• COVID-19 Park and Trail Closures
  • Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge
  • Shop
  •  

SoCal Hiker

  • Find a Hiking Trail
    • All Areas
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
    • Oregon
    • San Francisco Bay
    • Washington
  • Trail Guides
  • Six-Pack of Peaks
    • Colorado Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Bergen Peak
      • Rocky Mountain
      • Birthday Peak
      • Horseshoe Mountain
      • Grays Peak
    • New England Six-Pack of Peaks
    • NorCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mount Umunhum
      • Mount Saint Helena
      • Mount Tamalpais
      • Mount Diablo
      • Mount Sizer
      • Rose Peak
    • Oregon Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Tumalo Mountain
      • Black Butte
      • Black Crater
      • Maiden Peak
      • Mount Bachelor
      • South Sister
    • SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mt. Wilson
      • Cucamonga Peak
      • Mt. San Antonio (Mt Baldy)
      • San Bernardino Peak
      • San Jacinto Peak
      • San Gorgonio
  • Backpacking
    • High Sierra Trail
    • John Muir Trail
      • Overview of the John Muir Trail
      • Training
      • Day-by-Day Itinerary
      • Resupply Addresses
      • JMT Discussion Forum
    • Lost Coast Trail
    • North/South Lake Loop
    • Rae Lakes Loop
    • Red Peak Pass Loop
    • Theodore Solomons Trail
    • Trans-Catalina Trail
    • Wonderland Trail
  • Gear
  • Forums
    • Latest Topics
    • Ask a Question
    • Campfire
    • Trails
    • Trail Reports
    • Gear Wisdom
    • Classifieds
  • Login

Climbing Mount Shasta via Avalanche Gulch

July 4, 2018 By Jeff H 4 Comments

Overview of the Avalanche Gulch route up Mount Shasta

Last year at the SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Finishers Party, we wrote down our adventure goals for 2018. One of my big goals for 2018?  Climbing 14,179′ Mount Shasta for the first time. There are many routes to the top of Mt Shasta, but by far the most popular and one of the least technical is via Avalanche Gulch.

img
Trail Details
Summit: 14,179′
Distance: 12.3 miles
Time: 2 days
Difficulty: Strenuous
Elevation gain: 7,411 ft
Dogs: No
When to go: May – mid-July
Make no mistake. This is not a hike. Climbing Mount Shasta requires winter mountaineering skills, avalanche awareness and sound judgement to know when it’s time to call it a day and live to climb the mountain another time. There is no “trail” to the top. There are no signposts to guide you along the way. You need to know how to navigate ever-changing conditions on snow and ice, on a mountain where the weather can be highly unpredictable. At a minimum, you should have experience traveling up and downhill with crampons and ice axe, self-arrest and glissade skills, and the ability to work together with your team.

The Team

Originally there were six of us, but as typically happens, as the date got closer, the team shrank. Ultimately, there were four of us: myself, John, Josh and Amie. We all had some winter mountaineering experience, but none of us had summited Mount Shasta before.

The Trailhead

The Avalanche Gulch route begins at the Bunny Flat Trailhead (6,920′). There are pit toilets, wag bags (required beyond Horse Camp), and self-issue summit passes ($25 per person at the time of writing). We met at 7:00 am, put on our mountaineering boots, checked our gear one last time and shouldered our backpacks for the climb.

Our destination for the day was Helen Lake, and our goal was to get there before the sun became too strong.

The Bunny Flats Trailhead leads to Horse Camp, Helen Lake and Avalanche Gulch.

There is a clear view of our route to Helen Lake from the trailhead, as well as the climb from there up to Red Banks. Mount Shasta looks incredibly steep and ominous, but also beautiful and awe-inspiring from this south-facing trailhead.

Jeff, Josh, Amie and John

Left-to-right: Jeff, Josh, Amie and John, one mile in.

