Ptown_Climber1

The stuff being knocked down by climbers up above was mostly the softer, smaller stuff. Irritating, but not the dangerous chunks that were sloughing off of the crags. When we were on our way down,traversing below Crater Rock, there were some bowling ball sized pieces flying down that scared the living crap out of me.....found myself playing a game of dodge ball that had some pretty serious consequences. This was the same spot where the woman was hit earlier in the morning. I just point this out to make the point that much of the serious ice fall had nothing to do with people.

Just got back from mountain.....ice fall was horrendous- maybe the worst I've seen. We took a few close calls from some serious buzz bombs, got pelted by smaller ones throughout. There was also a rescue on the mountain early this morning. We heard it happen from the saddle about 4:30 this morning.....huge ice fall erupted from Crater Rock, catching a large group unawares.(Broken leg apparently?) Ice flying down off of Crater Rock was downright scary. We camped at the saddle last night with intentions on Reid Headwall, but there was crap flinging every which way throughout the night. Balked on that and headed up West Crater Rim, where it was also bad.

All above points totally valid....I guess what I worry about most on the standard route in warmish conditions, however, is getting hammered by a piece of ice zinging down from above while traversing old chute or below the gates. That's why I'm always so amazed at how late some people are willing to climb it, well into the midmorning hours on a warm day. Seems like the top of old chute would also warrant some avalanche worries, no?

Awesome! I love Mt. Shasta, and have yet to climb this route, despite gearing from everyone how cool it is. I gotta get down there and climb it, but probably will wait until next season. Thanks for sharing. Go Beavs, by the way (noticed someone with the OSU hat)! Last summer when I climbed Shasta via West Face Gully I noticed someone had left an OSU Mountaineering Flag in the summit box....good effort.

Wow, you guys made some pretty good time! I always wonder what the heck those guys are doing that I always see trudging up Palmer in the heat of the day (saw about a dozen or more heading up)....I asked one out of curiosity and he said he was going for the summit. I'm always amazed there aren't actually more accidents up there!

Nice job guys! Yeah I was up there Sunday morning as well, but was one of the barbarian horde members climbing Old Chute on this day....man it was crowded up there. I think I ran into you guys on the summit ridge, asked you about how Reid Headwall looked...you said it was all 'in' ....spotted you guys down climbing West Crater as well.....looking at those pics, I'm envious for sure....Leuthold one of my favorites, but looking to climb Reid HW in couple weeks hopefully..... Couple pics from the ridge/summit on Sunday AM

Yeah, I admit I read it, just because I love reading stuff about our local peaks, and I had a morbid curiosity about what went wrong. The God card gets waaaayyy overblown....as if God had this all planned out. Uhhh, no, it's pretty simple really.....they underestimated what they were getting into, under packed, got a very late start with weather moving in, and hadn't done their proper research regarding how to get off the summit via the south side (dog route). I feel bad for anyone that goes through that of course, but the whole message that somehow this was God's plan is tiresome hogwash.

We were considering a climb up Reid Headwall Sat night, but with those avalanche reports I think we're seriously reconsidering.....the traverse over the top of west crater rim has me a little concerned......

Yes, some pictures of this tan, bl......I mean of the mountain would be nice!

