Elevation: 14,180 feet
Day# 1: Prep , Hike to Base Camp( Clear Creek)
Day# 2: Skills Day ( Self Arrest, Snow Anchors, Glissading Practice)
Day# 3: Summit Attempt via Clear Creek Route (originally planned via Avalanche Gulch but per Guides there was heavy rock fall on this route)
Didn’t quite summit due to Time restraints ; made it to 13, 380 ft ( 800 vertical feet short of summit ,however per Guides there was a hard deadline of 10 am summit and we were not going to make it in time so we turned back. Next time, Mount Shasta!
Video :
I was nervous leading up to Shasta. Thoughts of can I do it? , – What will I forget?, what do I need to bring? laden my head like the rocks I would be trekking over as I prepared for this week.
Between two dental appointments and work I felt all my spare time was being siphoned into packing for this trip.
Thursday eve I was packed and ready to go! Just as I finished packing, around 10:30 pm, I got a knock at my door. Not expecting anyone that late, Donna answered it – it was Sylvain from Scottish Dancing with a card from everyone at Scottish Dancing wishing me good luck up Shasta and a CD of Scottish dancing music !
It was very sweet – I thanked him in my pyjamas with sleepy bears all over them and popped the card where I would see it on my return, thinking I might need this pep talk on my return. I headed to bed trying to shake off the discomfort that I would be climbing up Mount Shasta in less than 48 hrs in very hot weather with a 30+ pound pack.
I didn’t sleep well and bolted awake when my alarm went off at 5:30 am, before sleepily brushing my teeth in anticipation of my early 7am departure to Coliseum Bart to meet Leonel. We detoured to get gas and then headed back to Gemma and Leonel’s to collect Gemma who was on a call and to head out.
Gemma was ready by 11 am and after some hustle and bustle we headed out to Shasta , stopping multiple times for gas and quick packed lunch outside a Sacramento gas station (where I was finally able to get a mini hand sanitiser). I watched the air ripple with heat as we quickly ate our sandwiches.
Onwards to Shasta! I had a mixture of nerves and excitement, but mostly I wanted to repack my bag which was about 10 lbs over my goal with unnecessary items – why did I decide to bring camp shoes and 3 extra shirts?
ARRIVAL TO SHASTA
We checked into the LODG inn . LOGE is an outdoor brand in the hospitality space with hotels in Shasta – encouraging people to explore , creating community and opening the outdoors to everyone. The hammock in the room and outdoor adventure journals in the room were a welcoming touch – I could feel the sense of adventure in the air . Or perhaps that was the air conditioning. The air conditioning was a welcome break from the 80 degree heat in the town.
After checking in, we went to pick up our boots at 5th season. I bit my lip trying on boot after foot, trying to find my Cinderella fit, knowing I would be glued in this stranger’s boots for 4 days. I eyed up the weary trim, these boots had obviously made it up Shasta before and the eyelets looked back at me “ pick me”.
It seemed pertinent to find a good fit. Nothing was 100% but we had to make a decision.
I decided bigger was better than smaller. I watched as Gemma and Leonel seemed to slip into boots with ease.
After renting boots, we went out for dinner at Crave, a local Mexican restaurant serving Mexican food and BBQ dishes in Shasta.
I settled on 3 bean tacos and rice and salad and Gemma and Leonel had chicken and nachos and peach pie (Gemma really liked the peach pie). As it was 24 hrs before starting our trek, I reluctantly started taking Diamox fearing altitude sickness. I was hemming and hawing over it but decided to just take it and put the decision behind me. At least I would know.
