Monday, May 27, 2013

Mt Shasta bid May-2013

Quick report and photo link from a bid to summit Mt Shasta this weekend. Frank Mungeam and I drove to the sunnier state south on Friday with intention to climb the Hotlum-Bolum route on the north side. Car camped in luxury at the 7000' north gate TH that eve, and packed up to high camp at 9000' on Sat.  Weather moved from CAVU cloud free Sat morning to thru a series of declining stages until we decided Sun at 7am after a few hours of socked-in clouds sort of like heaven only without the view, that our summit bid was off.  

Most dramatic was the show from 5-9pm Sat as we set high camp with repeated snow/sleet squalls separated by long views to Diamond peak and Klamath Lake, dramatic clouds, thunder close enough to touch. We encountered approx 8 other teams, all with the same outcome, the highest reported he got to 12000' before wind knocked him off.