Trip: Mt. Shasta - West Face Gully Date: 6/28/2008 Trip Report: Mt. Shasta has long been one of my favorite Cascade peaks.....this gentle giant south of the Oregon border offers that big mountain high altitude one can't find in our Beaver State, spectacular alpine settings, classic 'Sierra-esque' ecology, drier weather, and of course its share of weirdo mytholgy. It had been 5 years since my last visit to mystical Mt. Shasta.....I was definitely due! So it was with great relish that my climbing partner Dean, along with a relative newbie coworker of his laid out the plans for this climb in the cold dreary days of a Portland Spring.....Our true desire was to climb Shasta's famed Casaval Ridge, but with the low snowpack down there and schedule constraints we opted to wait until early summer when we could climb what would be a new route for all of us-West Face. June seemed to be a sure thing, but despite near record snow depths on Shasta this year, a windy and dry Spring has decimated all of that. We would be fortunate that our route was intact with a long, albeit skinny, gully of snow, shooting nearly 4,000 feet up from our high camp at Hidden Valley to just over 13,000 feet. Dean and I left Portland Thursday morning with great anticipation.....our long waited trip to Shasta was finally here! The drive was largely uneventful; We made a pit stop in Grants Pass for cold beverages....pasta salad and beers on the banks of the Rogue River on a hot summer day-good times. Arriving in Mt. Shasta City some time after 4:00, we met up with the third member of our climbing party, Clifton, who made the drive up from San Fran......after some reconnaissance at The Fifth Season (why can't all outdoor stores be this cool and friendly??) we headed up to Bunny Flat Trailhead. The plan was straightforward.....hike in to Horse Camp (7,800 feet), set up camp, gawk at the sunset shadows on Shasta's south face, enjoy more cold beer, and just generally relish being alive and in such a beautiful setting. The caretaker at the Sierra Hut was inviting and conversational as she regaled us with some of the history of Shasta's early days, namely the story of Ray Olberman and how he built the "Olberman Causeway" in the thirties, that crazy stone path which leads from the hut up to Avalanche Gulch climbing route.....wow. The night was a mostly sleepless one....the Milky Way shone in full glory; the mosquitoes were relentless....tales of the Lemurians and other Shasta spirits danced in our brains. The next morning, after oatmeal and coffee, we packed up and headed to Hidden Valley (elev. 9,500 ft.).....I had never ventured to this side of the mountain, but had heard great things about it. We were not disappointed. The trail is a steep, dry, and rocky one, but holds a stunning view down of Black Butte (name?), the Trinity Alps, Castle Crags, and the I-5 corridor back up to the Siskyous.....the fires in NorCal clouded up some of the view on this day, however. Fortunately for us, there were still as yet few people camped in Hidden Valley. That would later change. Shasta Mountain Guides represented a bulk of our neighbors up there. While there wasn't much snow left around, there was no lack of running water. Coming crisp and clean straight out of the snowfields up high, we didn't bother even filtering it...what a treat that was! One major drag about our high camp was the flies and bees.....they were a constant pest.....in fact I was stung by one ornery bumble bee, and harassed by scores of other throughout our stay. The nighttime offered some respite, but then the mosquitoes come out....we soothed our nerves with a little Patron, and again sat in silent reverie as we gawked at Shasta's West Face in the twilight, studying our route....this is about as religious as I get. 2AM came late...Dean and I were awakened by the stirrings of the Shasta Mountain Guides group across the gully at 12:30....Despite that, we stuck to plan and crawled out of bed at 2, an hour after they departed. It was an amazingly warm night, the star show again brilliant. The silhouette of Shasta's West Face and Shastina loomed. It was time. The first hour was spent making our way to the base of the gully. At that point we put on our crampons, as the snow in the gully was quite firm, and made for excellent climbing. Surprisingly the guided groups opted for the right gully starting out. We headed up the left, more direct approach. We moved quickly and efficiently, with few stops. At around 12,000 feet however, Clifton peetered out. This being his first climb on a relatively big mountain, he'd had enough....no shame there; at 12,000 feet he had already gone beyond his previous high of 9,800. After what seemed like an eternity, we topped out of the gully at 8:35 AM. There we were treated to the taunting visage of Misery Hill and the summit block, an agonizing distance away-still. We suck down more water, a couple of Advils, and energy gel pack, and push on. The traverse over to Misery Hill truly is misery, but winds are calm and temperatures pleasant......it's the most idyllic conditions I've encountered on any of my 5 previous Shasta climbs. Misery Hill is bare of snow right now, and still a pain in the ass. But ultimately we do top out and are treated to views of the summit ice plateau and its rocky crown. Dean and I are pretty much alternating between 'hitting the wall' and adrenaline bursts at this point, but now our goal is in reach! We will ourselves up the final rocky scramble to the summit of Mt. Shasta....we meet one group that came up from Hotlum Bolam Ridge, and a solo climber from Seattle who had just climbed the Hotlum-Wintun Ridge...she highly recommended this route-we'll keep that in mind! The requisite pictures are taken, and small talk with our fellow climbers at the top. I smile when I open the summit register box and see that someone has left behind an OSU Beavers orange flag there......I wonder which one of you that might of been??? Go Beavs! Nice.....and we're in shirt sleeves at 14,000 feet. The descent is slow initially....getting back to the top of West Face is a bit of a post-holing nightmare, and the sun is getting intense. The first glissade track down the gully is a little steep and icy for my taste. Not to mention the rocky crap that awaits you at the bottom of it. So we wait to glissade down a little lower.....This part of the climb was particularly fun....I'd award the Cascades' "Best Glissade Run" to either Shasta West Face or Mt. Adams South side, no doubt. The final run is steep, slick and will most certainly challenge your self arrest skills- have at it! Dean and I stumble into camp at around 1:30.....we rehydrate, regale Clifton with our exploits, pop more Advils and begin the painstaking pack up and hike out....the flies chase us the entire way..... Back at Horse Camp our friendly caretaker recommends a great place for grub and cervezas, which I also will pass along: The Billy Goat Tavern.....meet some of the quirky locals in Mt. Shasta City; it's got an outstanding outdoor patio with views of the mountain, and of course, friendly service. One last thing....on the way to the car from Sierra Hut (or shall I say 'death march'?), Dean and I independently think we hear children's laughter in the woods, and hallucinate rock forms that look like people...we meet an elderly man alone in the woods, who says he's "waiting for somebody".....chills run up my spine. ..we're delirious of course, but with all the weird stories we hear about Shasta, who knows? Perhaps there is a little something magical about Mt. Shasta....Go find out for yourself. Some pictures to come soon......