I didn’t notice any difference until it hit me towards the end of dinner. I took a sip of Gemma’s lacroix and did a double take – it tasted like battery acid , a known side effect of diamox. ( I couldn’t help thinking if it was doing that to my tastebuds what was it doing to my kidneys?) . I was vaguely familiar with the diuretic effects. Diamox has diuretic effects, a “water pill”. It reduces the activity of a protein called carbonic anhydrase. By blocking this protein, it helps reduce the build- up of certain fluids in the body. It is used often in patients with heart disease. I couldn’t help thinking – is this what it is like for them? I started thinking of all the patients on daily diuretics, I couldn’t picture taking this long term and it helped me to appreciate my health (and empathy for those with failing health)
My hands and feet were also tingling a lot at this point and I started hearing ringing in my ears. I thought it can’t get worse, but it did. I tried to ignore it , focusing on making easy conversation in the heat . My feet pulsed with Diamox tingles as I spoke.
We returned “ home” to the lodge by 8pm – I repacked a little to try to remove unnecessary items from my pack , removing a good 5 lbs of extra clothes and also my camp shoes ( a decision I regretted).
My pack ended up weighing 37 lbs . Gemma’s was 30 lbs and Leonel’s 45 lb. I watched as Leonel eyed his pack judiciously. After final chats and night time chatter, we headed to bed early ,ready to meet the guides outside at Lodge at 9:30 am .
PREPARATION and DAY 1
I slept pretty well. After getting up around 7:30 am and fruit and eggs at a restaurant down the road, around 9:25 am we headed down to the grassy knoll and met the guides- Ethan and Pat and Shane- who were busy unpacking and laying out equipment tents, crampons, ice axes on tarps dotted around the lawn. . We met the 3 Cambodian brothers and Davy who were on our trip as well. Davy was doing the trip as a 50th birthday celebration from his wife. We did a gear check , running down the list – down puffs, sleep system, crampons, ice ax, boots , hats gloves etc. Half of the items I didn’t use – but I was happy I took an extra pair of pants .
This took time. After a bit of faffing back and forth with supplies, we got a bit of a late start- finally around 11:30am , we drove to trail head, A quick snap of a group photo per my request and we started hiking around 12:30pm. It was hot. I watched flies lazily buzz in the heat. I didn’t particularly feel psyched for the trek but put that down to a combination of nerves and Diamox ( I had already peed 5 times at this point and felt pretty confident I wouldn’t need to pee for a while- wrong).
The Shasta -Trinity National Forest sits astride four major geographic and botanic regions: the Coast Range, Cascade Mountains, High Desert and the Central Valley, each region with it’s own specific plant life. It was a little too late for wild flowers, but a few Indian Pink , Indian Paintbrush, Leopard Lily and possibly wild ginger dotted the otherwise brown and green landscape.
It was a solid yet gentle climb with no reprieve. After 4 hours of uphill hiking,the welcoming trickle of water came before I saw the stream – we whooped with joy as we arrived at the dispersed camping site by a stream ( Clear Creek Meadows at 8400 ft ).
The snow covered the ground as I scanned the creek for plants. One of the most unusual plants on Shasta-Trinity is the Cobra Plant. It thrives alongside water. It is called the Cobra Plant because of the way the hood recurves and the flags hang down from the opening. Similar to a venus fly trap, it attracts insects into the opening and down the stem (where stiff, downward-growing hairs prevent the insects from climbing back up and they eventually drown, giving nutrients to the Cobra Plant).
As our guides sorted our kitchen camp location , the rest of us went to fill up water bottles to prepare for setting up camp. The water was crystal clear and we were high enough we did not need to filter it. While I waited my turn I looked lazily to the sky, no big birds but a small flock of mountain chickadee’s were moving from tree to tree in the distance “ chick-a-dee-dee-dee” . I drank thirstily, the water tasted fresh.
Once our guides gave the okay for camp I snuffled around the trees trying to find a place that was shaded enough – I settled in between two trees, it was a squeeze but most crucially, relatively flat.
Gemma and Leonel found a campsite that was a little larger, also under some trees.
We got settled – time flew by as I organized what I would need tomorrow and then the next day for the summit day. Tomorrow was “skills day” , where we would refresh some essential skills for the climb. On Saturday we would push for summit. Finally packed after 4pm , at 5 pm we met the guides up for dinner (veggie curry and cookies ) . Everything tastes better in the mountains – the juxtaposition of hot food in the setting of nature!
