Climbing Mt. Shasta is not as easy as one might think, especially when there is no snow. I went on this trip with a twofold mission: one is to find out why does my friend, Mark Tanaka (his write up and images), keeps coming back to Mt. Shasta every year. Indeed, this would be his 9th year of climbing Mt. Shasta. And two, I wanted to document Mt. Shasta with my own sweat and experience.
During our drive to Shasta, Mark revealed his secret and love for Mt. Shasta, “I like the challenge that the mountain has to offer and the fact that it takes less than 5 hours to get there.” At the beginning of September, Clear Creek trail was our only option. Other trails like Avalanche Gulch and Misery Hill are too dangerous due to lack of snow coverage and loose volcanic talus. Clear Creek starts at 6,480 ft and summit at about 14,162 ft with the overall distance of 6 miles.
The first day was all about carrying the heavy backpack up to the camp site which is about 2.5 miles from the trail head with 2,500 ft elevation gain. The reason most backpackers stop there for the creek allows everyone to refill, refresh and get ready for the next day challenge. At the end of the day, there were at least 30 people showed up at the campsite, which was more than what we have expected. We struck up an acquaintance with 3 groups nearby and during dinner, we shared and planned our strategy for the next day. Despite our climbing background and experience, we all shared the same goal – make it to the summit.
With the aid of bright and nearly full moon at 4am, we left our campground behind for the summit. The air got thinner and thinner as the elevation increased, and on top of that the wind was hauling with dirt and sand at 30mph made it very hard to breath. At some point we encountered 45-55 percent grade on loose scree so every step forward was half a step back.
Climbing on Mt. Shasta without snow definitely makes it more challenging for both on the way up as well as going down. All and all, Mt Shasta been my best hike and most rewarding experience. The companionship, the weather and the beauty of mother nature had made my journey even better. In conclusion, do not let the hiker in front of you and the terrain bring you down, finish what you started.
