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Date: June 23/24, 2006

Location: Mt. Shasta, CA 14,162 feet Hotlum-Wintun route

Weather: Sunny and hotter than normal. Record highs in the valley.

Participants: mmcpheet, bcrider

Gameplan: Early evening approach to tree-line, sleep, early (3:30am) wake-up call, summit bag, corn harvest, season close-out (for real this time)

Duration: Just over 20 hours car to car.

Vertical: 8000?

Distance: Not sure.

Beta: http://www.telemarktips.com/Shasta.html & a recent TR on TGR http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/show ... hp?t=55904

Pics: bcrider, mmcpheet

Intro:
I've always wanted to check out Mt Shasta and after seeing some recent reports from this month I finally couldn't help myself. I rallied mmcpheet on one days notice and we made it happen.

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Driving through the valley….can you say record heat-wave?


Our first good look at the beast. (sorry about the bug spots…I woulda leaned out the window but I was fearful of getting third degree burns)


[rant] We stopped at the McCloud Ranger station for permits and summit passes only to find a note saying to acquire summit passes and shit-kits at the Brewer and Clear Creek trailheads. Only problem was the Brewer Creek trailhead is still blocked due to snow. You'd think these items would be readily available at the Ranger Stations (even after hours) considering how many people climb this mountain annually (15,000). I guess next time we'll know. [/rant]

Mt. Shasta 14,162 feet…I wonder if my soft snowboard boots will work?


We had to park the car a few miles from the trailhead proper due to snow and continued on foot. The road switchbacks a few times and you can just take a direct line cross country through the woods towards the obvious route. It wasn't too bad but I'm sure starting from the trailhead is much easier. The road was just patchy and with this heat I'm sure it will be open soon. Go get some!

mmcpheet heading for the treeline.


A couple miles in and mmcpheet decides to practice the ancient art of organic acupuncture.


Getting closer.


This should put us in decent striking distance for such a quick trip.


I was stoked to get to use my new Osprey Exposure 42 (product placement #1).


It's got a really clean design. (note the Osprey Switch 18 stowed inside as my day pack)


Along with a plethora of other goods.


mmcpheet pops up the Black Diamond Beta Light (product placement #2) in a mater of seconds.


The color started getting good.


We melted some snow, organized our gear, and had some dinner (ramen).

mmcpheet gets some last minute inspiration and stoke from one of trackhead's recent videos on my new Father's Day present, SanDisk MP3/Video Sansa e200 (product placement #3)


I got to bed around 10:50pm and had one of my worst nights sleep in a long time (probably since my first ever snow camping trip when I forgot my sleeping pad). I took too warm of a sleeping bag (15degree) and was just way too hot. If I opened the bag I was exposed for the hungry mosquitoes. Now we know why they make the bug net for the Beta Light. I lived with being too hot in my bag and only had a tiny opening for my nose and mouth to breath. A few seconds later….sure enough…bzzzzzzzzzz…bzzzzzzzzz…Mr. Mosquitoe was landing on my nose. This went on for an hour and a half or so before I finally fell asleep. A few hours later and it was time to wake up. Sweet!

It actually wasn't too bad and was officially my earliest start. We woke at 3:30am and left camp just after 4am.

mmcpheet


bcr


We made good time in skin mode and ran into Sierra bc legend “Edâ€Â

At 11am mmcpheet has seen enough and heads towards the east…


to get down propa-like.




On the other side of the top chute.




bcrider gets a little Shasta Love.


And sets up for a backside lip slash.










Half way down the main chute we snuck over onto the Wintun glacer and found the best snow of the trip. Super smooth and clean……………and ripe.

mmcpheet samples some more…




and opens it up!






Back on the Hotlum-Wintun.




mmcpheet lets his tips get a little far apart but with corn like this who cares.




We ran into another internet ski partner named Chuck that was camping out for a couple days with his mrs. Lucky dog.

We also found that the size and distance of the mountain are really deceiving at times. On the ascent it can be a killer but on the descent it works for you. It was so looooooooong!

How about some follow-cam? Sure why not.




Whippet…Whippet good! Black Diamond Whippet (product placement #4)


With the heat-wave the lower slopes were getting a little wet…bcrider breaks out the surfboard.




My four hundred and some odd bottom turn on a 7000 foot wave.




We found a little steep shot down low too.


That led right to the exit back to camp.


Looking back at a new friend…yeah, I could make this a tradition.


It was only 12:30pm but since we weren't staying a second night we figured we'd get a jump on the slog out and journey home.

The last mile or so on the exit is always the toughest…funny how on the way in it never seems as bad due to the anticipation of the trip.

mmcpheet feeling the pain.


I told him it was “character buildingâ€Â

Right on.

We thought we saw mcmpheet's car as we drove up Sat. morning. Looked for you guys but you must have snuck past us. The Wintun was butter, eh. We followed your tracks down.

Nicely done boys! Stellar pics as always. I can't believe you've never been to Shasta before bcrider. Glad to see you had a great trip. Let's see some pics powderwhore!

I might be able to fit one more trip in before I go see the knee doctor...
Four to six weeks recovery time my ass! I've got to get my jib on for a July trip as well.
Thanx for the inspiration.

Sweet guys. bcr, glad you finally got to meet two quirky backcountry icons - Shasta and Ed! Shasta has Lemurians, and Ed is... well, Ed. Shasta is a pretty amazing place, and has the best late-season riding around. Seems like everything is bigger there... including the mosquitos.

Nice! I was hoping there would be at least one more epic TR on the way this season...

6 hours ?!?!? You guys are animals. It took me 10 hours to go up avalanche gulch earlier this May and I don't remember stopping to rest that much. Actually, I don't remember much of anything except for anguish on the ascent... But that long ride down made up for a lot of pain.

6 hours is quick.

How was driving through Redding on the hottest June ever recorded on Saturday?

That extra hiking down the road must have been rough.

We met a guy from Ashland who dug out some snow drifts and cut out a downed tree on Friday night. We got to the second to last switchback and were able to ride down to 10 minutes from the truck.

Jib-good luck on the surgery. I'll post some pics soon.

Nice organization.