I’ve had my eye on Mt. Shasta for a ski trip for several weeks. The weather finally looked good, so I drove up and spent the night at Bunny Flat. I started skiing up Avalanche Gulch Wednesday morning at 4:08. The climbing skins started slipping on the icy snow at about 8,500’, so I switched to crampons and carried my skis the rest of the way. I finally summited at 1:38. What a chore!
After a half-hour break, I put my skis back on. I was thinking about how totally screwed I would be if one of the skis got away from me, so I was really careful putting them on. I started down at 2:11. The snow near the summit was very icy and chopped up. It was a real pain getting down to the Football Field. I met another climber who had stopped to put his skis back on for the descent. Oops! One of them got away from him and disappeared off the north side. Sure glad I was extra careful not to do that!
The snow was mostly choppy ice above the Thumb. It was hard work, but it was a lot faster than hiking, even with frequent rest stops. The snow was excellent from the Thumb to Helen Lake. Below Helen Lake, it was just slop. Skiing the slop was much faster than hiking, but it was hard work. My legs were just screaming. I had to stop and rest often, but I still made it to the car by 3:06. It was a great climb, and I’m glad I brought the skis.
