Lassen / Shasta Conditions Anyone?

Planning a standard Alpine summit and ski of Mt. Shasta the weekend before Memorial Day - avoid the crowds somewhat and take advantage of the full moon. My current plan is to do it via Avy Gulch given trailhead/road conditions.

I’m flying from NYC so my plan would be this:

Friday 5/17: fly EWR to Redding, CA (RDD). Arrive in Mt. Shasta around 7pm. Sleep in town (more likely) or at Bunny Flat.

Saturday 5/18: climb from Bunny Flat trail head to Helen Lake and camp.

Sunday 5/19: alpine start - climb from Helen Lake to summit. Ski back to camp, pack up, ski back to car.

Monday 5/20. Fly RDD to EWR

I’m a 43 year-old desk jockey in good enough shape. Strong skier, solid basic mountaineering skills. Have climbed a lot in the Northeast and northern Sweden and a little in the Sierra but this will be my first Cascade volcano. Did two winter summits of Mt. Washington this year. Have winter camping and mountaineering equipment (including 2 and 3 person tents), and ski touring gear. Plan is to go up around 7am first day, set up camp and get some runs in, then an Alpine start second day to summit and ski down. Biggest challenge for me is potential for the altitude to slow me down, but I generally do ok with it - and this is the time I can get away.

Let me know if this sounds interesting. ​​​​

Altitude ... and weather. Hopefully you don’t encounter 100 mph winds or cloudy weather on your trip! Also keep your head on a swivel for rock and icefall. Crap falling off Red Banks can get up to 70 mph by the time it’s flying by your head. Ice cube size pieces hurt like a bitch when you get tagged - the melon sized ones can kill you.

There’s really good skiing above Helen but depending on temps a 7 am start might have you miss the best window ... check weather and adjust plans accordingly. I’d personally start a bit sooner and go after one of the Trinity chutes. Have fun!!!

Don’t forget $25 cash for the summit pass. You can self register at the TH.

Thanks for the beta. Agree with the earlier start on day 1. A post-ski nap at Helen Lake is definitely in the cards that day so getting up earlier is a good idea.

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Originally Posted by bjorn240

Thanks for the beta. Agree with the earlier start on day 1. A post-ski nap at Helen Lake is definitely in the cards that day so getting up earlier is a good idea.

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Sleeping at Bunny Flat (either in your car depending what you rent, or in a tent) your first night will give your body more time to acclimate to the elevation. But you're already splitting your ascent into two days, so that definitely gives you a much bigger time window to go slow at elevation.

Not sure where the 7am number came up but that does seem on the later side. When I did it last weekend there were people getting up at 2am at Helen (way too early IMO), and I left around 6:30am because I was being lazy. I'd say somewhere in that 4am-6am window is good so that stuff softens up by the time you're ready to ski down.

#1 thing to remember is to force yourself to eat and drink/ plan it out. First time I tried Shasta I bonked (plus partner running out of water), but it's too easy to let elevation suppress your appetite and mess up your climb.

7am would be leaving Bunny Flat the first day. Summit day is an alpine start - probably up at 3:30 and on the move at 4:00.

Getting out of Bunny Flat earlier on first day might just allow some skiing on Avy Gulch after setting up camp at Helen Lake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bjorn240

Planning a standard Alpine summit and ski of Mt. Shasta the weekend before Memorial Day - avoid the crowds somewhat and take advantage of the full moon. My current plan is to do it via Avy Gulch given trailhead/road conditions.

I’m flying from NYC so my plan would be this:

Friday 5/17: fly EWR to Redding, CA (RDD). Arrive in Mt. Shasta around 7pm. Sleep in town (more likely) or at Bunny Flat.

Saturday 5/18: climb from Bunny Flat trail head to Helen Lake and camp.

Sunday 5/19: alpine start - climb from Helen Lake to summit. Ski back to camp, pack up, ski back to car.

Monday 5/20. Fly RDD to EWR

I’m a 43 year-old desk jockey in good enough shape. Strong skier, solid basic mountaineering skills. Have climbed a lot in the Northeast and northern Sweden and a little in the Sierra but this will be my first Cascade volcano. Did two winter summits of Mt. Washington this year. Have winter camping and mountaineering equipment (including 2 and 3 person tents), and ski touring gear. Plan is to go up around 7am first day, set up camp and get some runs in, then an Alpine start second day to summit and ski down. Biggest challenge for me is potential for the altitude to slow me down, but I generally do ok with it - and this is the time I can get away.

