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 stove. We packed our backpacks and spent the night at Motel 6 located in Weed.
We arrived at Bunny flat trailhead Saturday around 8AM. We paid the permit fees and picked up the Human Waste Pack Out Bags. We had read about it before but this was the first time we had to carry such packs. I am glad I did not have to use one during the 2-day hike. We then started for the hike to HorseCamp. The trail was slushy at times but mostly covered in shade by tall trees. This part of the trail remains crowded since it is also a popular day hike. We reached HorseCamp in apporximately 1:30-2 hours. The Sierra Hut located at HorseCamp makes a good stop for resting and it also provides running spring water during summer time. HorseCamp also marks the end of timberline.
After a short break we continued our hike to 50/50. This was a steep climb although, the views looking back and down the hill were great. Once we reached the 50/50 flat we put our backpacks down and took some rest. It was surprising to see lot of day hikers on the trail since the trail was completely covered in snow. I did not expect to see many people beyond HorseCamp. We all were doing great and just one short hike away from our night stopover at lake Helen.
The hike to lake Helen was very tiring. We were now feeling the weight on our shoulders and the pace of our hike slowed down considerably. We had camps at Lake Helen within our sight but it would take us a good hour or more to reach the camping area. We saw some hikers pitching tents along the trail to Lake Helen. Although it was tempting to call it a day, we were determined to make it all the way to the top this time. So we slowly made it to the Lake Helen camping area. (For those who are curious, there is no lake at Lake Helen. The story goes that long time ago a lady climbing Mt. Shasta asked the guide about a small lake she noticed in a distance. The guide named it after her, Lake Helen.) We struggle to pitch the tents as the wind was blowing hard and the tent cloth kept flapping at night. But that did not keep us awake since we were very tired. We had warm and half-cooked pastas before we went off to sleep. It was a full moon night and there was plenty of light to walk around without light even in the middle of the night.
We woke up early morning at 4AM next day. Everyone had a cup of hot chocolate and we started putting our gear back on. We had 2-3 headlamps between 6 of us and that was sufficient since there were lot of other people starting the climb around that time. Our initial pace slowed down very quickly since the climb from Lake Helen is very steep. And to make the matter worst gusty wind was blowing in opposite direction. I still remember that we had to take a step at a time and stop for a second or two before we could continue further. In fact, while on this steep slope, we even cursed ourselves for getting us into this situation. What were we thinking ? We could have been home watching TV enjoying the morning Tea or Coffee. But once we completed the steep climb, we felt pretty good about making it to the top. It was still a long way to the summit but we all felt that the worst was behind us. We continued the climb at a steady pace and occasional small breaks. It was a strenuous but rewarding climb. The views from the top were amazing. After a steady climb we finally reached the top around 9am.
Coming down from the summit was an interesting experience. We were able to glissade down few stretches of the mountain. Once we made it back to Lake Helen we packed our bags after a short break and continued down to the trailhead. We reached the parking lot around 4pm. We treated ourselves to yummy pizzas in the evening and returned to the bay area the next day.
In summary, Mount Shasta is good for the beginner mountain climbers. It would help if you read the book Climbing Mount Shasta and practice uphill walking with a loaded backpack few weeks before the climb. And finally, I highly recommend renting or purchasing the necessary gear the evening before the day of climbing. It allows you to get an early start in the morning which was immensely helpful.
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 stove. We packed our backpacks and spent the night at Motel 6 located in Weed.
We arrived at Bunny flat trailhead Saturday around 8AM. We paid the permit fees and picked up the Human Waste Pack Out Bags. We had read about it before but this was the first time we had to carry such packs. I am glad I did not have to use one during the 2-day hike. We then started for the hike to HorseCamp. The trail was slushy at times but mostly covered in shade by tall trees. This part of the trail remains crowded since it is also a popular day hike. We reached HorseCamp in apporximately 1:30-2 hours. The Sierra Hut located at HorseCamp makes a good stop for resting and it also provides running spring water during summer time. HorseCamp also marks the end of timberline.
After a short break we continued our hike to 50/50. This was a steep climb although, the views looking back and down the hill were great. Once we reached the 50/50 flat we put our backpacks down and took some rest. It was surprising to see lot of day hikers on the trail since the trail was completely covered in snow. I did not expect to see many people beyond HorseCamp. We all were doing great and just one short hike away from our night stopover at lake Helen.
The hike to lake Helen was very tiring. We were now feeling the weight on our shoulders and the pace of our hike slowed down considerably. We had camps at Lake Helen within our sight but it would take us a good hour or more to reach the camping area. We saw some hikers pitching tents along the trail to Lake Helen. Although it was tempting to call it a day, we were determined to make it all the way to the top this time. So we slowly made it to the Lake Helen camping area. (For those who are curious, there is no lake at Lake Helen. The story goes that long time ago a lady climbing Mt. Shasta asked the guide about a small lake she noticed in a distance. The guide named it after her, Lake Helen.) We struggle to pitch the tents as the wind was blowing hard and the tent cloth kept flapping at night. But that did not keep us awake since we were very tired. We had warm and half-cooked pastas before we went off to sleep. It was a full moon night and there was plenty of light to walk around without light even in the middle of the night.
We woke up early morning at 4AM next day. Everyone had a cup of hot chocolate and we started putting our gear back on. We had 2-3 headlamps between 6 of us and that was sufficient since there were lot of other people starting the climb around that time. Our initial pace slowed down very quickly since the climb from Lake Helen is very steep. And to make the matter worst gusty wind was blowing in opposite direction. I still remember that we had to take a step at a time and stop for a second or two before we could continue further. In fact, while on this steep slope, we even cursed ourselves for getting us into this situation. What were we thinking ? We could have been home watching TV enjoying the morning Tea or Coffee. But once we completed the steep climb, we felt pretty good about making it to the top. It was still a long way to the summit but we all felt that the worst was behind us. We continued the climb at a steady pace and occasional small breaks. It was a strenuous but rewarding climb. The views from the top were amazing. After a steady climb we finally reached the top around 9am.
Coming down from the summit was an interesting experience. We were able to glissade down few stretches of the mountain. Once we made it back to Lake Helen we packed our bags after a short break and continued down to the trailhead. We reached the parking lot around 4pm. We treated ourselves to yummy pizzas in the evening and returned to the bay area the next day.
In summary, Mount Shasta is good for the beginner mountain climbers. It would help if you read the book Climbing Mount Shasta and practice uphill walking with a loaded backpack few weeks before the climb. And finally, I highly recommend renting or purchasing the necessary gear the evening before the day of climbing. It allows you to get an early start in the morning which was immensely helpful.
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