Hike Mt. Shasta

Mount Shasta on 16July2013.

Like so many other places in the western United States, the Mount Shasta area had a fairly light winter in terms of snow fall. Last winter was below average but still significantly heavier than it was this year. However, the two winters prior to that, in 2011 ans 2010 were both extremely heavy winters. Both of them boasted large storms that dropped copious amounts of snow. The storm of 2010 in particular was both heavy and wet. The result was the downing of several trees which consequently knocked the power out for the entire community for days. Before these storms the winter of 2009 was a bit below average, though the two prior to that were well below. The weather is remarkably volatile from one year to the next. As a resident, it is nice to have mild weather in terms of snow removal as well as early springs, which means we can get up into the high country sooner. This year things were accessible in May. A couple of years ago, it was not until around the 4th of July that we first got up to the crest of the Trinity Divide. Still, for the overall health of the region, after a couple light winters, one must feel some urgency for an average or heavy winter.

I put together a few time lapse videos of Mount Shasta from the last few years. They are all dated from July 15th. The difference in snow level is stunning.

2010

2011

2012

2013

This year certainly is low, but there have been lower years. The winter of 2007 was lower and was then followed a couple years later by epic winters. The climate is always in flux and snow levels have always fluctuated from year to year. At some point the pendulum will swing the other way and we will have another epic storm and another winter with heavy snowfall. This year though, get out now if you want a chance to hike with any snow on the ground on Mount Shasta. Of course, you could always head to the mountain’s north and east side where the glaciers are growing…