Advisories Archived Advisories
| USDA Forest Service Climbing Advisory for Mt. Shasta (Archived-09-18-09 11:22:28) |
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USFS Mt. Shasta Climbing Advisory - FALL STATEMENT 2009 CLIMBERS! YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:♦Wilderness Permit, Summit Pass, and Human Waste Pack-out Bags: you can get all of these for self issue at all the trailheads or at the Mt. Shasta Ranger Station 24/7. The Mt. Shasta Ranger Station is open 7 days a week from 8-4:30pm. Annual summit passes for $30 (good Jan. 1 – Dec. 31) are available at the Mt. Shasta and McCloud Ranger Stations during business hours and at the Fifth Season in Mt. Shasta and REI Sacramento. Regular summit passes (3-days, $20) are available by self issue at open trailheads, Mt. Shasta Ranger station 24/7, and during business hours at the Fifth Season, Shasta Base Camp or at various REI stores in the Bay Area and Sacramento. Reservations are not required. ♦Check Current weather forecast. ♦WARM clothing – NO COTTON - carry the ten essentials! ♦Overcoming summit fever and knowing when to turn around. Please check the weather forecast before you climb. FALL STATEMENT 2009:
It is safe to say that almost all the routes on the mountain are in poor condition. All of usual hazards exist (ie- rock/ice fall, weak snow bridges over crevasses, etc.). This is the time of year when route conditions are at their worst. It is best to wait until next year when snow covers the mountain. However, should you still choose to climb, you should wear a helmet and be prepared! Fall often brings cold night time temperatures (teens to low 20’s at treeline – 8000ft.), strong winds, and the chance of storms with snow levels down to the trailheads and lower. With the exception of Bunny Flat on the south side of the mountain, the roads to the trailheads are not plowed, so plan ahead. ALWAYS check the weather before you hike or climb. Have a safe and enjoyable fall season. Wilderness Permits, Summit Passes, and Pack Out Bags are available at all trailhead facilities. The spring is running at Horse Camp, although as of last weekend, it was starting to gurgle, thus possibly signaling the seasons end for the spring. Carry extra fuel to melt snow up higher as running water can't always be found. We recommend that you do not climb into deteriorating weather as many climbers have become lost, injured or died in poor weather. Check the NWS forecast for the latest. Always check the weather forecast before climbing and monitor the conditions as you climb. NOTE: We will not be updating the route conditions for the rest of the year. The conditions listed below are current as of 9-18-09 and will stay the same for the rest of the season. Feel free to call us for any questions if you choose to climb any of the routes on the mountain. -Thanks, The Climbing Rangers Route Info: Avalanche Gulch – John Muir Route (Regular Route) via Bunny Flat Trailhead: This route is in poor shape right now. We advise the Clear Creek route as a lower risk alternative, or wait until next season. Rock fall is always present and you should always wear a helmet. The snow gulley on the right side of the Heart (standard route) is gone, leaving loose, steep and unstable rock. The chimney above has a very thin ribbon of ice and snow with rocky sections and is not recommended. Deep sun cups have made travel diffficult on the left of Heart route. A few very hardy climbers have scrambled up the dry chimneys to the far right of the Red Banks and accessed the Notch at the far right end of the Red Banks. Glissading is done due to lack of snow. Casaval Ridge, Green Butte/Sargents Ridge via Bunny Flat Trailhead: Both of these routes are done for the season. They are winter/spring routes when the ridges are covered in snow and ice. Now they are dangerous with lots of loose rock. Cascade Gulch, Shastina and West Face via Bunny Flat Trailhead: Although many books list the Cascade route as easy, it also has a lot of exposure where it crosses the upper Whitney glacier, even when minimized to ¼ mile. Glacier travel training is recommended. Snowbridges continue to cover the large crevasses on the upper glacier and they will be weak on warm days. Shastina consists of rock with scree and tallus climbing to gain the top. The West Face is done for the season - wait until next season. The user trail from Horse Camp to Hidden Valley can be a nice day hike. Always be prepared for wind when camping in Hidden Valley as it can become a wind tunnel during N/NW winds. Sand Flat Trailhead: Open. Wilderness permits, pack-out bags & Summit passes available. Please deposit used human waste pack-out bags and trash at the Bunny Flat trailhead. Ski Bowl Trailhead: Open. Permits, passes and pack-out bags are available. Please deposit used human waste pack-out bags at the Bunny Flat trailhead. There is no system trail out of this trailhead and some route finding is necessary. Come by the Mt. Shasta Ranger station daily from 