After spending two days on the Whitney Glacier practicing crevass rescue with USMC Mountain Leaders Course, we got to summit in 30 - 40 mph winds. Blew two of our tents off the mountain!
Route Climbed: Avalanche Gulch. Date Climbed: June 29/30, 2007
Successful return to Shasta after getting weathered off in 2005.
Summitted in ~7 hours from a camp at Lake Helen. 300 Metres vertical above Helen to the first snow and big sun cups below the Red Banks. One chute was navigable with snow all the way through to the bottom of Misery Hill which was just scree.
Four hours back down to Helen, break camp and a further 3.25 hours to the parking lot made for a 16.5 hour day.
Clear throughout but winds gusting to 80kph from the top of MH to the summit made for a cold day. Counted ~20 people on the summit with us and many more en route up or down.
Great views from up top and nice to add another Cascade volcano to the list.
s_kavert - Jul 3, 2007 12:49 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2007
Avalanche Gulch
A very rewarding trip and our first 14er. Climbed with my wife and a couple friends. The ice in the steep chute through the Red Banks had us a little nervous. Strong winds on the summit, but a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky. Views from the top were incredible!
danielK - Jul 2, 2007 1:09 pm Date Climbed: Jun 18, 1997
Shasta Rama point
Climbed up to Shastarama point
SFMountaineer - Jun 26, 2007 2:08 pm Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2007
Made it!
A beautiful day with only moderate winds for my second attempt. The glissade from the red banks was great. A lack of snow on the morraines below the heart made descending on loose rock a real pain though and I have some messed up feet as evidence. I'm going to have to make climbing this mountain a habit, although will have to try a new route next time.
Guilty - Jun 26, 2007 3:22 am Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2007
Sargents Ridge
Left the ski bowl late at 2pm, attain the ridge and progress very quickly. I had a little problem ascending the route above the Red Banks, so I had to descend some to find another no name chute to bring me out to the Red Bluffs. From here it was very fast because of the lack of hours of sunlight. After the summit and numerous helicopter buzz's, I ran/rock skied to Helen Lake to find out why the sheriff helicopter is flying all around the mountain.
Here, a fellow hiker was missing there partner and called the sheriff's and reported them gone since noon. The other hiker ended up hiking out Mud Creek where they got help. Wonder how cold it was that night?
msihl - Jun 26, 2007 3:17 am Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2007
Route climbed: West Face Route
I summited with a group of people guided by Shasta Mountain Guides.
The original plan was to do Avalanche Gulch Expedition Style, but instead we did the harder West Face Route alpine style, because of lack of snow in avalanche gulch. Our high camp was at Hidden Valley (9500 ft). From there we started at 4am and summited after approx. 10 hours and several people giving up along the way. On the way back, we glissaded down the west face. Our guides Kaysa and Doug were great. They were strong, competent and very good teachers. I'll definitely hire them again for ski mountaineering trips etc.
mnatureson - Jun 23, 2007 12:13 pm Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2007
West Face Route
Avalanche Gulch was too dry so we took the West Face route. High winds up on top but a beautiful day.
catherid - Jun 19, 2007 12:13 am Date Climbed: Jun 17, 2007
West Face Route
The slog up the west face was well worth the glissade on the way down, great fun!
rkymtn - Jun 16, 2007 7:13 pm Date Climbed: Jun 13, 2007
Avalanche Gulch
I climbed with a couple coworker friends. The conditions were drier than the ideal, but there was still snow where we needed it for the ascent and glissades down. We based out of Lake Helen and beat the crowds up. Great views, great weather, great day!
graham - Jun 4, 2007 8:48 pm Date Climbed: May 26, 2007
Avy Gulch
Dayhiked the AG on a beautiful day with a ton of people on the mountain. Started at Bunny Flats at 3am, summited at 8:30am, started down ~9:30 and got back to Bunny Flats at 1pm. This is my 11th of 15 CA 14ers
Deb - May 30, 2007 12:43 am Date Climbed: May 26, 2007
AG
Perfect weather and the snow was not totally destroyed by glissade and bootpack yet. Weekend trip turned dayhike (thanks Tina!:) So glad we did it on Saturday 'cause that crowd headed up in the afternoon looked mighty frightening! Yes, I am slow - the altitude was knocking my pride over 13K' but I was happy to summit in just over 9 hours. Awesome glissade down and a million laughs with my pal. Love that mountain!
kovarpa - May 29, 2007 10:00 pm Date Climbed: May 27, 2007
West Face
A fine ski descent, a good alternative to the zoo in AG.
