One Down, Five To Go

We Got It !!!
(click on the photos to enlarge)

This summer, Dave Eastwood (my climbing compadre),and I are on a mission to climb six of California's 14,000 ft peaks, intermixed with our backpacking trek of the 185 mile Tahoe- Yosemite Trail with our wives. Most of the peaks are down in the southern Sierra but our first is Mount Shasta. Three weeks ago, Dave (Easty, as he will be known from now on) were able to get away from work for a day. We shot up to Shasta City for a midweek shot at the mountain but on that day Mother Nature shook her finger at us and said "Sorry, not today". Easty and I made it to nearly 13'000 feet, just above Red Banks, hiking in whiteout conditions for a lot of the time. It was hard to turn around since we were both feeling really strong. However, with only about 15 feet of visibility, we both knew that it was the smart thing to do.

So, on Tuesday the 23rd , we headed back to Shasta . We had both been watching the weather and it was looking great.

Sure enough, as we got closer to the mountain and could get a good shot of it from the car, we became more and more excited. We knew we had our work cut out for us. Shasta is one big mountain, and STEEP, but we knew that this time we had a real

good chance of standing on the summit. Now, we couldn't drive there fast enough.

We checked into out motel and headed down the street for an early dinner then to the natural foods market for some last minute snacks and then back to the room for an early 'lights out'.

Wednesday morning, the alarm went off at 2 AM. The sky was clear and the air was still. It was perfect for our alpine start. After quick breakfast of pop-tarts and a banana and we were off to the trailhead. Some final gear adjustments and and it was time to start the climb, leaving Bunny Flat at 3 AM. We both kept commenting how quiet it was. The sky was so clear and the stars were brilliant. The Milky Way was spread out overhead as far as we could see. What a great morning. As we made our trek up the mountain, we were amazed how much snow had melted since we were last here, only three weeks ago. Working our way up one of the drainages, it was nice to be carrying such light packs. The heaviest part of our load consisted of four liters of water supplemented with various Hammer products. The Easty 'Palisade' pack (the summit pack that Easty has been developing and making) that I was carrying is so comfortably I forget that I am even wearing it. Making good time we got to Helen Lake and were headed the steep slope of Avalanche Gulch well before the sun was hitting this side of the mountain. Pausing for a minute to look back down on the tents at Helen Lake we took some photos of the enormous shadow that Mount Shasta was casting on the landscape behind us. What a sight!

Easty and I continued to climb our way up the steep slope

s through one of the chimneys of Red Banks. After gaining the upper slopes above Red

Banks we were greeted by the warming rays of the sun. At nearly 13'000 ft, the air was quite cold and the warmth of the sun was much welcomed. Easty was so excited to get to the top he practically flew up "Misery Hill" and was on his way across the summit plateau toward the southwest face of the summit pinnacle. The wind had, for the first time, began to blow.

Walking across the summit snowfield, I stopped for a minute to look towards the now visible crater of Shastina and the Whitney Glacier (the longest glacier in California). I also caught a glimpse of some bubbling sulfur vents, reminding me that Shasta is indeed a volcano.

I continued my ascent up the final portion of the climb to join Easty who is now on the summit

pinnacle. As I round the summit's northwest side I am blasted by a fierce, howling wind that was threatening to knock me off my feet ( it was upwards of 70 mph). Easty had taken his self portrait and had found a slightly protected area behind a small rock outcropping just below the summit. Not wanting to literally be blown off the mountain, I got down on my hands and knees and crawled with my ice axe to the tiny summit for my self portrait. Its 8:35. Car to summit in 5 1/2 hours, not to shabby for 7,000 ft of elevation gain.

No lingering and taking in the views today. Way to sketchy in this wind. However, we did it. One summit under our belts. We began our long decent down Shasta, back to Bunny Flat and our car.

After nine long, hard hours of climbing we were safely back in "The Rocket" (Eastys black VW GTI ) headed for home. What a trip.

Next stop : the Sierra's (here we come Mt. Williamson)