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Hello out there Summitposters, I think it may be a little early to inquire on information on Mt Shasta, but I am thinking of finally making an attempt at Mt Shasta next year, May/June. I have done a number of hikes and backpack trips including Mt whitney, Yosemite(mt Dana), and a number of local peaks in the Lake Tahoe area including Pyramid Peak(twice), Mt Ralston(twice) Freel Peak(twice) and Mt Tallac. These are mostly class 1 trails with a little bit of cross country. I have not done a climb like Shasta before. I do have snowshoes, and an ice Axe, and will be planning on purchasing some crampons. If anyone can provide some experiences they have had on this climb, routes, and advise as well as preparations it would be very helpful. I plan on starting my training pretty soon, just to be in shape and give my self the best possible chance on being successful on summiting. Thanks in advance.

Wow that is a wealth of helpful information! I will check out that route. My biggest concern is the rockfall. I really appreciate all your suggestions and the information.

I went up Avy Gulch last weekend. There was a lot of traffic, and some rock and ice falling. In my party, I got hit in the shin with a baseball sized ball of ice (fortunately only a had bruise).

My friend got pegged with an astroid, fortunately he only took a bruise to the elbow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sz-Ys-REyk

The day I was climbing up to Lake Helen, there was a guide that had to be helicoptered out because of a some giant ice piece barreling down somewhere near/in the red banks.

A note of caution regarding Clear Creek. The road to the trailhead is not plowed. In typical years you can't drive to the trailhead until July or August. So if you're planning on attempting Clear Creek in May or June plan on adding up to 5 or 6 miles of approach just to get to the traihead. We encountered this in 2010, 2011 and 2112. I tried blasting through the snow drifts in a 4WD truck. If we'd made it throught the first few drifts we still would have only gained about a half mile and it would have still been a but 4 miles of additional approach. If you call the Ranger station or check their Shasta website you can get up to date information on all the trailhead access road conditions. Last year we did it in September and the road was open to the trailhead parking area and there was little snow on the route. We carried crampons but didn't need to use them. There was snow on the summit plateau and it had gaint sun-cups. We did it from the TH to summit and back as a single day push so we didn't camp. It was a long day and we couldn't have done it in a day, in the snow, with a few extra miles of approach.

The Clear Creek Route has a gentler angle overall and is less technical. (In 1903 a lady rode a horse named"Old Jump-up" to the summit via Clear Creek, oh yeah the horse died the next day). It's also mostly a broad slope not a gully like Avalanche Gulch. So it's less steep and there much less likelihood of rock and ice funneling onto the route.

Avalanche Gulch is steeper, more crowded and has more chance of rock and ice-fall. But the road to Bunny Flat is maintained, i.e. plowed year round. That's why the hoards of people flock there every year in the spring especially on Memorial Day weekend.

Crampons and ice ax are not necessary on the summit plateau for 4-5 months every year... including right now.

ok, but how far late in the season can you hike Shasta, before the snows start coming.....on average?

You can do anything. I did it in late October last year just after some snow was dumped, then again in November after it melted off.

There are no limits!