800'). The trail continues, and another mile after Horse Camp you hit the real mountain, and gain elevation more rapidly.

Avalanche Gulch From Bunny Flat TH. Map: DLaFlash

Route Description

If you hike a mile up the the trail from Horse Camp you will be in Avalanche Gulch with ridges on both sides. Head straight up and you will hit Lake Helen (10,443'). Lake Helen is usually snow covered. During the late summer there is no snow until you reach this area. Continue up Avalanche Gulch to Redbanks at 12,800'. Here you can opt to go up a steep chimney in the Red Banks or take the longer path to the right and avoid this most technical part of the climb.

Avalanche Gulch Route. Photo: MtnAv8r

After the Red Banks there is a plateau, then a climb up Misery Hill, which starts at 13,200'. At the top of Misery Hill you can finally see the summit for the first time. Hike across another plateau, and another short climb leads to the pyramid summit. Ski or glissade back down the same way. This is an advanced ski descent rated D6 on the D Scale and an S3 on the S Scale. The best months to ski are May-July. If you want to ski to your car, hit it no later than early June.

The summit plateau from the Avalanche Gulch Route. Photo: thebeave7

PCHoran adds:
This route is much better if there is adequate snow coverage otherwise it is a slog through rock, scree,etc. The last few years (01/02) the snowpack has melted down by the end of June.

ervan adds:
I climbed Shasta via the Heart and Red Banks in Sep 2000. At that time, there was no snow route "around" the Red Banks. It was necessary to climb one of the chimneys. The further east (right) one goes, while staying on the south side of Red Banks (i.e. just above The Heart), the smaller the chimneys and the easier this part of the climb. Red Banks comes in two layers. Once you climb a chimney on the lower layer, go all of the way east and the top layer shrinks to only 8'. There is a well-worn notch there that makes climbing the top layer easy.

On the return trip, it's easier to just to slide off the east side of Red Banks right in front of Thumb Rock. The surface here is loose gravel and much easier to traverse downward than Red Banks because each footfall sinks easily; whereas Red Banks is slippery and must be navigated slowly. Going up this route is not recommended because the gravel is so soft it saps too much energy.

One final note: some web pages listed Lake Helen as having a latrine. It does NOT. You must carry appropriate bags, available at the Bunny Flat Trailhead. There is a latrine part way up the trail at Horse Camp.

sinstream adds:
one can also camp at 50/50 flat where it is less crowded.

there is also the variation left of the heart. again less crowded, but steeper.

Mount Shasta Southwest Side. Supersize Version
Essential Gear
Crampons. Ice axe if uncomfortable on frozen snow.
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