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Mt Shasta -  Getting Started                                                                 timberlinetrails.net
Getting started on
climbing Mt Shasta
is a matter of getting
there first. The
mountain is located
in the Northern
portion of the US
State of California.  
Fortunately, getting to Mt Shasta is fairly straight forward. Super highway Interstate 5 gets you there no matter if you are coming
from the North or the South. If you are coming from the East or West, it is still best to traverse over and hit the Interstate 5. Then
proceed in the appropriate direction. Mount Shasta City exit is where you want to leave the highway. You then travel Northeast
through the town to Everitt Memorial Highway which leads to Bunny Flat, and other trailheads. For our particular outing on May
16-17, 2009 our starting destination was Bunny Flat at 6,950 feet (3,326 feet above the little town of Shasta).  Once at Bunny
Flat, the next order of business is registering for the climb and paying your fees. Summit Passes are required to climb or ski above
10,000 ft in the Mount Shasta Wilderness. A 3-day summit pass is $20 per person and is available as a self issue permit at open
trail heads and outside the Mt. Shasta city Ranger Station 24 hours a day. It is also available at a variety of outdoor stores in
Northern California. Annual Passes which are good from Jan 1 to Dec 31st are $30 and currently only available at the  Mount
Shasta and McCloud Ranger Stations from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Mon-Fri, and at  "The Fifth Season"  during business hours.
In the above photo you see my son Sean
filling out his registration papers at the
Bunny Flat station. Each person is required
to register and pay an individual fee as
mentioned above.

Bunny Flat parking area can certainly be
crowded, as you can see in the image to the
right. We tried to miss the Memorial Day
crowds by climbing the mountain a week
earlier, but it seems as though many others
had the same idea.

But not all people were setting out to climb
the mountain, because there were several
folks that came there to snowboard, ski, or
just plain enjoy the fresh new snow.  
Nevertheless, the crowded area forced us to
park well down the road in order to get a
place to put our vehicle for the weekend. Under the above
conditions, we found ourselves in the snow as soon as we
left the pavement, and rarely saw any soil until we returned
to this area a day later.

On a positive note, the snow cover gave us direct access to
our midway camping spot at Lake Helen. It made it so we
did not have to wind around on a trail that only becomes
useful later on in the year. Trails provide quick access to
destinations, while cross country travel through rocks,
branches, and other such obstacles requires extra time and
energy. On our trip we had good snow cover and all the
above mentioned problems of cross country travel were no
problem at all. The ample snow cover provided a smooth
path over them.
The structure at Bunny Flat shown above also houses a
couple of rest rooms. A barrel of toilet bags is also
available here. All back country travelers are required to
pack out their solid waste these days. Multitudes of visitors
on the mountain have forced this mandate. When you see
the number of people visiting the mountain terrain, it
becomes obvious that human waste needs to be controlled
so that future visitors will be able to enjoy a pristine
environment. The station also provides a place to discard
your bags after you return from the mountain.

In the photo to the right near the trail head, you see a final
reminder of the requirements for traveling high up on Mt
Shasta. Be sure to carry you registration and Summit Pass
with you at all times. US Forest Service Rangers are ever
present on the mountain, and you will very likely be asked
to present your paperwork. We did. So keep it handy for
inspection.
All the above being said, it is best to also
check out weather conditions and avalanche
dangers before even setting out on your
adventure. For current weather conditions at
12,366 feet on the mountain, click here.

For Avalanche conditions, and other
information on Mt Shasta, click here.

For real time web cam of Mt Shasta from
below, click here.

Good planning always pays off, and the
more information you have available to you
when it comes to planning your outing on Mt
Shasta the better.

Mt Shasta Home               Approach                High Camp              Above Red Banks               Summit               Current Weather
Additional Timberline Trails Links for Mt Shasta
CLIMBING MOUNT SHASTA - Additional Information and Tips

  • Mt Shasta is located in the northern portion of the US State of California. It is most easily reached by making use of
    Interstate 5, and using the Mt Shasta City off ramp. On the northeast portion of town, you pick up the Everitt Memorial
    Highway that takes you to Bunny Flat trail head and other starting points on the mountain.

  • Be sure to check weather and avalanche conditions before setting out on your trip. Even though mountain weather can
    change rapidly, why start out when the forecast is poor?  Mountain travel is hard enough, so why add to it if weather and/or
    avalanche conditions are not in your favor.

  • The best time to climb Shasta is from late May through June. During this period (for most years) you will have good snow
    cover for easier travel. Mt Shasta can certainly be climbed in the later summer months, but dry scree and rock filled slopes
    make upward progress grueling at best, and rockfall becomes a serious problem. Many people have been injured and some
    killed due to rockfall on the mountain.