8-4:30 for good route descriptions out of this trailhead. The routes on the north and east sides are not for novices! Watch for weak snow bridges over the crevasses, especially on warm days! Northgate Trailhead: This trailhead accesses glaciated terrain, and is not recommended for novices. The Hotlum/Bolam route is in poor shape, with the traverse along the top of the Hotlum glacier accessing the Ramp being quite icy. Some areas of exposed rock will be encountered as well on the route. The standard high camp areas are snow free and running water can be found in the drainage and the mesa, especially on the warmer days. Many of the crevasses and schrunds on the Hotlum and Whitney glaciers are open, with many ice features exposed. This can be an excellent time of the year for those with the requisite skills to get on the Hotlum for crevasse rescue practice and serac climbing, although seracs can move unexpectedly especially on warm days. The three permitted outfitter/guidess on Mt. Shasta offer glacier seminars and classes on Mt Shasta- (Alpine Skills International, Shasta Mountain Guides, Sierra Wilderness Seminars). Brewer Creek Trailhead: Routes from this trailhead access glaciated terrain which is not recommended for novices. There are large areas of exposed ice on the Hotlum/Wintun snowfield and a small but potent patch around 13,400 ft near Ship Rock. There are also large areas with huge suncups as well as penetentes. There is plenty of running water, however be sure to treat, filter or boil it. People often get lost finding their way back to their vehicles from this trailhead, so carry a map and compass and pay attention!Clear Creek Trailhead: Clear Creek(CC) and Wintun Ridge(WR) routes are in OK shape. These routes are not for the faint of heart, lung or mind this time of year, as both routes are mainly scree,talus and sand slogs. The Wintun Ridge route does have a short section of steep ice/ firm snow at about 12,000'- use caution. The spring and creek area at the main Clear Creek high camp are snow free- camp at least 200 feet from the water and please use caution not to trample the fragile vegetation. PLEASE NOTE: The last 1/4 mile of the road leading to the Clear Creek trailhead is in very poor condition. We are working on this issue...in the meantime, a 4x4 truck and/or Subaru probably won't have any problems. Any 2-wheel drive vehicle should take caution as a few have gotten stuck in the powdery ash. Consider parking just below this last section - it only adds 200 yds. to your climb. Thank You! If any of this information is new to you, consider contacting one of the 3 permitted outfitters on Mt. Shasta (Alpine Skills International, Shasta Mountain Guides, Sierra Wilderness Seminars). If you would like more information, feel free to come by the Mt. Shasta Ranger Station for slide shows, pictures, or to speak with a ranger and/or our very helpful front desk personnel. Tips: Climb early and descend early! This limits exposure to inclement weather and allows plenty of time to descend before dark. Avalanche training along with a transceiver, shovel and probe are recommended in winter and spring! Get an alpine start (2-6am) and have an early turn around time around 12 to 1 pm. Proper equipment, clothing and training are a must. Helmets are recommended and expect rock or ice fall at all times. Mt. Shasta is a 14,000 ft. lightning rod and is frequently hit by lightning, so don’t push your luck with building thunderheads. Do not expect to be rescued. Rather, prevent rescues from happening in the first place, and be prepared to handle rescues within your own climbing party should something happen. Nature sets its' own terms and YOU must judge how much risk you are willing to accept. Extra warm gear, like a balaclava, is a good idea in winter and spring and fall as climbers often develop superficial frost bite during strong winds. The wind chill temperature near the summit in winter and spring can be well below zero. Best time to climb: The best time to climb Mt. Shasta is generally from late May to mid July on the SW side of the mountain when summer days are longer and the weather is generally stable. However, in dry years (2007/2008), the thin snow pack creates the best climbing conditions in April, May and early June. When the snow melts away, you are left with 7000 feet of scree, talus and boulders. In heavy snow years the climbing season extends to August or September. There is NO trail to the summit. Climbing is much more fun on consolidated snow! The routes on the north and east sides are not recommended for un-guided novices; glacier travel and route finding skills are prerequisites. Spring and summer can bring the chance of thunderstorms. THE TEN ESSENTIALS- Keep you and your party out of search and rescue statistics by using common sense and carrying the following: map, compass, sunglasses/sunscreen, extra food and water, extra clothing, headlamp/flashlight, first aid kit, matches/lighter, stove, knife and a bivy sack. |