Ashburt - May 29, 2007 10:28 am Date Climbed: May 26, 2007
Awesome
Amazing mountain. Weather was perfect! Started at Horsecamp at 3am and took 10 hours roundtrip. Will be back next year!
thundercloud - May 25, 2007 5:36 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2002
Avy Gulch / Hotlum-Bolam
AG: One day scamper, <8 hours up, <3 hours down with a very wild and long glissade. Had pizza and beer, then drove back to Portland afterward. Silly.
HB: 6/2/02, cruised up in leisurely time. Route straightforward, a bit more interesting and less crowded than AG.
EverydayExplorer - May 25, 2007 1:48 am Date Climbed: May 24, 2007
AG
This was my second try after being literally blown off last time ie crampons over helmet. This time went much smoother with just a fair breeze and rolling foggy clouds. 10 hrs car to car, good time all around.
Matt Worster - May 13, 2007 7:48 pm Date Climbed: May 12, 2007
Shasta - AG
4:30 am start, 12:15 pm summit, 3:45 pm return to Bunny Flat. Wind packed snow above Red Banks made the descent tough on the ankles as there was no digging in. Continuous glissade from Red Banks to the rocks above Helen Lake - no groove yet but there will be. Breey most of the day, and on the cold side.
SFMountaineer - May 7, 2007 1:12 pm Date Climbed: May 5, 2007
Avalanche Gulch
Made it to Helen lake saturday, but fierce winds all night and into the next day unfortunately sent us home. Amazing experience and first time alpine climb, will attempt again this summer.
Scott Dusek - Apr 30, 2007 3:53 pm Date Climbed: Apr 29, 2007
Shastafication
Epic descent, total whiteout, skied from thumb rock at 13k in zero visibility. Made it down to find my car's brakes were out... it turned out to by quite an action packed trip.
-Scotty
Peak_Bagger - Apr 17, 2007 4:57 am Date Climbed: May 31, 2006
Casaval
Fun snow plow, so much snow it made the route pretty non technical.
MtnLdr - Jul 6, 2007 3:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 15, 2000
Intro to big mountains!After spending two days on the Whitney Glacier practicing crevass rescue with USMC Mountain Leaders Course, we got to summit in 30 - 40 mph winds. Blew two of our tents off the mountain!
vancouver islander - Jul 4, 2007 6:17 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2007
Route Climbed: Avalanche Gulch. Date Climbed: June 29/30, 2007Successful return to Shasta after getting weathered off in 2005.
Summitted in ~7 hours from a camp at Lake Helen. 300 Metres vertical above Helen to the first snow and big sun cups below the Red Banks. One chute was navigable with snow all the way through to the bottom of Misery Hill which was just scree.
Four hours back down to Helen, break camp and a further 3.25 hours to the parking lot made for a 16.5 hour day.
Clear throughout but winds gusting to 80kph from the top of MH to the summit made for a cold day. Counted ~20 people on the summit with us and many more en route up or down.
Great views from up top and nice to add another Cascade volcano to the list.
s_kavert - Jul 3, 2007 12:49 pm Date Climbed: Jun 30, 2007
Avalanche GulchA very rewarding trip and our first 14er. Climbed with my wife and a couple friends. The ice in the steep chute through the Red Banks had us a little nervous. Strong winds on the summit, but a beautiful day without a cloud in the sky. Views from the top were incredible!
danielK - Jul 2, 2007 1:09 pm Date Climbed: Jun 18, 1997
Shasta Rama pointClimbed up to Shastarama point
SFMountaineer - Jun 26, 2007 2:08 pm Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2007
Made it!A beautiful day with only moderate winds for my second attempt. The glissade from the red banks was great. A lack of snow on the morraines below the heart made descending on loose rock a real pain though and I have some messed up feet as evidence. I'm going to have to make climbing this mountain a habit, although will have to try a new route next time.
Guilty - Jun 26, 2007 3:22 am Date Climbed: Jun 24, 2007
Sargents RidgeLeft the ski bowl late at 2pm, attain the ridge and progress very quickly. I had a little problem ascending the route above the Red Banks, so I had to descend some to find another no name chute to bring me out to the Red Bluffs. From here it was very fast because of the lack of hours of sunlight. After the summit and numerous helicopter buzz's, I ran/rock skied to Helen Lake to find out why the sheriff helicopter is flying all around the mountain.
