Hike Mt. Shasta

2024 started with clear sky and fresh snow. We have had several small weather systems swing through the area but the temperatures haven’t dropped enough to really deliver the snow like we want. It has brought rain and that means that there is still new snow on the higher mountains. Mount Shasta in particular has been the recipient of a lot of snow above 6,000 feet. This means that the conditions are getting good for the morning and evening light on the fresh, icy conditions. That means I need to get out when I can to see how it looks. New Year’s Day presented one such opportunity.

Sunrise was quiet and cold but the mountain was radiant. It was an odd sunrise, with the light starting off very muted but as the sun rise it cleared some obstacle in the distant east and Mount Shasta finally erupted in vivid light. When there are no clouds in the sky, the only really good places to be for sunrise is on the south and east sides of the mountain. There aren’t a ton of places with good views from those angles that aren’t time consuming to get to, when you are still groggy and don’t have a lot of time before the light hits. Fortunately, I got to a good one and could see the frozen crags burst with color.

Sunset presented the opposite challenge. There are plenty of good places to see the mountain on the west side. However, getting to one in the midst of all the activity of New Year’s Day wasn’t easy. I was able to time things so that I was heading into town as the sun was setting and so was able to stop and capture the light rising off the mountain. The color didn’t last long though and the soon it was gone altogether. My trip had been well-timed.

One interesting feature was the abundance of ski trails visible to the naked eye on Mount Shasta. The weather has not dropped enough snow at the ski park to get things going there but has left plenty of backcountry skiers and they have taken full advantage of the opportunity afforded them. Tracks from ascending climbers and glissade chutes are also evident. Avalanche Gulch looks like it has been well enjoyed.