Trip: Shasta - Casaval Ridge Recon

Date: 10/31/2009

Trip Report:
Halloween recon trip to check snow conditions. needs another 20 feet of the white stuff.

Zombie Ice Axe Murderer Looking for Leon Trotsky





Casaval Ridge





Helen Lake Bivy by Sluggos in a $30 1 Season Wal-Mart Special. Can you see the pumpkin?



Gear Notes:
minimal alpine

Approach Notes:
sunny and warm to the hut

apparently there was an accident up there that night -- from the mount shasta avalanche center --

"We did have a climbing accident on Halloween night when a climber tumbled 1200 feet in Avalanche Gulch and was evacuated the following morning."

hope he/she's alright

At Helen Lake there was a single "toy" tent that had no business being more than 50 feet from the car. When we hit the Bunny parking lot at about 7PM there were only about 2 vehicles left. The nice weather may have played a role by encouraging an inexperienced crew to go "hard-man." Let's hope nothing serious.






"Every accident, of any kind, is preceded by a chain of events or errors, but each is set into motion at one irreversible moment. Until that moment the accident might have been prevented."

Mebbe it was JohnDavidJr and his walmart pup tent!

If you find yourself in enough trouble to say "Why me? Why now?" You have traveled a well worn path. Every "Freak" accident happens in a very predictable chain of events. It is our job to see those events unfolding and stop them.
Just my opnion. Hope everyone is allright.