Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Mt. Shast Trip

I just got back from a great trip on Mt. Shasta. I took some friends and coworkers up Avalanche Gulch on Mt. Shasta this past weekend. The weather was great and the snow conditions were perfect. We were concerned there wasn't going to be enough snow to climb safely, but it just so happened to snow a couple of feet a week before we got there.

Teresa and I met the group at a coffee shop in Mt. Shasta Sat. morning and made sure we were all properly caffeinated. We then made our way over to Shasta Base Camp to pick up the rental gear and get some last minute odds and ends. Mt. Shasta is lucky to have two really nice mountaineering shops in town, Shasta Base Camp and The Fifth Season. After doing a last gear check we made out way to Bunny Flat to start the walk into Horse camp.

The crew at the trailhead


The walk in to Horse Camp was a nice warmup and the views were excellent.

After setting up camp, we got suited up for Snow School. This is my favorite part of the trip because it prepares the group for climbing the mountain and gives them the tools to safely do a trip on their own. It's also nice to see the smiles when someone gets to glissade for the first time. Below is a video of Beth self arresting from an upside down position.







After snow school it we rested and hydrated and ate an early dinner. The afternoon clouds really started to build and a lite rain fell for a couple of hours. Everyone hit the sleeping bags pretty early and tried to get some sleep before the 1 am alarm went off. Some slept better than others, but everyone was ready to go once 2 am rolled around. About a half hour out of Horse Camp we stopped to put crampons on.
There are few skylines better than the sunrising over the Trinity Alps and Klamath Mountain Range. This is the view from above Lake Helen around 11,ooo ft.
Here is another shot of Teresa and I just after the sun started to make an appearance.
About a thousand feet above this picture, I got altitude sickness pretty bad. I decided to call it quits. Teresa kept going to Red Banks, which is the horizon line in the last pic. She did a great job and I am really proud of her. Merritt and Lia continued on to the summit. They were really moving fast and did an amazing job working their way through some pretty technical terrain. Here is a pic looking down Misery hill.


It was a great trip and I wanted to thank Steve, Pat, Lia, Merritt, Beth, Travis, and Teresa for making it so much fun. I also wanted to thank the group for all the pics and video.

Trip Part 2

On the way back to Arcata Travis, Lia, Beth, and myself stopped at Pigeon Point on the Trinity River to camp for the night. My roomate Neil met us out there. The next day Neil and I ran the Pigeon Point run on the Trinity River in our kayaks. It was amazing. The flows were three times higher than I was used to and it was intense. The hydraulics of the river were so chaotic you could never relax and just float. All the rapids were huge with giant waves and macking holes. Neil was in a new kayak for the first time and did a great job negotiating the whirlpools and boils that constantly tried to grab your boat and take it under. I had a graet time and it was a perfect way to end a great weekend.

4 comments:

ngarriso said...

Dear Teresa and Greggy,
Dad and I are so proud of you two dare devils. You are soaring with the Eagles and I want to be just like you when I grow up:)
Just be safe and wear clean undies:) Love you and see you soon:) The Momma

Auntie said...

Hi Teresa and Greg,
Wow what adventures you take, I can't believe the pictures how awesome, I really enjoyed Teresas brothers salmon video too! Your uncle loved your site and wants me to tell you how great your pictures are. Take care and I hope to see you soon.
Auntie

Greg said...

Thanks for the comments guys. Most of the pics came from the other people in the group. But they are great. It's nice to hear from you Auntie. I hope the house remodel is going well. Teresa and I will try to make it down there this summer.

Unknown said...

What an awesome adventure, you guys are truly above the clouds! Keep it up and I look forward to reading more about your exciting excursions.

~k-dogg