The Route

We were following the “summer trail” to Horse Camp (7,800′), so-called because it’s used when the snow has melted. Earlier in the season, climbers can follow a more direct route up the snow toward Helen Lake.

The first 1.8 miles is forested and mostly shady in the morning, but we stopped for a break at the historic Horse Camp just the same. This stone lodge is in remarkable condition and kept by crew of caretakers who rotate every five days. It’s also the last reliable source of water without melting snow. Mike, the caretaker on duty called it “The Fountain of Youth” and claimed he was 140 years old. Whether the water really possessed miraculous age-defying powers or not, it sure tasted good.

Arriving at Horse Camp
The fresh spring at Horse Camp
Stone lodge at Horse Camp

A tidy, welcome lodge
Inside the lodge
Little library in the lodge

Old stuff in the window sill
Looking up at Mount Shasta from inside the lodge

After topping off our water and checking out the lodge, we picked up the summit trail. The route is called Olberman’s Causeway, and portions of it are built of huge stones that pave the trail up into the mountain.

The beginning of the Summit Trail from Horse Camp

Following the paved trail known as Olberman's Causeway

The trees grow sparse and soon you are climbing in a lunar landscape of volcanic scree. This section of trail is usually snow-covered earlier in the season, which in some ways would be much more pleasant.

John (aka Moosefish) heading into the exposed climb

Moosefish near 50/50 Camp

The trail climbs steeply from Horse Camp. With the snow melted, we had to pick our way along the rocky switchbacks up the mountain to 50/50 Camp. It pays to turn around once in a while to see how far you’ve come.

Looking back down toward Horse Camp

We took another break and regrouped at 50/50 Camp (9,280′). This is another popular spot for folks to setup base camp, but we wanted to get further up the mountain. The snow fields began here.

The snow fields began at 50/50 Camp

The weather was warm and we were able to hike up in boots and poles — no traction devices required. Along the route there are patches of pink watermelon snow. Be sure not to eat or melt the pink snow; it’s not good for you.

Nearing Helen Lake

We reached Helen Lake (10,400′) around lunchtime on Friday. It’s called a lake, but it’s a large flat area covered with snow and commonly used as a base camp. There were many tent sites already dug out and leveled in the snow, so we picked a trio of sites near each other and setup our tents.

Our plan was to stay in the shade through the intense afternoon sun, resting and melting snow with our stoves — our only source of water until we returned to Horse Camp.

Made it to Helen Lake
Josh arrives at Helen Lake
Camp at Helen Lake

My view from Helen Lake
Late day on Helen Lake

As the sun dipped below the mountains, the temperatures quickly dropped. We were in our tents by 9pm for a 2am alarm. Saturday morning at 3am, we strapped on our crampons, helmets and headlamps and began the ascent of Avalanche Gulch.

The ascent was steep and slow going, carefully climbing and definitely feeling the effects of the thin air. As the sun began to rise, the pyramid-shaped shadow of Mount Shasta swept over the landscape, creating an awesome reminder of how prominent this volcano is.

Shadow of Mt Shasta at sunrise from Avalanche Gulch

The route up Avalanche Gulch itself was fairly easy to follow, thanks to the headlamps of the many other climbers already headed up. In general, you head to the right of The Heart and (when there is sufficient snow cover) to the right side of Red Banks, just left of The Thumb.

Pretty much everyone took a break when they reached the top of Red Banks (12,800′), rehydrating and fueling up for the next part of the climb: Misery Hill.

Taking a break at the top of Red Banks

Here we skirted the top of the Kenwakiton Glacier. The bergschrund (the crevasse seen below opening up near the left side of the glacier closest to The Thumb) often opens wider across later in the season, forcing climbers to instead climb up one of the chutes in the Red Bank. We were fortunate to have enough snow coverage to take this easier route.

The Thumb as we traverse the top of Red Banks

The climb up Misery Hill felt less dangerous than Avalanche Gulch, although the wind really picked up. We had gusts up to 40 mph that nearly knocked you off your feet.