Everyone was in good spirits as we chatted over plans for the big trek. What energy level we would aim for, our training, the weight of our tents and supplies and what we would do at the summit. Ethan gave us a brief recommendation on how to pack – heavy items at bottom and ice ace on the outside , at the ready. After dinner we went to bed , to get ready for a day of snow skills the next day.
July 2nd
Got up at 7am for 8am breakfast call ( english muffin and cream cheese) and then back to tents to sort business ( mountain poops) and then back for snow school at 9:30 am. We sat under a grove of trees, welcome protection from the strong sun. Ethan and Patrick fitted us all for crampons , and reviewed with us the procedure for carrying our ice axe , and how to build snow anchors. Next, we moved a little up the snowy slope first to practice glissading in the snow down a gentle slope and then down a pronounceably inclined slope. After gathering speed we practiced self arresting several times, cheering each other on. It was reminiscent of playing in the playground at school.
After working up an appetite, lunch was a welcome break. No one talked much, just munching under the trees, reserving energy for tomorrow.
We had free time until the evening , most of which was spent under a tree in the shade , most of which I spent chatting to Davy and Gemma and Leonel . At some point I decided to head back for a nap before getting ready to meet the guides for an early 5pm dinner ( mac cheese, walnuts and never ending cookies ) and then it was off to bed as early as possible to prepare for summit day
July 3rd SUMMIT DAY
Dinner was macaroni and cheese and walnuts, I just had a cup but was full – a mixture of pasta and nerves.
I headed back to my tent for an early night after dinner – re- packed and double checked my pack for what I wanted to bring up the summit tomorrow.
It was after 6:30pm, then 7pm, damn diamox, 3 pees later, I told myself at 9pm that I wasn’t allowed to pee until 1am. … My alarm went off at 12:50 am and I jolted myself awake. The first task was to clean my hands and put in contacts. I realised to my great chagrin at the last second that I’d somehow brought 4 left contacts on this trip and had zero right contacts. – not to worry, because there was nothing I could do to change that (stoicism, breath in, breath out) and packed my glasses in-case I needed to change out.
I put 2 left contacts in anyways. I figured that would be less stressful than glasses. The irony struck me and I smiled – 2 left contacts and missing a front tooth , some adventurer am I ! This took 20 minutes with an accidental selfie in the middle as I was using my phone as a mirror ( which was a terrible picture but I can’t bring myself to delete as it captured the moment quite perfectly).
I dressed, put on those gosh darn mountaineering boots again and made it out the tent door in pitch black just before Ethan came round to do final checks at 1 am.
It was 1 am. Time to go. I took a deep breath as I headed fully loaded to the the kitchen where Ethan and Pat were preparing instant oatmeal. The slightly sweet brown sugar smell was both comforting and hostile at 1:20am in the morning. I choked down oatmeal, using wash water to clean my bowl , I couldn’t even drink coffee at that time in the morning. I brushed my teeth, grimacing at the hit that my invisalign trays would take today, and peed for the umpteenth time. At 2 am we were told we had to set out. Gemma and Leonel were still eating breakfast , I was choking down half a blueberry muffin pro bar, followed by a 1.5L of water, a MVI and caffeine pill ( wondering if I’d regret that later).
After a pep talk in which we were told that our big goal was to reach UFO rock by 8am, We set off in the pitch black dark, Ethan in front going at a fair clip, as if to set the pace straight in the beginning. We inched up the hill , step by step, I found it meditative at times , we kept going , crunch crunch crunch. I found myself checking my breathing, checking my energy, checking my mental game – everything was good , so I went into second gear then third then finally up to fourth and fifth gear. I was happy when we stopped at 50 min for a water break – all “working breaks ” – water, eating, sun screen. This would repeat during the day- climbing for 50 minutes and then working break for 10 minutes, a familiar cycle that also became meditative for me.