You made a good decision.....Just saw that three climbers were caught in an avalanche up there today....everyone okay. http://www.kptv.com/news/16317445/detail.html

Great job guys.....looks like a lot of fun; I really want to climb that route!

Old Chute goes left of hogsback.......there are two chutes that makeup the Pearly Gates, but Old Chute is different and branches off left of the hogsback from just below the bergshrund. Beware the bergshrund by the way...it is open and hard to see until you're nearly on top of it. A guy plunged into it thigh deep the other day when we were up there. With a group of new climbers I'd definitely take old chute. The gates are pretty icy and steep, especially the one on the right. The left chute is not so much....

We probably ran into you.....we left the Cave at 1:00, summited around a little after 8.........it was slow going on the traverse over to old chute.....lots of ice pellets flying.....I took a dinner plate in the back; my buddy left with a scratched, bloody nose....summit ridge seemed even airier than usual......all in all a good time had by all. That pitcher of IPA sure tasted good afterwards.

Yeah, Wy East is definitely more prone to avalanching than Leutholds....looks like southside climb for us. The key is early departure......

We're considering Wy East Friday night.....a little spooked by avy potential up high there also.....may opt out for a south side slog....we'll see.

OK, yeah you're right......it's tough because so many of those gullies look alike over there! Typically I reference Leuthold with Yokum Ridge, but you can't quite see it in that picture. Those pictures are awesome.....I'm climbing Wy East in a couple weeks, but man, those make me want to get over on Reid Headwall!!! Good job.

The green line IS Leutholds......someone else will need to clarify Reid Headwall on there....I know I was wondering about that myself. Great picture though!

I think both schools have a nice history of mountain climber lore....see link... http://alumni.oregonstate.edu/eclips/carry/may23_2003.html I'm a little biased of course....Go Beavs!!!

Thanks guys.....all good stuff. Interesting note about the pickets Joe......some good points....we'll just have to scope it out once we're up there I guess, but it definitely sounds like it'd be nice to have along a second tool.

Hey, I'm looking to put together a climb up Wy'East in late winter, early Spring. Just was interested in any feedback those that have climbed it might be able to offer. The ambiguity I'm running into off of the different sites I've seen on it are about the final couloir to the summit rim......seems like there are different variations as well as perspectives on angle, challenge, and gear required. Is a second tool required? Pickets, ice screws, or both? How does the route compare to Leuthold in regards to length, difficulty, and fun? Thanks in advance!