When we reached the top of Misery Hill, there is a broad saddle between you and the final climb to the summit. We regrouped, checked with some of the climbers coming back down from the summits, and decided it was safe enough to continue.

The final climb to the summit was not bad, with well-worn tread through the snow and rock to the craggy summit of Mount Shasta. We took the obligatory summit selfies, signed the summit register, and headed back down.

Misery Hill
Misery Hill

At the summit of Mt Shasta
Mount Shasta summit register

The Team on our way back down from the summit of Mount Shasta

The summit in some ways feels like the “goal” of this adventure, but it’s worth reiterating that this is the halfway point. We had over 7,000 feet to descend. Working our way back to Red Bank was pretty easy (much easier to catch your breath than when you’re climbing). A short distance down from Red Banks, we were able to glissade nearly 2,000 vertical feet down the mountain to Helen Lake.

We spent roughly an hour breaking camp, then began the slog down to Bunny Flat. And a slog it was. At this point, our legs and feet were tired, AND we were carrying our fully-loaded backpacks. What seemed like a short easy hike up to 50/50 Camp turned into an seemingly never-ending downhill grind. It was hot, and we were looking forward to being finished.

Back at the trailhead, I changed into fresh clothes. Josh and Amie bid adieu (they had other plans), and John and I had dinner at Yaks on the 5 in Dunsmuir — supposedly one of the top 100 restaurants in the country. My burger was good, but I could probably name 100 restaurants that are better. But at that moment, it didn’t matter. We had summited Mount Shasta, made it back down the mountain, and our bellies were full. Life is good.

Mount Shasta Avalanche Gulch Trail Map

© OpenStreetMap contributors
Download file: avalanche-gulch-route-up-mount-shasta.gpx

 

Video Overview of the Climb

One of my climbing partners Josh from California Through My Lens put together a 10-minute video overview of the trip.

Mount Shasta Tips & Resources

  • The Mount Shasta Avalanche Center has excellent updates on current conditions, advisories plus a ton of useful resources for anyone interested in climbing Mount Shasta.
  • Get educated about winter mountaineering, including how to travel with crampons and ice axe, self arrest, glissading and more. I learned first learned these skills in an REI Winter Mountaineering Skills course, although many guide and outfitters offer similar classes.
  • I trained physically for this by hiking the NorCal Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge, plus additional cardio and strength training at the gym.
  • I highly recommend getting the Tom Harrison Mt Shasta Wilderness Trail Map.
  • Check out California Through My Lens for Josh’s perspective on this epic mountain adventure.

Mount Shasta Weather Forecast

The location could not be found.

Originally climbed on June 23, 2018 with John Soltys, Josh and Amie McNair. 

Filed Under: Trail Guides Tagged With: 11+ miles, Backpacking, Mount Shasta, Mount Shasta Wilderness, mountaineering, peakbagging

Like what you found here at SoCal Hiker? This site is a labor of love. Share your support for the site and help us development of new trail guides and expanded coverage -- make your next outdoor equipment purchase through our advertisers.

You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Jeff H

About Jeff H

I'm an avid hiker and backpacker. My wife Joan and I are on the trails every weekend. I started SoCal Hiker to share my passion for outdoor adventure.

Comments

  1. Tony Ramos says

    July 4, 2018 at 4:16 pm

    Great write up Jeff and awesome pictures!

    Reply
    • Jeff HJeff Hester says

      July 4, 2018 at 5:01 pm

      Thanks, Tony! We were fortunate to have good (enough) weather to summit. The snow was melting fast, as it seems you found out a week later.

      Kudos also to you for your role in the rescue of that kid who fractured his ankle in Avalanche Gulch!

      Reply
  2. Josh says

    July 5, 2018 at 11:21 am

    Great overview and such a fun adventure! Thanks for sharing my video as well!