I took my invisalign out and then it didn’t get put back in that day . It was just too much . I’ve never hiked, eaten and drank with such regiment before. We kept this pace until we hit a snow field where we stopped and put on crampons and short roped. After this stretch it was back to screen and loose rock. Up up and more switch backs . Kept going for hours. The sun rose behind us at 6am , beckoning us forward up the mountain. I felt it was a screen saver behind me , it was there but didn’t have much time to relish/ watch it.
Finally we saw UFO rock just shy of 7:50am . Gemma and Leonel fell back , both were pooping and taking time, I was waiting , Ethan was waiting. He told me the summit was slipping way — I had to make a decision, he would clear me to go with the other group, he told me he was very optimistic I would summit and if I was to go that I should go.
I said I would wait and see what Gemma and Leonel could do. And with that my Shasta summit experience was gone. We were waiting another 15 minutes for them to come around the corner and then we proceeded together up some 3rd class scramble which took 30 min to go 30 ft and Ethan made the call that we had missed the summit. Gemma was surprised, Leonel not so much. It was 9:30am.
We decided to down climb rather than pushing forward to nothing as summit was out of reach at this point. Slowly slowly we made our way down, short roping for part of the down climb through the class 3 scramble, then off rope and constant down hill for hours. When we hit the snow fields we glissaded down , it felt scary at first and then I felt my control was good and I was able to glissade confidently and that was worth it. We glissaded down 3 more slopes , cautiously gaining speed as my skill at stopping grew , and reached camp by 1:30pm where Pat greeted us with beautiful cold stream water.
We had an hour to pack up and break camp. I needed to lie on my sleeping pad for a little while, my back was struggling. I was struggling. I packed slowly one item at a time. Around 3pm we made it past the stream for the last time and down down down with Pat , following a dubious path through sticks and logs and forest brackery until we reached Clear Creek Trail Head.
Upon seeing the potties we deposited our poop bags. I was horrified to find an ant in my poop bag, it must have been in there overnight flailing round in my poop. I released it , feeling sad it would not find it’s territory. ( Ants are highly territorial ; colonies identify members within their colony with a distinct colony scent and any ant that doesn’t carry that scent is considered an enemy , releasing an ant outside it’s territory is almost certain death for the ant ).
We headed back the last mile to the car, tired and hot and imagining what it would be like to get out of these mountaineering boots. Finally made it there by 6pm, checked out gear, said good bye to Ethan and Pat and then headed back into Shasta to hotel, shower and dinner.
I wasn’t feeling well so I hung back at the hotel while Gemma and Leonel dinner’d in Sparky’s , I lost my retainer, I didn’t know where my charger was , I was exhausted and all I wanted to do was shower and sleep, and was too tired to figure out what to do first. Even shoes felt weird as my feet adapted to being out of mountaineering boots.
I’m very surprised I did not get blisters!! Genuinely, actually surprised, I guess silk liners are a good method for me to use going forward.
I was disappointed to not summit . But as myself, Gemma and Leonel laughed and joked and told stories and shared experiences on the way down I realized with striking clarity I made the right decision.
The mountain would always be there. The moments we shared would not – these moments were fleeting , beautiful , the shared burden of toil and words of encouragement along the way.
I wouldn’t change the team experience, the struggles and joys and the companionship shared for anything.
Years from now , I’ll be able to reach out to Gemma and Leonel – remember Shasta? Remember that Sunrise and Short Roping ? Sometimes (most of the time) life is better shared.
I had lost Shasta but gained a bunch of lifetime memories.
In the words of Elie Wiesel “ Friendship marks a life sometimes even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing ” .
The importance of good friendship. Placing people over objects. Being comfortable letting something go to gain something else. This was my lesson from Shasta. A few months later, I’ve already been invited back by another friend to try again for Shasta , the mountain will always be there!
hollypeppercorn 