Trip: Mt. Adams - North Ridge (the rematch) Date: 8/12/2007 Trip Report: The fate of my last attempt to summit Adams via North Ridge had been gnawing at me for some time. At home, at work, on the tennis court....I knew I had to get back up there and close the deal. So once again my climbing companion Dean, along with a new addition, Sebastian (a veteran from Leuthold climb back in April), asked Mother Adams if we might be worthy of a date with her cranky, chossy, temperamental daughter-North Ridge. This time, she grudgingly obliged. The trip started out on a major downer when, just a few miles out of Randle, we hit a deer. Dean's car suffered some major body damage, and the deer died moments later....we all felt like crap. Some locals heard it and came out with a tractor to haul it away. Our only solace was the hope that they'd at least get some venison steaks out of it; apparently that's illegal, but hate to see the deer killed and not used in some way....anyhow, that sucked, but fortunately was not a portent of things to come. Arriving at the trail head about noon Saturday under blue bird skies, things looked good for us this time around. We set out for our high camp....now, this is the thing-the lake at 7,500 feet is pretty and provides a good late season water source, but in my opinion is too low of a base camp for North Ridge. I really thought getting up higher and on the ridge would give us a better chance for success, also condidering the most recent weather forecast calling for an incoming system. Problem of course, is that there's no more snow left within easy reach of the ridge! Sooo, crazy as it sounds, we filtered a couple gallons of water at the lake in the empty water jugs we'd brought along, and hauled them on up to North Ridge saddle at about 8,800 feet. Yeah, it sucked for that hour and a half, and I think we all were likely privately cursing the idea at the time. But it paid big time dividends in the forms of an absolutely beautiful, fit-for-a-king bivy high on the mountain with a bird's eye view of all surrounding peaks, as well as a much needed head start on the next day's climb. Sebby actually packed up a few Sierra Nevadas....I can't imagine a more beautiful place to enjoy a cold one at sunset. Slept under the stars....meteors galore...the milky way...wow. 5 AM wake-up call reveals clouds moving in...."Oh crap, not again", I think. Some warm oatmeal, a little tea, and we sally forth around 6:30. The route was pretty straightforward; like Couloir said, every time it seemed like things dead ended, a little scouting around would reveal a passage to the next section. This actually was a lot of fun, and kept my attention away from the lenticular cloud cap that was slowly forming over the summit ice cap. I can see why many folks don't like this route in late season. It WAS quite messy and loose in spots; although it only really bothered me when we had to come back down it. The views of Adams glacier, when they opened up, were outstanding. That things is a mess right now....remind me to tell the story of the guy that was trying to solo it Sunday morning...yikes....I told him I'd heard it was pretty much impassable up high, but he wanted to have a go....I'm sure he didn't make it, but I was relieved to see his tent gone from the lake, so he fortunately survived it. By the time we topped out on the ridge, the winds were raging to the point where gusts were capable of knocking you over if they caught you by surprise or in an awkward place....the seeds of doubt as to whether we were going to make it were being planted. Visibility was narrowing, winds were blasting us mercilessly, and the sulphur fumes at 11,000 feet were making us all a little queasy....the saving grace was that the clouds would periodically open up a window so we could see where to go....the last 0.4 miles were navigated with help of gps. I think we were all wondering if the turn around point was near, but when the altimeter indicated we were a mere 300 ft lower than the summit, we knew we had to be close!! Alas, I glimpsed the summit rim, and then the old lookout up there....we'd done it.It was 11:45. We had the summit to ourselves. Saw a couple folks coming up from Piker's Peak, but they evidently turned around. After a fifteen minute snack break using the the old shack up there as a windbreak, we slapped on the crampons for the descent back into the surrounding whiteness. It was quite icy going down the the summit slopes. As we began our descent of North Ridge, winds accelerated, and snow began to fall. It wasn't really sticking, but still, it seemed like the mountain was ready to have us part company. Route finding back down the ridge was a little hairy at times, but it is marked here and there. One nervous moment was had when, in the midst of the deteriorating weather, Dean dislocated his knee cap (ouch!)....he set it back in place and limped down. Apparently it's not the first time it's happened for him. Finally, at around 3 PM, we reached camp. We had ducked back under the clouds somewhat, and the mountain, apparently appeased, relented her winds long enough for us to make some coffee and tea, eat a couple snacks, and pack it on out of there. It was 8:15 by the time we got back to our car. A small celebration was had with the help of a few Sierras and some good reminiscences on the darkening road back out to Randle. It was a successful, memorable outing. You just can't beat the views or the solitude found on the north side of our Cascade volcanoes. I really enjoyed the route (although it is quite long), but if I was to do it again, I think descending south side would be key. Back to Portland by midnight, deliriously fatigued, but grateful for another awesome mountain adventure. A few pics....

Look forward to seeing those pics.....good effort on the climb and trip report. From a distance Adams Glacier looked pretty gnarly...sounds like it was up close as well.

Wow, great pics....got my heart racing just looking at them! Nice effort.

