As much as I wanted to get a good night's rest for our 3AM wake-up call, I was too excited to sleep. It was probably a mix of elevation, adrenaline and fear. The ranger notified us that just a day prior a man had fallen to his death! Mount Shasta is no joke!
Around 4AM our group was ready and started following the trail of lights up towards the peak.
How awesome to see the shadow pyramid!
June is the most popular time to climb Mt. Shasta. The weather is warmer and less prone to storms yet the snow is still firm enough to climb and hold weight. There were many climbing guides with groups of mostly men, some women, and even one or two kids (how badass)! The guides on Shasta are amazing! Mountain people are the best! Helping each other out, encouraging one another and offering tips. My inexperience showed as I think I had to stop every 2 steps to catch my breath.
Around 8:30AM we finally reached the top of the Red Banks! Yep. It took me 4.5 hours to go maaaaybe a mile. Kingston was a gentleman and stuck by me the entire time!
By Misery Hill I had major thoughts of quitting and heading back down. Our turn back time was 11AM and I was discouraged by how much time and effort it took to reach the top of the Red Banks. Instead I took it step by step. I chanted mantras to help with my breathing and I took my time. Before long, we reached the top of Misery Hill!
The group in red greeted us at the top then pointed out the peak. Hallelujah! Within reach!
The final stretch wasn't bad! The switchbacks to the top were well carved by people who had come before us.
And then finally...
WE MADE IT!! The Summit Seven!
At the top, another hiker pointed out that at this point we actually only made it HALF way! We still had to get back down.
By 11AM the sun had melted the snow layer a bit and we started punching through every few steps. I was scared to glissade, but after watching a few people go before me I was prepared to slide down the mountain on my butt rather than hike down and risk punching through the snow and getting my body stuck.
Best decision ever! Not only did we speed down the mountain, but glissading is FUN! It was like a mile long slide and I couldn't wait to do it again! So once I reached the bottom, I headed right back up!! JK!
Once we reached base camp we packed up and headed back down to the car. I slept the entire drive home.
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