July 6, 2010, Shasta (Hotlum-Wintun snowfield)
7/6/10
US elsewhere
2533
1
Skied on the E side of Shasta yesterday. Set the alarm for a summit attempt, but needed more sleep in order to avoid exhaustion. After watching the alpenglow from the sleeping bag, I opted for an exploratory trip. Booted/skinned out of Brewer Creek at 7-8 am, hit my high point beside the Hotlum Glacier at noon. The Fifth Season's suggestion of 9-10 am summiting for optimal skiing seemed accurate. What was ripper corn at 10:30 near 10k was getting soft and punchy by 12:30. Beautiful mountain. The route lives up to the hype.
Met a friendly Seattle couple on their way down from the summit; they only had good things to say about the route and the snow.
There's a bumper crop of chihuahua-snarfing suncups below 9k, with some up to poodle-sized. Road's driveable to within a switchback (?) of the true trailhead, but there's a fine little drainage that allows acceptable passage just S of the present snow closure. If you enjoy linking snow patches in volcanic forests, the trees were pretty fun.
If you've got the time, now is a great time to get the route.
If approaching from the north and heading to Brewer Creek, don't take the first signed "Northside trailheads" turnoff that goes to Northgate. There are better ways, unless you're looking for a fun, low-end 4wd road. On advice from the Seattle couple, I went south on FR 19 through McCloud in about a third of the time on the way home.
Photos to follow after, erm, work.
Met a friendly Seattle couple on their way down from the summit; they only had good things to say about the route and the snow.
There's a bumper crop of chihuahua-snarfing suncups below 9k, with some up to poodle-sized. Road's driveable to within a switchback (?) of the true trailhead, but there's a fine little drainage that allows acceptable passage just S of the present snow closure. If you enjoy linking snow patches in volcanic forests, the trees were pretty fun.
If you've got the time, now is a great time to get the route.
If approaching from the north and heading to Brewer Creek, don't take the first signed "Northside trailheads" turnoff that goes to Northgate. There are better ways, unless you're looking for a fun, low-end 4wd road. On advice from the Seattle couple, I went south on FR 19 through McCloud in about a third of the time on the way home.
Photos to follow after, erm, work.
Photos! Route Conditions are over at the oft-forgotten route-conditions page.
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