Trip Report

Avalanche Gulch

7000 Vertical Feet of California Backcountry Skiing—in July

Avalanche Gulch dominates the southern face of 14,162-foot Mount Shasta. Despite its ominous name, the bowl-shaped gulch (also known as the John Muir Route) is by far the most popular climbing path to the summit.

Reflections

MOUNT SHASTA, CALIFORNIA — More than any other mountain I have known, the experience of climbing Shasta cannot easily be described.

Yes, Mount Shasta is big and certainly it is spectacular and beautiful.

But there is something more about this mountain, something that can only be felt in person—something that makes poets and skeptics alike reach for words that just aren't there.

High Winds over Shasta

Heading Up

The Trinity Chutes

Mount Shasta draws vast numbers of people to its broad flanks every year.

Hikers will find spectacular vistas. Climbers will find many of North America's great alpine routes. Pilgrims and energy-seekers will find a great spiritual center.

And backcountry skiers may blend all of the above at their choosing as they discover immense, sweeping lines that redefine the boundaries of our sport.

Avalanche Gulch, also known as the Traditional or John Muir Route, is by far the most traveled route on Mount Shasta.

The paved and plowed Everitt Memorial Highway takes hundreds of visitors daily to the Bunny Flat Trailhead, elevation 6929', from which many will strap on crampons and ice axe for the first time ever on their way—hopefully—to Shasta's lofty 14,162' summit.

Backcountry Skiing guidebooks generally advise against descending Avalanche Gulch, in favor of the mountain's north-facing lines, such as the Hotlum-Wintun Ridge.

True, Avalanche Gulch can be outrageously crowded, and the Gulch's southwestern aspects are often plagued with rotten, sun-cupped snow, especially as the season wears on into Summer.

But to avoid Avalanche Gulch entirely is to miss one of the great North American climbs.

And a 7200 vertical foot ski descent isn't a bad way to cap it all off—particularly when you're surrounded by poor souls who have to walk all the way down.

Avalanche Gulch also features some of the most interesting skiable terrain on the mountain, including the steep Trinity Chutes, the striking Casaval and Sergeant's Ridges, and countless variations between.

On your journey to the summit you'll pass numerous famous landmarks, including Horse Camp and the Sierra Club Hut, Lake Helen, The Red Banks, Thumb Rock, and of the course the legendary Misery Hill. If that's not enough, the sheer majesty of Shasta (second highest mountain in the Cascades, but arguably the biggest) can overwhelm the senses, painting a smile upon your face that just might never go away.

next: Bunny Flat Adventures »