Mt. Shasta via Avalanche Gulch Day 1

Holy Batman!!  My first 14er! Now how do I get back down from here?!?! 

Mount Shasta sits at 14,179 ft in Northern California, about 4 hours north of San Francisco. Our adventure started Friday night (June 12, 2015). We stayed at Mt. Shasta Inn to sleep and re-pack our backpacks. As my first mountaineering attempt, I had done a lot of online research about what to pack and what conditions to expect during our hike.

Saturday, we started the day at Fifth Season to rent our gear. This hike requires crampons, ice axe and mountaineering boots. Nothing feels more badass than carrying an ice axe!  After stocking up on some snacks and sandwiches, we drove about 30 minutes to the Bunny Flat Trailhead (6,940 ft).

The trail was easy to find with a gradual incline. 2 miles later, we reached our first rest stop at Horse Camp. There was fresh water (take from the tap), a solar composting bathroom, and the Shasta Alpine Lodge. From our resting spot we watched little dots making their way up the mountain and a friendly lady told us that was our route. 

 I was hoping for a lift but was quickly denied. I picked up my pack and off we went. Before long we saw snow on the ground, indicative of our high elevation.

At around 9000 ft we reached the snow line. Time to snap on the crampons! 

Our destination seemed within reach, yet each step started taking it's toll. Finally, as the sun was setting, we reached our campsite for the night, Lake Helen. Sitting at around 10,400 ft, Lake Helen is the common site to camp and acclimate for a 2 day trek to the top. 

After setting up camp, a ranger stopped by to say hello, check our permits and give us some information about the next day's challenge. The recommended start time is between 2 and 4AM so we settled in for the night and did our best to get some sleep.  Day 2 starts tomorrow!