  • Winter climbing on Mt Shasta is a very serious undertaking due to harsh weather and extreme cold. Those who engage the
    mountain during winter season need to be well prepared and trained in extreme cold weather mountain travel.

  • Spring and early summer ascents will require specialized climbing equipment such as crampons and ice axe. Without these
    tools not only are your chances of making the summit greatly reduced, but I would consider it downright dangerous to
    proceed without them. You also need to know how to self arrest with your ice axe in case of a fall. Slopes on Mt Shasta
    can be very steep, and speed is quickly gained in any type of fall on high angle snow and ice.

  • Climbing helmets (hard hats) should be worn by all climbers/hikers on all routes (including Avalanche Gulch above Lake
    Helen). This rule applies all year round on Mt Shasta. As mentioned above, several people have been seriously injured and
    some killed because of rockfall. Climbing helmets are also extremely important when glissading. We were told by one of
    the Shasta Climbing Rangers, on our last trip, about a woman who lost control during a slide. Her descent came to an end
    and so did her life, after she slammed her head against a rock during the incident.  She was not wearing a climbing helmet.
    If she had been using this vital piece of equipment (a climbing helmet), she most likely would have been alive today.

  • Carrying fuel and a good lightweight stove is highly recommended on Mt Shasta. Water is usually available from the spring
    at Horse Camp, but the upper slopes of the mountain are most often in a frozen condition making it so you must use a
    stove to turn the snow and ice into liquid form. If you are like most people and stop off at Lake Helen before going on to
    the summit, you will need to replenish your water supply for cooking and drinking purposes. A stove and decent size pot is
    a must to complete this operation. It is also recommended (in heavy use areas like Lake Helen) that you boil or treat your
    water for safety against unwanted microbes and other types of nasties.

  • Always carry a good map and compass, or better yet a GPS and spare batteries for navigation on the mountain. Even
    though it is easy to follow the well worn path of the crowds most of the time, it is not out of the realm of possibility that a
    white-out or separation from your group (and/or other people) may take place. In the forest area (especially under heavy
    snow conditions), everything begins to look the same, and several people on Shasta have gotten lost over the years. If you
    have a GPS, I would recommend setting waypoints at your vehicle location and other key points on the mountain. This
    way you can easily navigate back to them even in zero visibility conditions.

  • High winds and cold are usually the rule on Mt Shasta, so dress accordingly. Avoid cotton and other moisture retaining
    garments and make sure to carry wind proof and water proof clothing on all trips. Head and face protection items, such as a
    balaclava, are also highly recommended. I remember on one of my summit bids on Shasta nearly getting frostbite on my
    nose because I did not take my balaclava with me. Also do not forget to take along gaiters on your trip. They are designed
    to keep snow out of your boots. Not only do cold wet feet present their own problems, but gaiters also protect the lower
    portion of you legs from abrasion and other damage. They are invaluable protection if you decide to speed up your descent
    by glissading down the mountain later on.

  • Getting an early alpine start is highly recommended on Mt Shasta. The advantages are several. It lessons risk of rockfall
    and avalanche (rock and ice are far more stable during the freezing temperatures of the early morning hours rather than the
    heat of the day), climbing always seems to go better during the cool of the morning, and early starts will allow you plenty of
    daylight later on for your return to camp. A headlamp is a must for early starts and late descents (in case you get stuck out
    there somewhere), and headlamps are also very handy for late night camping chores and other such things. So don't forget
    to throw this item into your pack.

  • Be avalanche aware if you are climbing during the winter and early spring months. Slopes of 30 degrees and greater are
    potentially hazardous. Also times during and just after heavy snowfall, or fast weather changes from cold to hot greatly
    increase danger. Always try to climb or ski on the edge of potentially dangerous slopes rather than in the middle. These are
    just a few reminders. For much more on the subject of Avalanche danger on Mt Shasta, check out the following link by
    clicking here.

  • Do not forget to bring along a good pair of sunglasses and use a very good sun block lotion for all exposed areas of  your
    skin. The combination of high altitude sun and snow make for a powerful one two punch when it comes to damaging your
    skin big time. Lips are also an area that need special attention. I cannot begin to tell you how painful it is to severely burn
    your lips in this unforgiving high altitude environment. And do not be fooled by cloudy days. UV light has no problem
    penetrating the clouds and getting to those unprotected areas of  your body.

  • When it comes to the time when you need to get back down, and you are inclined to speed things up by glissading (sliding),
    make sure you remove your crampons before doing so. I have read and heard of many accounts of hikers/climbers
    breaking ankles and other bones while wearing crampons during this type of activity. An ice axe is what you use to control
    your speed, not crampons. They have a tendency to catch on chunks of ice and other obstacles causing serious injuries to
    the aforementioned body parts.