Let me know if this sounds interesting. ​​​​

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This is totally reasonable.

If the thumb up is in the clouds, just ski the lower mountain. It goes from dead calm to nuclear real quick up that high. Bring a compass/gps app as its easy to get turned around up high in whiteout conditions.

How are your crampon skills? Do you have ski crampons? People with poor crampon skills front point/kick steps, freak and burn out on the steep bit from helen to the thumb. Make sure you know your french.

I wouldn't bother bringing ski crampons on summit day starting at Helen. You're going to be french stepping up the whole way anyways. Except the plateau between Misery and the summit, which you don't need them. They are great getting up to Helen though if you're skinning really early or late. If your skins are full coverage nylon you could probably even get away without them if you're traveling up there mid morning.

Do not rely on a GPS app, even on top coverage can be spotty.

No need to have an early start on your day up to Helen. It's only 3 miles and 3.5k vert. And probably by May there will be plenty of platforms and snow walls built.

Preloaded maps... but yeah compass is obviously smarter. GPS is global!

I bring ski crampons whenever im in the big mountains. Nothing is shittier than slippery skins.

Forgot to say, sleeping at BF makes more sense, and as of yet there are no parking nazis patrolling for campers.

Thanks for that. I have mountaineering crampons and B&D ski crampons too. And my pied a plat and pied a canard are on point. But not en pointe!

Thoughts on how this upcoming wet spell will affect Shasta? Maybe back to corn by early June?

How was coverage faring before this precip?

Looks to me like the snow line will be 6000-7000 feet. I think it’ll end up adding 3-5” on the mountain. I plan to camp at Helen Lake on Saturday night and try to get some skiing in the chutes even if a summit bid is out of the question, so I’ll post up some updates on Sunday. If you’re going up come say hello - green Hilleberg Nammatj with some Blizzard Zero G 95s on the porch.

Checked the new snow yesterday, weather station measured about a foot of new and close to 3" of water at 7,600'. Snow level down to about 5,000'. The new snow definitely smoothed out the previously rough surface and the skiing was excellent. Visibility however was nil and the winds were cranking at treeline. Today should ski well and then the next storm moves in Saturday.

I did observe significant wind loading and new slab development, this is a winter storm and we'll see a pretty big boost to the already abundant snowpack above 8,000'. Probably not the best time to camp/climb high, but we'll see...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bjorn240

Looks to me like the snow line will be 6000-7000 feet. I think it’ll end up adding 3-5” on the mountain. I plan to camp at Helen Lake on Saturday night and try to get some skiing in the chutes even if a summit bid is out of the question, so I’ll post up some updates on Sunday. If you’re going up come say hello - green Hilleberg Nammatj with some Blizzard Zero G 95s on the porch.

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Weather at Helen is forecasted to be pretty awful on Saturday night. Unless you are used to the alpine weather on the East Coast Mt Washington (in which case this is just another balmy day) ... I’d suggest sleeping in the car or camping out just below treeline past Horse Camp. CG/HV areas might have better skiing just getting out of those due South aspects hit by strong winds.

I’d definitely anticipate windslabs over the weekend and maybe even some wet slides on Monday. Pockets will be much deeper than 3-5”. Maybe not the best time to ski solo above 10k ...

From Shasta Avalanche on IG this morning ..

Clear, summer-like weather has been the norm lately, but a dramatic change in the weather over the past few days brought 6.88” of water, translating into 19 inches of fresh snow at treeline on the mountain. A brief break in the action now but more wet and unsettled weather is on the way. Climbers getting lost is whiteout conditions is one of the top search and rescue incidents we get every year. If you plan on coming up this weekend, we suggest carrying an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe along with the proper knowledge and skills for traveling in avalanche terrain. Visibility will likely be difficult at times and carrying proper navigation tools will also be important. Be prepared for winter conditions and make good decisions. Summits attempts will thwart most due to poor weather and deep, fresh snow.

Agree. Will stick to lower angle, lower elevation slopes this weekend. On the plus side, there should be enough snow. Not too worried about the overnight conditions with our gear (and I do have a Mt Washington summit in -70 windchill in the bag this year already) - and we have avy gear and skills. But the low visibility is going to make assessing slab risk on slopes above any route very difficult, so I think staying on low angle terrain will be the right call.

