Shasta circumnavigation?

[lisa r]

Or I guess I should say, circumambulation…

Anyhoo, I’m curious if anyone has done this, particularly in recent years. I have some info in a backpacking book and have a found a single trip report from 2013. It’s surprising to not find more trip reports or even references to people doing this. I’m wondering if it’s simply not on people’s radars or does it suck and that’s why no one is doing it?

If anyone has done it and has insights to share, I’d love to hear if this is worthwhile outing. If anyone has done it in recent years, I’m curious about water availability. If I do it this year it’ll probably be in earlyish June, assuming snow is gone (don’t want to bring ice axe) or maybe mid-to-late July, though it seems like it might be kind of hot and dry by then…

Thanks!

[Bruce Tolley]

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.

[Rex Sanders]

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

[Paul Morton]

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.

[Author]

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