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When I drove back from Mt. Shasta last May, I saw Lassen Peak off to the east. I vowed to come back and check it out.

Well, I am heading back to Shasta next week for Casaval Ridge, but will spend a day around Lassen Peak.

If I had one day to spend there, where should I go for an easy snow climb?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

Opinion from the cheap seats:

The broad, smooth slope of Lassen that one sees from the parking area sure looks like a fun glissade. Caveat: I've was only ever there in late summer.

Lassen Peak is a nice spring snow climb. The park is doing maintenance on the Lassen Peak trail and has instituted restrictions on hiking on the trail, but I'm pretty sure those don't apply when the peak is snow covered as it should be next week and you should be able to choose your line (the park website was reporting 10 ft of snow at the entrance road and 20+ ft of snow on the summit today). Hwy 89 through the park will be closed from the visitor center to the peak but it's very pretty snowshoe/ski trip from there to the peak. Assuming you are comfortable with skis or snowshoes and an ice axe and crampons the primary consideration this time of year is avalanche risk.

one day P2P from the southwest parking lot would be a really big day or not doable in a day with snowshoes. if you have skis, then it's doable just a big day.

a consolation would be to climb the east face of diller or south face of broke off. both great peaks to bag and way more doable in a day from the parking area.

powderjunkie wrote:one day P2P from the southwest parking lot would be a really big day or not doable in a day with snowshoes. if you have skis, then it's doable just a big day.

a consolation would be to climb the east face of diller or south face of broke off. both great peaks to bag and way more doable in a day from the parking area.

Probably true - I wasn't focusing on the "one day only" thing. Just a simple snowshoe or ski trip through the park is pretty spectacular and a nice way to spend a day, especially if you've just climbed a 14er.

Thanks for all of your help! I appreciate it.

BigMitch,

Would you mind posting an update on the Casaval Ridge conditions when you get back? Have a good climb.

Cheers,
Kai

Not to hijack this thread, but since Kai asked. Casaval Ridge at 9:00am this morning; 4.17.12

With all the late snow, we're back to a "normal" snowpack. Stoked!

No problem hijacking this thread, your photo got me worked up.

Anyone know what the conditions are like on Mt. Lassen right now?

I just called the ranger station - couldn't get precise info but "there are a few bare patches" on the south and west sides, but otherwise they say there's plenty on snow, still 8 ft of snow at the top of the park road.

Nice report on skiing conditions on the north side of Lassen from this weekend.

http://unofficialnetworks.com/corn-skii ... ort-98236/