July 5,Avalanche Gulch, Mt.Shasta
7/15/05
US elsewhere
1917
0
I apologize for the lateness of this report, but I have just returned from a two-week vacation with my non-skier wife. I lacked the ways and means to post my photos until now. http://gallery.telemen.ca/main.php?g2_view=core:ShowItem&g2_itemId=2205
has a chronological photographic account of the trip.
After several failed attempts to link up with other TAYers, I resigned myself to a solo effort. Because of my circumstance ( first time on the mountain, only one full day to commit to the climb, my age and physical condition, etc. ) I knew that Avanalache Gulch was my safest objective. I decided that I would go as high as I could there before the reported excellent corn turned to slop in the afternoon.
Leaving Bunny Flat at 6:30 I made good time in the coolness of the morning. The path of alternating dirt and snow was frozen stiff and I fought off the urge to put on my gloves. A more urgent urge hit me just before Horse Camp and I was very happy to discover the composing toilet there. From that point on the trail was snow covered, but I kept my skis on my back.
In between Horse Camp and Lake Helen I met a group of three older "climbers" who had left their tent at about 9,000' with the vague goal of summiting that day. They had crampons and ice axes, but they were sharing one pack. They were stopping to rest about 300' from their tent when I passed them. They took the next four hours to summit the first rise out of Lake Helen. I reached the campsite at 9:45, where only 3 or 4 tents sat still in the wind-free air. After visiting with two young teenagers and their dad who were planning to summit the next morning, it was time to get the skins out and to finally do some skiing.
I do not know if it was the elevation or my physical conditioning ( or maybe the lack of it ) but my progress seemed slow. The sun was hot and I was concerned about missing the best snow of the day for turns. Near the base of a recent avalanche I left the main track and aimed for the Casaval Ridge. After trying to rest and going through the tiring, awkward exercise of removing skins on a steep pitch, it was a thousand foot fall line drop down to the "lake". There was just enough loose stuff on top of the firm, fast base to allow for nice turns and an army of little snowmen to accompany me. The turns do not show up well on my photos, but if you look carefully you can see my run to the right of me standing at the campsite.
While I was organizing my gear an AT skier arrived at Lake Helen, which was now busy with returning climbers. Mike, from nearby Ashland, had planned to visit Shastina, but had changed his mind after observing the poor snow coverage there. I gladly agreed to ski back with him, especially since he had recently skied through the forest to the parking lot.
Fortunately he was patient with me as I found that the snow and my legs were now heavy. We generally stayed to skier's left, at times traversing and then cranking some turns in the not-so-white snow. We were able to piece together enough snow to ski within 200' above Bunny Flats. I was out of gas, but pleased with the experience of nearly 4,500' of vertical on a hot, bluebird July day. When the waitress at the Hungry Moose asked if I was old enough for the senior's discount on the evening special, I told her that I was only 54. She looked at me again and said something to the effect that I looked like I qualified. I didn't mind..."anything for a buck" has always been one of my mottos.
has a chronological photographic account of the trip.
After several failed attempts to link up with other TAYers, I resigned myself to a solo effort. Because of my circumstance ( first time on the mountain, only one full day to commit to the climb, my age and physical condition, etc. ) I knew that Avanalache Gulch was my safest objective. I decided that I would go as high as I could there before the reported excellent corn turned to slop in the afternoon.
Leaving Bunny Flat at 6:30 I made good time in the coolness of the morning. The path of alternating dirt and snow was frozen stiff and I fought off the urge to put on my gloves. A more urgent urge hit me just before Horse Camp and I was very happy to discover the composing toilet there. From that point on the trail was snow covered, but I kept my skis on my back.
In between Horse Camp and Lake Helen I met a group of three older "climbers" who had left their tent at about 9,000' with the vague goal of summiting that day. They had crampons and ice axes, but they were sharing one pack. They were stopping to rest about 300' from their tent when I passed them. They took the next four hours to summit the first rise out of Lake Helen. I reached the campsite at 9:45, where only 3 or 4 tents sat still in the wind-free air. After visiting with two young teenagers and their dad who were planning to summit the next morning, it was time to get the skins out and to finally do some skiing.
I do not know if it was the elevation or my physical conditioning ( or maybe the lack of it ) but my progress seemed slow. The sun was hot and I was concerned about missing the best snow of the day for turns. Near the base of a recent avalanche I left the main track and aimed for the Casaval Ridge. After trying to rest and going through the tiring, awkward exercise of removing skins on a steep pitch, it was a thousand foot fall line drop down to the "lake". There was just enough loose stuff on top of the firm, fast base to allow for nice turns and an army of little snowmen to accompany me. The turns do not show up well on my photos, but if you look carefully you can see my run to the right of me standing at the campsite.
While I was organizing my gear an AT skier arrived at Lake Helen, which was now busy with returning climbers. Mike, from nearby Ashland, had planned to visit Shastina, but had changed his mind after observing the poor snow coverage there. I gladly agreed to ski back with him, especially since he had recently skied through the forest to the parking lot.
Fortunately he was patient with me as I found that the snow and my legs were now heavy. We generally stayed to skier's left, at times traversing and then cranking some turns in the not-so-white snow. We were able to piece together enough snow to ski within 200' above Bunny Flats. I was out of gas, but pleased with the experience of nearly 4,500' of vertical on a hot, bluebird July day. When the waitress at the Hungry Moose asked if I was old enough for the senior's discount on the evening special, I told her that I was only 54. She looked at me again and said something to the effect that I looked like I qualified. I didn't mind..."anything for a buck" has always been one of my mottos.
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