[TR] Mt Shasta - AG 5/05 - Avalanche Gulch 5/5/2008
Posted By: Irish Guy in California
Trip: [TR] Mt Shasta - AG 5/05 - Avalanche Gulch
Date: 5/5/2008
Trip Report:A couple of college buddies from Chicago flew out here for their first taste of the mountains. With the low snow levels Mt Shasta has, we figured it would be a perfect spot for them to start. cluck, another buddy Steve and I decided on Avalanche Gulch. Saturday morning, we rented a van and took off for the 6 hour drive down to Mt Shasta. We couldn't believe how low the snow levels were once we finally saw the mountain.
We got down there in time for some microbrew carb loading at Billy Goats before heading up to the trailhead and turning in for the night. cluck and Steve skinned up, while I trudged along with my two buddies all in snowshoes. We cut out some of the time by making a bee-line for Horse Camp and then up the Avalanche Gulch. There was a small weather system passing through early that morning and the people we talked to coming down were not able to summit. Fortunately, the weather cleared up by early afternoon and stayed clear and sunny skies the rest of the time we were there.
The Heart was clearly visible, especially for the first week of May.
We made camp just below Helen Lake, digging out an area for our tents. We saw 2 other parties out that day, and basically had the mountain to ourselves.
A few clouds were out in the evening, but clear views all around.
We got up early knowing that for two of our party, this would be their virgin mountain.
We wore crampons from the start and made it up climber's right of the Heart with only trekking poles. cluck is taking in the views here:
We took the chimney directly above the heart to get through the Red Banks. It wasn't very steep and there was little, if any, ice on the route by the time we got there.
After the haul up Misery Hill, we got our first glimpse of the summit.
Four out five us summitted, one of the guys from Chicago was hurting from the altitude and length of the hike.
cluck glissading down
Nearing the parking lot and looking back up the AG route.
Gear Notes:-Skis and skins, snowshoes
-Crampons and trekking poles, the ice axe was nice to have during the final summit section and the Red Banks
-I took the new Mt Hardwear
South Col pack out. Incredibly lightweight and great compression. There's not much padding on the hipbelt, but it turned out to be very comfortable. The gear loops double as bottle openers, which is a bonus when you get back to the car/van. However, the bottom showed some wear from about 200 feet of glissading.