    Reply
  3. Craig Gross says

    July 7, 2020 at 7:24 pm

    My daughter is hiking Mt Shasta this week….take care of Natalie!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About SoCal Hiker

Jeff on Mount Rainier

I created SoCal Hiker while preparing to thru-hike the John Muir Trail. My goal? Create guides for the best hiking and backpacking trails with enough detail to make it an enjoyable experience for you. And while I started with trails in Southern California, I’ve expanded across the west. We hike each trail to create these guides, sharing practical advice on gear and outdoor skills. Read more…

Connect with SoCal Hiker

  • 22,735 Fans
  • 11,940 Followers
  • 21,640 Followers
  • 1,717 Followers
  • 5,275 Subscribers
  • 338 Subscribers
SoCalHiker was selected one of USA TODAY's 10 Best Hiking and Outdoor Blogs
Get our day-by-day guide to thru-hiking the John Muir Trail
Get up-to-day wildfire status throughout California

Products

  • Mt Wilson Mug Mt Wilson Mug $15.95
  • Half Dome replica benchmark Half Dome Benchmark $39.95
  • 2017 Six-Pack of Peaks Sticker 2017 Six-Pack of Peaks Sticker $3.00
  • 2017 Six-Pack of Peaks mug 2017 Six-Pack of Peaks Mug $15.95

Sponsors

Sponsor SoCalHiker and see your banner here

Featured Posts

Hiking Belknap Crater in the Mountain Washington Wilderness

Hiking this out-and-back route up Belknap Crater you'll traverse an other-worldly … [Read More...]

Hiking to the Simpson Reef Overlook on the Oregon Coast Trail

The Oregon Coast is rugged, beautiful and often uncrowded. This bluff-top … [Read More...]

Join Team SoCalHiker at the Climb for Heroes

Team SoCalHiker is climbing Mount Baldy again as part of the annual Climb for Heroes … [Read More...]

Lastest Comments

  • Greg on Rae Lakes Loop via Kearsarge Pass
  • Tim Wilson on Rae Lakes Loop via Kearsarge Pass
  • Pam Selthun on Backpacking the Wonderland Trail
  • Calico Maps on Hiking Monserate Mountain
  • Deborah Aguanno on Mt. Wilson via Chantry Flats
Get your SoCalHiker stickers now

Get your SoCalHiker stickers!

Latest Posts

  • Hiking Belknap Crater in the Mountain Washington Wilderness October 20, 2022
  • Hiking to the Simpson Reef Overlook on the Oregon Coast Trail August 25, 2022
  • Join Team SoCalHiker at the Climb for Heroes August 23, 2022
  • Hiking the Welch-Dickey Loop in the White Mountain National Forest August 18, 2022
  • Hiking Turtlehead Peak from Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area July 15, 2022

Recent Forum Topics

  • How to deal with accidents while hiking in the winter?
  • Warm Tips for your hiking in winter
  • Some tips for hiking.
  • Keep your body warm in the winter hiking
  • The benefits of hiking, more than you can imagine!

The Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series

Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge SeriesThe Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series gives you an opportunity to explore your world while supporting a great cause. There are eleven challenges around the country. Hike or run them at your own schedule.

Flex your adventure muscles!

Learn more here.

 

Search

Tags

3-6 miles 6-8 miles 8-10 miles 11+ miles Arizona Backpacking coastal dog-friendly easy family-friendly High Sierra Trail hiking Hiking The John Muir Trail hipster inspiration JMT John Muir John Muir Trail Kings Canyon National Park LA County moderate Mount Rainier National Park Muir Monday National Park Orange County Oregon out of bounds Pacific Crest Trail peak peakbagging quote scenic Sequoia National Park Sierra Nevada Six-Pack of Peaks State Park strenuous Thru-hiking Utah vista Washington waterfall wilderness Wonderland Trail Yosemite

Copyright © 2023 SoCalHiker.net · Metro Theme on Genesis Framework with WPEngine Hosting · Contact SoCal Hiker · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

 

Loading Comments...