We climbed Mount Shasta on May 30th, 2004 over memorial day long weekend. This was our second attempt. We had to turn back from Lake Helen camping area at 10,400 ft during our first attempt. This time we were better prepared both, mentally and physically. We found the book Climbing Mount Shasta very useful and also the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center website. Located 40 miles south of the California-Oregon border, Mount Shasta is the second highest (14,161 feet, 4,317 m) mountain in the Cascade Range. It offers 17 different climbing routes with difficulty levels ranging from beginner to advanced. We took Avalanche Gulch - South Side route which is a very popular and also recommended route for beginners. We left bay area on Friday morning to reach Mount Shasta Valley by late afternoon. We picked up rental gear from The Fifth Season shop in Shasta valley. We rented snow shoes, crampons, ice-axe, helmet, sleeping bag and hiking poles. We carried our own tent, backpack and cooking