Here, a fellow hiker was missing there partner and called the sheriff's and reported them gone since noon. The other hiker ended up hiking out Mud Creek where they got help. Wonder how cold it was that night?
msihl - Jun 26, 2007 3:17 am Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2007
Route climbed: West Face RouteI summited with a group of people guided by Shasta Mountain Guides.
The original plan was to do Avalanche Gulch Expedition Style, but instead we did the harder West Face Route alpine style, because of lack of snow in avalanche gulch. Our high camp was at Hidden Valley (9500 ft). From there we started at 4am and summited after approx. 10 hours and several people giving up along the way. On the way back, we glissaded down the west face. Our guides Kaysa and Doug were great. They were strong, competent and very good teachers. I'll definitely hire them again for ski mountaineering trips etc.
mnatureson - Jun 23, 2007 12:13 pm Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2007
West Face RouteAvalanche Gulch was too dry so we took the West Face route. High winds up on top but a beautiful day.
catherid - Jun 19, 2007 12:13 am Date Climbed: Jun 17, 2007
West Face RouteThe slog up the west face was well worth the glissade on the way down, great fun!
rkymtn - Jun 16, 2007 7:13 pm Date Climbed: Jun 13, 2007
Avalanche GulchI climbed with a couple coworker friends. The conditions were drier than the ideal, but there was still snow where we needed it for the ascent and glissades down. We based out of Lake Helen and beat the crowds up. Great views, great weather, great day!
graham - Jun 4, 2007 8:48 pm Date Climbed: May 26, 2007
Avy GulchDayhiked the AG on a beautiful day with a ton of people on the mountain. Started at Bunny Flats at 3am, summited at 8:30am, started down ~9:30 and got back to Bunny Flats at 1pm. This is my 11th of 15 CA 14ers
Deb - May 30, 2007 12:43 am Date Climbed: May 26, 2007
AGPerfect weather and the snow was not totally destroyed by glissade and bootpack yet. Weekend trip turned dayhike (thanks Tina!:) So glad we did it on Saturday 'cause that crowd headed up in the afternoon looked mighty frightening! Yes, I am slow - the altitude was knocking my pride over 13K' but I was happy to summit in just over 9 hours. Awesome glissade down and a million laughs with my pal. Love that mountain!
kovarpa - May 29, 2007 10:00 pm Date Climbed: May 27, 2007
West FaceA fine ski descent, a good alternative to the zoo in AG.
Ashburt - May 29, 2007 10:28 am Date Climbed: May 26, 2007
AwesomeAmazing mountain. Weather was perfect! Started at Horsecamp at 3am and took 10 hours roundtrip. Will be back next year!
thundercloud - May 25, 2007 5:36 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 2002
Avy Gulch / Hotlum-BolamAG: One day scamper, <8 hours up, <3 hours down with a very wild and long glissade. Had pizza and beer, then drove back to Portland afterward. Silly.
HB: 6/2/02, cruised up in leisurely time. Route straightforward, a bit more interesting and less crowded than AG.
EverydayExplorer - May 25, 2007 1:48 am Date Climbed: May 24, 2007
AGThis was my second try after being literally blown off last time ie crampons over helmet. This time went much smoother with just a fair breeze and rolling foggy clouds. 10 hrs car to car, good time all around.
Matt Worster - May 13, 2007 7:48 pm Date Climbed: May 12, 2007
Shasta - AG4:30 am start, 12:15 pm summit, 3:45 pm return to Bunny Flat. Wind packed snow above Red Banks made the descent tough on the ankles as there was no digging in. Continuous glissade from Red Banks to the rocks above Helen Lake - no groove yet but there will be. Breey most of the day, and on the cold side.
SFMountaineer - May 7, 2007 1:12 pm Date Climbed: May 5, 2007
Avalanche GulchMade it to Helen lake saturday, but fierce winds all night and into the next day unfortunately sent us home. Amazing experience and first time alpine climb, will attempt again this summer.
Scott Dusek - Apr 30, 2007 3:53 pm Date Climbed: Apr 29, 2007
ShastaficationEpic descent, total whiteout, skied from thumb rock at 13k in zero visibility. Made it down to find my car's brakes were out... it turned out to by quite an action packed trip.
-Scotty
Peak_Bagger - Apr 17, 2007 4:57 am Date Climbed: May 31, 2006
CasavalFun snow plow, so much snow it made the route pretty non technical.