2-17-08 Trinity Chutes mt. Shasta

It has been somewhat frustrating living in Weed CA this month, as the two big dumps of January have left low elevations with a 150% normal snowpack (upper elv. below average due to wind). So why the frustration? The access to the mid-elevation skiing, has been impeded, by the snow, lazy plow crews, and mechanical breakdowns with their equipment. The road was plowed up to bunnyflat (the trailhead for standard Shasta climbs @ 6800') around noon on the 16th, just in time for the sunny-windless forecast.

I left the trailhead around 230am; and with the aid of the moon, made good time, up the obvious avi gulch route. I could see many lights and dimly illuminated tents flickering and looming on Cavasal ridge. The first pastel hints of sunrise found me mid-way up the steeper portion of the standard climber€™s route, which was heinously icy, and variable. I made the ridge and thumb rock by sunrise, and hiked ice sustrugi up to the pre-summit plateau of 13370' then more ice sustrugi on misery hill to the summit plateau of 14k.

Turns down misery hill were atrocious-pathetic excuses for real turns, on the ice sustrugi/rime ice. Skied down to point 13300', where I eyed the Trinity Chutes, Only one appeared to be filled in enough for a complete descent. However the sun crust was still frozen, I napped for ~anhour - hoping for dreams of softer snow. Having observed snow transport from the north with 90mph winds a few days prior, I did not want to wait for the loaded upper portion to get too soft, and there were massive rime formations precariously draping over the couloir.

The upper 100' was around 50dg, and was amazing fun, then the couloir dog legged a little and eased off to about 40dg this continued for a couple thousand feet of glorious skiing, then the angle lessened to ~30 down to lake Helen, at 10k. Then for another 3200v€™ Corn all the way down to the parking lot - although I skied remarkable, smooth corn, it was linked with some route finding, as there were many areas affected by wind, standard on such volcanoes when the wind nukes the upper-mid mountain as it does frequently - sustrugi aided by lhoss. Back to the camper at 11 €“ amazed to find 7.2k of  perfect corn (except misery hill). The next day I attempted the West Face, skied the standard climbers route. (I€™ll post another TR; I don€™t want to disrespect the picture law).