Shasta circumnavigation?

I was looking at doing it about 15 years ago.

Perhaps I found the same report as you did…. but never got beyond looking at maps.

I think you want to do it early enough to have access to flowing streams. I don’t recall thinking it was going to be technical and needing an ice axe.

Circumnavigating a massive Cascade Range volcano sounds familiar …

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderland_Trail
https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/the-wonderland-trail.htm

Expect lots of up and down.

June high temperatures around Mount Shasta can be toasty, yet lows are often near freezing. Depends on your route elevation. Plus Shasta is infamous for creating it’s own weather that can change hour by hour. Roasting at 11, snowing at noon, roasting at 1. BTDT at Helen Lake – as high as I ever got thanks to AMS.

Historical data here, not sure of the elevation:
https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=mfr

Snow levels on the mountain are going through the same wild swings as other California mountains. This year probably not much snow in June, unless miracles. Mt. Shasta SkiPark closed for the season on March 12 – about a month earlier than last year.

— Rex

Hello,

I have also thought long and hard about doing a circumnavigation. Mt Shasta comes into my living room every sunrise when clear. Last year on the North side of the mountain was a pretty intense fire above Hwy 97. That area will be some difficult walking unless you drop down and follow the railroad tracks. I was thinking of using the forest service and timber land roads in a counter clockwise direction. If memory serves correctly this is around 5 to 7000 ft. elevation. I believe water will not be a problem most of the way but the north side could have less water. Your early June departure looks good from my living room window as of now. I expect another smokey summer this year as our winter wasn’t much at all.