Lassen / Shasta Conditions Anyone?

[meter-man]

I'll be heading up to Shasta this w/e for a single day, either Saturday or Sunday. Looks like the weather might be more stable on Sunday, but schedule-wise, Saturday would be better for me. Anybody planning to head out? All my usual partners are mysteriously unavailable (/realized that I'm an insufferable douchebag?).

Not sold yet? I'll bring beer.

I've done Avy Gulch and associated lines 3 times, West Face Gully once, and 85% of Hotlum-Wintun on two consecutive days - yes, it was frustrating.

[claymond]

^^ I should be up there Saturday. Unless conditions at Tioga are way better than I expect and I stay down there for a couple days

[claymond]

Today was great on Shasta. Warm, bluebird and calm. Fast travel conditions on the way up, great snow going down. Well, except Misery Hill.

[Arcsim]

Anyone been to Lassen recently? Heading up with some buddies this weekend to practice rope skills and do some skiing. I've been up there a few times but I've always hiked the main peak from the devastated area lot - I'm wondering how the other side would be right now - any beta? Our main goal is to get onto continuous snow quickly and ski some fun terrain.

[Aenigma]

How's the coverage looking lower down on Shasta? I'm thinking of heading over in a couple weeks (May 8th) but don't really have a plan at the moment.

[AKbruin]

Any info on the Hotlum-Wintun route or Brewer Creek trailhead?

Will be in Ashland tomorrow and plan to do a two-day trip somewhere on Shasta (preferably not Avy Gulch) this week.

[LightRanger]

^^^ Post up what you find. I'll be there in a couple weeks.

[jibmaster]

Squeezed in a trip just in the nick of time to get April.

Attempted to drive to the east side. Lots of trees down on the road.
Tire tracks and trees partially moved with just enough room to squeeze by.
Patches of snow as low as 4500'.
Got stopped by a drift at 5200' where you take a left off of Military Pass Rd.
Didn't see any tire tracks crossing it. It was pretty deep and very soft. I suppose I could have winched
my way through, but by the lack of tire tracks and the amount of trees down, I doubted my success farther up the road.
It would have been several miles of hiking up through the patches of snow.
2.88 miles to Brewer Creek TH, as the crow flies.



I still had time to drive back to Bunny Flat.
Strangely, the south side has more snow down low than the east side this year.

Still snow patches at Bunny Flat. Hiked 5 minutes to just around the corner and skinned up the gully.
Pretty sun cupped in the trees, but was fairly smooth above treeline.





more pics:
https://www.flickr.com/search/?w=117...2029%2C%202015

[LightRanger]

Thanks for the report man. Chainsaw next time?

[AKbruin]

Did Wintun/Hotlum from Brewer Creek on Weds/Thurs. We had to park about 3.5 miles from the actual trailhead. There are a number of downed trees on the road leading to the trailhead, and the last 1.5 mils is mostly snow. Caveat: Don't use Google Maps to guide you to the trailhead from the north. It cost us about 3 hours of getting stuck and unstuck and turned around in random logging roads. Just take 19 from McCloud and use the Brewer Creek signs.

Anyhow, conditions were good. We camped at about 10,000' where most people seem to camp. We got corn from about the top of Wintun to the densely forested area above the actual trailhead. There were areas of wind-affected crap snow, but they were easy enough to avoid.

On to the crappy iPhone pics:















Oh, and the trails in Ashland are in the best condition I've ever seen. So tacky and fun. I love Downieville, but it's a festering dungheap compared to Ashland. We also rode the Entertainer and some other trails around Shasta. They were fun but dusty.

[Dantheman]

We also rode the Entertainer and some other trails around Shasta. They were fun but dusty.

Shasta trails dusty? Unpossible!

[AKbruin]

Shasta trails dusty? Unpossible!

We'd heard that it was in relatively great shape because it was early in the season, but it felt like Northstar in late-August. Still fun though. But Ashland was so, so nice. (It always is.) I need to apply for a faculty position in the English department of Southern Oregon University.

[jibmaster]

Doing a search for recent photos of Shasta on Flickr, I found this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/406262...so2hCH-skJgpC/

[Dantheman]

We'd heard that it was in relatively great shape because it was early in the season, but it felt like Northstar in late-August. Still fun though. But Ashland was so, so nice. (It always is.) I need to apply for a faculty position in the English department of Southern Oregon University.

The on-mountain Shasta trails seem to have no real equal when it comes to ridiculous moon dust, maybe Mammoth but I haven't ridden there. Two summers ago the wife and I rode the Sisson-Callahan trail and that was awesome. Super scenic climb, huge descent and no moon dust. Only regret was not going all the way to the summit of Eddy. Highly recommended.

[jimw]

To AKBruin:

Shasta sucks, Ashland sucks, and you suck!



Nice work. I pretty much agree about the Ashland/Dville comparison; though I love both I can't get enough of Ashland. I assume Time Warp is accessible now?

Pretty much the only time the Shasta trails aren't dusty is right after rain/snow. Which is when I rode them last, and they were great then, but it was almost weird to ride there with actual traction. Otherwise I think they're still fun in a "good practice for loose conditions" sorta way.

jibmaster that's an awesome aerial shot of Shasta!!

[Mr. Toad]

7000' of corn.

[Incalescent]

Too early / cold for north facing turns above 11,000', FYI. Sounds like south side is prime, though social.

[AKbruin]

Too early / cold for north facing turns above 11,000', FYI. Sounds like south side is prime, though social.

Last week, I was scoping out the northeastern chutes off of Shastina above Whitney. I think they and a northside descent may be next year's goal.

[meter-man]

Last week, I was scoping out the northeastern chutes off of Shastina above Whitney. I think they and a northside descent may be next year's goal.

A buddy (that's telek, incalescent) skied angel wings (off Shastina's north side) on Friday and reported excellent conditions.

[chlavenka1]

Clear Creek was hit or miss Sunday. Sastrugi at top, almost suncupping in middle and need to connect things in the bottom. Mile or so hike from trailhead to snow.

[jibmaster]

Headed to North Gate.
Some patches of snow 5 minutes up the trail.
Continuous snow 2 miles later at 8000'.



The North Gate Chutes were looking good.
Gotta come back for those lines.


Tried to go light by not bringing crampons.
Dumb idea.
Didn't get very far with just my skins.
Everything was very firm.

Hopefully, the North Gate Chutes hold.
Gotta go back!

More pics
https://www.flickr.com/search/?w=117...%205%2C%202015

[christoph benells]

hit the main trinity chute yesterday, lots of tracks and bootprints all over that side of the mountain. best corn snow down lower, terrible skiing on misery hill...trinity chute was average snow condition.

[Incalescent]

Should anyone be heading to the north side routes this weekend, here's a little beta, based on our trip up and down the Bolam Gully last weekend. Bring a 2nd axe or whippit.

http://goldenincalescent.blogspot.co...lly-climb.html

[AKbruin]

Nice. ^^^

That sounds like my standard Avy Gulch Trip: Firm to scary-firm snow (or wind-textured crap) about 11k, 500-800k of corn above Lake Helen, and nice corn turning to goop to Bunny Flat. As far as I'm concerned, anybody who gets more than 4,000k of good snow on Shasta in the spring has had a wildly successful trip.

[Lone Star]

Coverage on Lassen today was almost identical to Memorial Day weekend last year....but no open ponds to skim. N-E facing was silky delight!! smooth from a couple inches and wind from Friday. the SWish face of Lassen overlooking the parking lot is a few sunny warm days from being bare-- but it looks to be cold and possibly snowy this week!