Mt. Shasta, Crater Lake and Coastal Redwoods: July 2010
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:47 pm
Went on a little road trip last week. Tried to climb Mt. Shasta via Avalanche Gulch but I only made it as far as Helen Lake. I lost my motivation and just turned around. I was so sleepy and even took an hour long nap up there but I was still out of it. It was a perfectly clear day so the solar radiation was intense at Helen Lake, which was surrounded by like 270° of snow. It was like being in the center of a skin cancer parabolic reflector.
Snow conditions were pretty ugly. Everything was severely sun-cupped so it was like walking in an endless field of potholes. To be honest, the route was rather boring. It was low angle all the way up to Helen Lake and I didn't even use my ice axe once. Oh well, I wasn't that disappointed. Maybe I've burned out on this mountaineering stuff because I had more fun driving scenic highways and taking pictures. Driving Hwy 299 from Redding to Burney in the afternoon was really nice!
Snow conditions were pretty ugly. Everything was severely sun-cupped so it was like walking in an endless field of potholes. To be honest, the route was rather boring. It was low angle all the way up to Helen Lake and I didn't even use my ice axe once. Oh well, I wasn't that disappointed. Maybe I've burned out on this mountaineering stuff because I had more fun driving scenic highways and taking pictures. Driving Hwy 299 from Redding to Burney in the afternoon was really nice!