Trip: Mt. Adams - North Ridge Date: 6/25/2007 Trip Report: This trip report can pretty much be summed up by one line, which my climbing partners and I found ourselves pleading to the ping pong sky , the rocks, the sideways blowing snow, and each other as we trudged up to high camp from the Killen Creek trail head Sunday, "Mark Nelson!!!! Where are the freaking 'sun breaks' you forecasted?!!" The gist of this story, as you might already have ascertained, is that we were denied a summit bid via North Ridge of Adams, but all the same, I will tell the story.... Dean (my Leuthold comrade in blissful misery) and I had been planning this climb for last couple months....North Ridge had long been on my 'to do' list.....it still is. Figuring that the 'showery' weather predicted would be just that, the three of us sallied forth on our original two day, Sunday-Monday climb date. Getting to Killen Creek trail head was pretty smooth. The road is still pretty washed out about a half mile before the actual trail head, but a rig with higher clearance could probably make it all the way in....we just weren't in the mood to donate a transmission to the erstwhile riverbed. We embarked on the trail at 1:08 in a steady drizzle....not a good omen, as we would soon realize. After only about thirty minutes of hiking Dean realizes that the plastic rental boots he's wearing are digging gouges into his heels. He does a good job of trying to downplay it, but I know from experience that if you're needing moleskin before you've even broken a sweat, it's never a good sign; another bad omen..... Dean toughs it out though, and we move onward and upwards.....the first mile or so of trail is still snow free, and we enjoyed the quiet, albeit wet, beauty of the forest canopy.Saw some really funky looking mushrooms, bobcat or coyote tracks.... Before long the trees grew smaller and the rain drops harder; we were nearing tree line-and snow line. I guess it was at this point that our climbing trip, which we'd planned as a summer climb, turned into an early Spring climb. The higher we got, the harder and more horizontal the snow became. Even so, we appreciated the pristine Adams Meadow and its gnarled pine islands helplessly overseeing the new summer wildflower blooms being coated in a fresh blanket of white. It was around this time we half seriously, half jokingly asked for the first of many times, "Mark Nelson! Where are our freaking sun breaks?!" With the help of some modern technology (gps) and willful determination, we marched on into the clouds and snow, set on reaching the glacial lake at 7,500 feet that we'd been told serves as a good high camp for North Ridge. Around 5:30 or so (can't really recall), after trodding over many a dinner plate slab and other fun sorts of snow covered volcanic rubble, we set sight on lake. Finding a suitable place to camp was no easy task however, especially in the conditions. Eventually we settled on a small sandy patch, a respite tucked within the jagged mess of boulders and lava rock...there's no doubt that in better weather we'd of found something more worthy, as would become obvious the following day. Cold and coated in ice, we established camp....Thanks go to chef Mark for cooking us up some grub in such conditions. I contributed the Patron tequila, and we huddled in the tent, as the weather raged on and discussed plans. The summit was seeming less and less likely. I knew the weather supposed to clear Monday, but the million dollar question would be how quickly this would occur. With Dean's bloody heals, he was already out. Just getting to high camp was admirable. (Dean, go get yourself a good pair of boots!) As I saw things, unless we saw stars at the 4AM wakeup call, this was not going to happen. I hadn't climbed north ridge before, and damn well wasn't going to do it in the clouds. Throughout the night, snow and ice pelted out tent....(Mark Nelson! You suck!) When 4AM rang, it was quiet...a good sign? Maybe, but as I protruded my head from our toasty hovel it was easy to see we were still socked in. Easy call I figured....go back to sleep....forget the summit. Of course the story doesn't end there. At 8:00 I wake up, peek outside and am blinded by this strange orb -the sun! The sky is a cloudless,cobalt blue, winds are calm, and Mt. Adams north face, in all its glory taunts me with its seemingly close proximity. It's picture postcard view, and in the end, made the whole thing worth it. Of course, prideful climber that I am, despite the knowledge deep down that we've missed our boat for the early alpine start, I ask Mark..."Whaddaya think?" After some mulling over, we move at a snail's pace to make breakfast, filter water, and pack up for at least an exploration of the north ridge. So, at the pathetic hour of 9:00, we trudge out of camp and make way for North Ridge. The views of Rainier, St. Helens, and Goat Rocks off in the distance are stunning. And after an hour or so we reached the base of the cleaver. Mark, being a fairly novice climber,was content to call it a day at that point....of course to me, the climb was just getting interesting! But, in respect of the time of day and my climbing partners, I knew it was not meant for me to go solo on up the ridge, and after some scrambling up to scout the route for next time, I did what for me is a very hard thing -turned around. The mountain will be there, and I (we?) will be back.... Out of curiosity, for those of you that have climbed it....it seemed to me that at least initially the route crawls up along the climber's left of first gendarmes, and I did that, but I know it's been pointed out that the route bears west (climber's right)around most obstacles....that was interesting to me, because, at least lower down, it seems like the easiest approaches were on the left....any thoughts on that for next time? The descent was uneventful, but extremely scenic. Dean's heels survived the march back to the car, no doubt motivated by the cold beers waiting for us there. Thanks guys for a great adventure....we'll get it right next time! Here's a few photos: Our lovely camp site! Close to my 'high point'...argh! Gear Notes: ice axe, cramp ons just in case, helmet a must- lots of loose rocks -big ones! Approach Notes: Killen Creek trailhead...road washed out half mile before it...passable for trucks with high clearance.