Mt Shasta in May

Check local reports before you go for avalanche dangers, a lot will change between now and then. Climbing with board shorts and thermals is doable if it’s not bad weather and it will be hot enough with the sun. You will want some almost knee high waterproof gaiters though. You will want at least rain pants if it’s storming and maybe bring a pair of bibs and decide at the truck if you want to bring them.

If this is your first time, I would get there a day or 2 early and day hike around and dial in your system before you head up.

Lots of people ski down, I wouldn’t suggest it unless you do black diamond runs with ease, atleast by yourself and your first time. Just my opinion.

It will depend on what the snow pack is like at that point, I guess.  I’ve done it a couple of times in June, and as I recall, we glissaded down Avalanche Gulch, from the top of Red Banks down to Lake Helen, which definitely saved a lot of time.  I think we may have done glissading below there as well.  But that was a long time back, when the snow pack was much heavier than in recent years.   I think the snow extended down to the cabin (Horse Camp?) both times.

Can snowboarding be done on surfaces not steep enough to glissade on?  If not, no reason to lug a snowboard up, but maybe you really want the snowboarding experience.  I’m assuming you’ll have an ice axe on the way up; I would not glissade down without having one to brake/self arrest.

I wore nylon pants with polypro longjohns, and the pants got abraded in the seat; if glissading, you’ll want something not too fragile to protect your butt.

The technical difficulty of a run down wouldn’t be an issue since I’m very experienced on double black diamonds and have done the EX double blacks at Breckenridge. Most likely leaving OC, California around 2pm on a Friday. Start Saturday and be back down to my car Sunday around 4pm would be great but we all know that’s if everything went perfect. I’m trying to make this a 14er trip and come back down to the sierras and bag some 14ers.

The Fifth Season in Mt. Shasta is a good source for conditions info:

http://thefifthseason.com/

Also they rent crampons, ice axes, etc. if you don’t have your own.

I’d want some sort of windpants to go over your shorts and thermals . The wind can howl up there – and usually does.

Probably going to get my own crampons since I’m trying to climb other 14ers on the way down. Anyone have experience with the Salomon alp carbon gtx boots? They seem lightweight and would work with strap on crampons. I don’t plan to climb vertical so I don’t think I’ll need full on mountaineering boots.

Mike

You do not see which route you plan to ski down. You do see ski mountaineers and folks with split boards on the mountain. The 5Th Season or some of the Mt Shasta guide outfits could probably give you tips. The local BackCountry Rangers are also very helpful. Unlike your ski resort, the slopes can be very icy with lots of rock fall.

Some people do ascend the mountain with trail runners and blue jeans but I do not recommend it. In May you will need ice axe, crampons and a helmet all of which can be rented. Most of the guide outfits (Shasta Mountain Guides, Sierra Wilderness Seminars) also offer short self rescue training courses for modest cost. Self arrest is not as easy as it looks from watching a YouTube video. There is a web site for avalanche conditions. But in May there is also rock fall, most of the time caused from other climbers. If possible, avoid Memorial Day Weekend when there are way too many people on the Avalanche Gulch route and way too many people at Helen Lake.

unfortunately I will most likely be doing it that weekend ?

Helen lake gets crowded fast. Not sure if it’s changed but pretty sure you have to pack out your human waste. Their is no privacy either. That is the worst weekend of the year probably to climb shasta, maybe switch the direction of your trip and do shasta later or earlier to avoid the people?

Human waste shouldn’t be too bad, done it for Whitney in the past. The peaks I want to hit after Shasta were White Mountain peak, Split mountain, Tyndall, Williamson, Russell, Whitney, Muir, and Langley. Just not sure how the snowpack will be when doing those in the Sierras. Last May when doing the Rae Lakes loop the snowline was at 9,500.

+1 to what Jeff said.
You do need to pack out your waste. There are disposal bins at the trailhead. You can get the waste disposal bag at the hut at the Bunny Flat parking lot. You also MUST get a permit to ascend Mt Shasta even for a day trip. The Rangers check. Not to mention the permits give them data to track usage and manage of the mountain wilderness.

Don’t have any issue packing out the waste. I thought a permit was needed if going higher than 10,000ft.

Maybe have a plan to go either direction and then with a week left, look over the conditions and choose. It’s not the end of the world to hike it that weekend but by tons of people I would venture it will easily be over 125. You will have to Alpine start and even then you will probably deal with sharing the trail. The view will still be great no matter the people though, well, as long as mother nature cooperates  :)