Mt. Shasta Report

 

Ascending to the Thumb via Red Banks

On the weekend of July 5-6, two rangers ascended Avalanche Gulch. Continuous snow travel began above treeline and ended a couple hundred feet below the Thumb. Above the Thumb, the route is primarily on dry ground except for the summit plateau. A small section of the Summit Pinnacle and the main gully on Short Hill also held snow. 

The backside of the Red Banks above the Konwakiton Glacier was still passable but has melted significantly. Snow bridges, weak snow strips, an opening moat adjacent to the rock and the steeper slopes above the glacier are the main obstacles to navigate here. You can avoid this section by ascending through a small "notch" in the rock nearest to the Thumb. 

Below the Red Banks, the main objective hazard in late season is rockfall, including human and naturally triggered. At this point, Clear Creek is a safer and the recommended choice to manage the rockfall hazard.

Route through the backside of the Red Banks

Remaining snow near the Thumb

Collecting gas samples from the summit fumarole.  Yes, Shasta is active enough that there is heat from the deep magma pool that exits all the way up to near the summit!  The chemical content of those samples will tell the scientists more than a bit about what is going on deep below.

Looking down Avalanche Gulch from near The Heart.  Somewhere on or near that horizon to the left is my house.  I can look right up the gulch from my back yard, although this is certainly a more dramatic view.

Finally, looking south at Mt. Shasta from Soda Mountain, in Oregon.  Very Middle Earth - The lonely mountain.  Hope there's no dragon!