May 9, 2009, Mt. Shasta Konwakiton Glacier
5/9/09
US elsewhere
1445
3
Ski party of three (phil, Jason and John) left bunny at 408am for the summit via avalanche gulch. Climbing conditions were good on hard snow with a bit of breakable rimed sastrugi high on the mtn. Summited at 1155am. On the ascent i was able to scamper up to the true summit of Thumb Rock to get a better visual of our objective to ski off shastas summit and down the skiers left side of the Konwakiton, skin up the Mud Creek Glacier and ski the Old Ski bowl. Conditions looked perfect, heavy crossloading from the last storm had filled in the area very well and no holes were visible and the snow was left very firm and smooth.
At 1230pm we started the descent skiing off the true summit, down onto the summit plateau and straight falline down Mud Creek from 13800' to 11000' then a right hand traverse above some rocky jumble to 10800' on the Mud Creek Glacier. A short skin up the Mud Creek Glacier to the ridge west of Shastarama Point lead us to another long corn descent down the Old Ski Bowl.
The skiing was very smooth with warmed presssed powder on the upper portoins and fast corn on the bottom two thirds off the konwakiton, corn down the ski bowl.
Good Stability prevailed though avalanches were observed on east and south aspects at low elevations that had seen a great deal of warming. My largest concern was the lower elevations in the konwakiton that faced east. The snow was warm and ski pennetration was about as much as i would have wanded here at 100pm after a solid freeze the night prior. the southerlies in the old ski bowl were great at 130pm with a little less radiation at that part of the day being south, though a bit lower in elevation(11000'). Note should be made though that this area on the mountain cooks in the sun as it is a steep solar bowl and a late descent could turn really bad really fast.
This was easily one of the best runs i have had on Shasta.
At 1230pm we started the descent skiing off the true summit, down onto the summit plateau and straight falline down Mud Creek from 13800' to 11000' then a right hand traverse above some rocky jumble to 10800' on the Mud Creek Glacier. A short skin up the Mud Creek Glacier to the ridge west of Shastarama Point lead us to another long corn descent down the Old Ski Bowl.
The skiing was very smooth with warmed presssed powder on the upper portoins and fast corn on the bottom two thirds off the konwakiton, corn down the ski bowl.
Good Stability prevailed though avalanches were observed on east and south aspects at low elevations that had seen a great deal of warming. My largest concern was the lower elevations in the konwakiton that faced east. The snow was warm and ski pennetration was about as much as i would have wanded here at 100pm after a solid freeze the night prior. the southerlies in the old ski bowl were great at 130pm with a little less radiation at that part of the day being south, though a bit lower in elevation(11000'). Note should be made though that this area on the mountain cooks in the sun as it is a steep solar bowl and a late descent could turn really bad really fast.
This was easily one of the best runs i have had on Shasta.
Thanks for the very timely report, and nice route photo too! I've skied a dozen different routes on Shasta, but that line is one that I've been eyeing for years and not yet done. But I think I may be headed there by Saturday...
Amar- when we skied it it looked like you could have skied anywhere down the glaceir or through the skiers right chutes without finding holes. there have been a few consecutive warm days since though. This route photo was taken the day after the ski descent from McCloud. let me know if and where to send a higher res photo if you would like it. There is a 2005 report i posted skiing into this area from around thumb rock if it is of any use. Thanks for all of your beta over the years.
Definitely thx for the report. We also skied this route (yesterday), my first on the mountain. It was a great place! Great snow.
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