My daughter and I are climbing Shasta June 27-29. We're allowing three days, both for altitude acclimatization and because we want some time to mellow out, play in meadows, etc. The current default plan is to go via the Avalanche Gulch route, camping at Horse Camp or 50/50 Flat the first night, Helen Lake the second, then summiting and descending on the third day. This is a pretty minimal mandatory hiking schedule the first two days, with lots of space for side-trips.
Horse Camp I'm imagining to be buggy and possibly crowded on a Sunday. Was thinking about hiking over to Hidden Valley instead for our first night's camp for a bit more solitude and slightly more altitude. Is it worth visiting? We would then have to drop back down to Horse Camp on the second day before resuming our climb up Avalanche Gulch. (I don't think I'm competent or equipped to cut across Casaval Ridge.)
Are there any other excursions or camping areas in the area that anyone could suggest that might give good solitude?
We are almost complete newbies at class 2-3 stuff and snow travel, will be taking a class in self-arrest, etc., the day before we go. What I want to add in terms of side trips is really backpacking, not climbing, although a little scrambling is no big deal.
I guess one option would be to take West Face Gully all the way up, but there doesn't seem to be anyplace great to camp higher up for the second night, and it looks like it might be a little more difficult than Avalanche Gulch.
