Home > Trip Reports > Shasta - Avalanche Gulch (SW Face), June, wk. 1

Shasta - Avalanche Gulch (SW Face), June, wk. 1

6/15/07
US elsewhere
3814
6
Posted by skimtner on 6/5/07 6:21am
I really like the qoute in Lou Dawson's 'Wild Snow' book how Shasta is N. Americas' best ski mountain. The views at the head of the Gulch are quite captivating. The Red Banks are pretty unique with their color. The goods for ski descents are the chutes at the left side of the Gulch -- Casaval Ridge.
These are called the Trinity Chutes. I have more experience on the NE side of the mountain as that side is less visited. I have been on the Gulch route once before.
Snowline was at 8.500' and the options for bivy'ing are at 7,800' (Sierra Club Hut), 50/50 flat @ 9.500' or the classic Lake Helen (10,4000).
I gained more insight on how to achieve reaching the Chutes. For myself, I'll stay at the Sierra Club Hut and start at 6am with a top out at 13,200', which is 5,400' in approx. 6 hours.
As for this time I started from Bunny Flat - 7,000' and topped out on the moraine above Lake Helen at 11, 500'.
The snow is a layer of 6" of very soft slush on top of the consolidated surface. I had a decent ski as I finished in the Climber's / Skier's Gully.

Mt. Lassen or properly called Lassen Peak also looks skiiable down the typical NE aspects for June, inspite of a leaner year down here.
Any info on the Hotlum-Winton?

Hey Hefeweizen, check out my TR from hotlum-wintun in May:

http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=7186.0

Thanks, that one's definetly on the list!

author=hefeweizen link=topic=7338.msg29284#msg29284 date=1181236644]
Any info on the Hotlum-Winton?


Hot-tun as Fifth Season calls it is still skiable according to Shasta Climbing Rangers. Check the rpt. -- Shasta Ranger District. The weather will be better this wkend down here also.

Wintun is spelled with a u, Good luck

FYI.  I was on the Wintum-Hotlum yesterday and I don't recommend it for this season.  Steelman on telemarktips.com said the snow above 12,500 wasn't any good. I climbed to 12K due to firm conditions as all I brought were ski crampons.  My goal was to ski good corn and not go for the summit.  Between 10-12K, snow was nice corn, but textured.  Below 10K, the snow is really sticky and I just put a warm wax on my skis.  I did two laps between 10-12K, but bailed due to rain and an approaching system.  It took a while to ski below 10K to the dirt. 

Usually, Wintum-Hotlum is awesome, but I missed the goods and don't recommend a trip from WA rate now.  Next year.

Andrew

The hotlum- wintun as a ski descent is normally a great route with its only drawback being that you have to fight the fall line and trend skiers left as you ski it to get back to the hot-tun snowfield and the Brewer TH. The upper Hot-tun can ski well which tops out on the north side of the upper hotlum-wintun ridge proper, the hot tun can get some weird horizontal wind strata on it though. Slightly farther north is the climbers left hand variation of the Hotlum glacier route which is one of the best steep ski descents on the mountain, there is a good size shrund at the bottom of the chute normally and it would pay to climb the ski route. The hotlum glacier route is crevassed and with low snow is probably not an advisable ski route but when there is snow it provides 100% fall line for its duration. also keep in mind though that the route sees less sun- and is the reason why it is the only glacial area on the mountain that is growing.(this year probably didn't help though.)

-john

Reply to this TR

4162
shasta-avalanche-gulch-sw-face-june-wk-1
skimtner
2007-06-05 13:21:43