Turned out to be PERFECT! After talking to the climbing ranger we decided to camp at Horse Camp as the gusts at Helen we’re supposed to be 90 mph. Set up camp at Horse Camp on Saturday morning and skied two runs above Horse Camp. Overnight there were moderate winds which all but died down by midnight. I think camping at Helen would have been fine, but it’s nicer to ski without camping gear anyway. Got on the move at 4am on Sunday and got to about 11,500 ft above Helen before the visibility fell too much to continue and enjoy the ski down. Skied back to Horse Camp in 8” of new snow. Packed up camp and then slogged down in real Sierra cement back to Bunny Flat. No summit this time, but what a mountain it is for skiing!

Planning to ski Lassen tomorrow (climbing from the Devastated Area, potentially skiing the Southeast Face though if Northeast doesn't soften. Then will be poking around Shasta on Saturday and Sunday. Weather doesn't look like it'll allow for a summit attempt, but there's always a chance.

Let me know if you'll be in the area and want to make some turns.

double check the road status. the website map still shows as plowed but not open, but they did remove their park alert notice about the closure to devastated area from this round of storms.

The road to the Devastated Area reopened today, website isn’t updated


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Left the Bay early this morning and was skinning Lassen by 6:30. Beautiful morning and then clouds moved in around 9:15, making visibility less than great for the tail end of the climb and the descent. Relatively skiable rime ice for the top 100 vertical, then perfect creamy pow for the next ~1800, great corn for another ~1700, and finally a slightly unpleasant traverse out through the trees.

There were three tracks from yesterday and I was the only person who skied it today, seemed surprisingly quiet. Conditions are amazing, go enjoy it.

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So I finally convinced my bosses to give me pretty much the entire month of June off. The plan is to spend as much time as possible up on Shasta.

As of right now I’ll be up from the 3rd to the 14th and then again from the 21st to the 30th. I’ll have a buddy with me from the 3rd-7th but other than that I’ll be solo and looking for some folks to ski/climb/explore with.

Been on the summit twice via Avalanche Gulch but I’m hoping to tick off four or five other routes depending on conditions and partner availability. I’ve taken a crevasse rescue course, have my WFR and I’m really hoping to get out on one of the glacier routes for some skiing. Primarily looking to ski but I’m not opposed to just climbing a route if that’s what you prefer. Give me a shout if you’re gonna be around those times or if you see me riding around in this beast!

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Nice! I used to to get an entire month off for 5 or 6 years, back in the day... Spent it living out of my Jeep on Shasta. So much fun!
First few times with my Willy's Jeep, then the Wrangler. That's quite the beast you have there!
My favorite time slot was the last two weeks of May into the first two weeks of June. I would start out at Bunny Flat and work my way around the mountain clockwise as the trailheads opened up.
No showers for 4 weeks. Head into town once a week for laundry and a hot meal. Every weekend I'd have friends visit me and we'd get some turns.
I remember camping in what used to be a meadow - just below, what is now - the North Gate TH and having a herd of elk sleep all around the tent.
I could hear them breathing. Woke up and found them to be just wandering about, completely ignoring me.
Watching the crowds arrive for the weekend and then had the place to myself all week.
Again and again and again and again.
Those were some fun times! Wish my current job allowed that kind of time off...
You'll have a great time! I'll be up in a few weeks. Post up with trailhead access if you can.
Jealous!

I was planning on skiing Shasta on the 30th or maybe 31st. I was just going to do Avy gulch, but may be in for some other routes. Time is limited though, so may just have to go the easy way...

Going to climb shasta with my buddy this weekend. probably going to set up camp on Saturday and summit on Sunday.

Wanted to do hotlum-wintun snowfield route, but seems the trailhead is too far out right now. It's our first attempt, so I think we're just going to do Avalanche Gulch or Clear Creek.

Anyone interested in joining? Rolling down from Bend.

Sorry if this is a reading fail or anything but- is the road to the Lassen trailhead (South/Southeast face, summer th I think) open? Gonna be in the neighborhood on Friday (wife is running a 50k saturday and will be resting but we'll be in the area) and trying to decide if I should bring the skis. I tour a lot, 120+ days so far this season, but have never been in the area. I'll bring all my pointy things, but am looking at realistically a half day tour tops, ideally < 3hrs. I can maybe swing 4 miles / 4k' in under 3 hours, easier if I know where I'm going, but it'd be nice to have the 2k' option in case plans change. If the park road isn't plowed to 8500', is it quicker to take the Emigrant pass approach?

Thanks in advance and happy to return the beta should you ever swing through the Wasatch...