Day 2 Mt. Shasta - 10 hours up, 6000ft., 9 miles over snow, rocks and ankle deep sandy scree...then 5 hours down

Mt. Shasta:

 

-is the fifth tallest mountain (it is a stratovolcano) in California (14,179 feet (4,322 meters)
-is located 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of the Oregon-California border and midway between the Nevada border and the Pacific Ocean
-last erupted in the 1780s
-is host to seven named glaciers 
-the first ascent by women was by Harriette Eddy and Mary Campbell McCloud in 1856
-they say 50% of people summit Mt. Shasta without a guide and 80% with a guide
-is a sacred site and mystical power spot, it represents much more than a mere mountain, they say it can be considered as one of the most sacred places on and is a mystic power source for this planet.

Did I lose you yet?

Well, I believe!! 

My magical experiences...??? 

No blisters, no "stomach/digestive" issues, and no altitude sickness and
inspired to start looking for my next hike.

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Here is how our summit day went...

 

 

2:00am - after sleeping on and off (mostly off) for 5 hours, under the most gorgeous full moon, my two tentmates and I rose for an instant oatmeal breakfast chased down with 1/2 liter of spring water (fingers crossed about this spring water...i am hoping i don't get dysentery) ...our directive from our guides..."Show up to breakfast wearing your helmet & headlamp" ...I did!

 

2:30am - after breakfast, we started reloading our packs with the day's essentials: rain gear, snow gear, puffy jacket, food and water...ahhh 30lbs. on my back never felt soooo good!!! I slept in my clothes so getting dressed was a breeze...hopefully no one will be downwind  of me though!!!

 

 

3:00am - helmet on, headlamp on, pack on, puffy jacket off, poles in hand...off we go. Scheduled to stop every hour for a quick water/food break...what?!? We will never get there...ooo eee ooo, oeo, ooo eee ooo, oeo (guard chant from wizard of oz...) and off we go!

5:15am - we are on the trail for two hours, at a little over 9000ft, feels like we have been at 9000ft for 5 hours, sun rising, headlamp still on. Feet feeling good, no blisters. Have eaten one power bar and serving of dried apples and more spring water... 

6:30am - sun and moon up together, our night melding into our day! Headlamp off...lost track of our elevation seems like we are getting slower already.

 

 

 

 

Mt. Shasta is made of lava and ash...when not on snow we were ankle deep in soft, sandy scree...wowza! Like walking on a soft sandy beach...in mountaineering boots...

 

 

 

Don't look down!

 

 

9:30am - We have been on traveing 6 1/2 hours...are we there yet? We now have on our harnesses fulltime, have had our crampons on and ice axes out and on and have been roped to my tent mates french stepping up, Up, UP ...we received our summit passes...no blisters, no dysentery... :)

 

 

 

 

Hi puffy!!! Eye level with the clouds!

11:00am - Weather has moved in again, we see a couple of groups turn back...what?!?!?!...we just had blue sky and white clouds...I am tired, 8 hours on the trail, and now no summit in sight. Clouds are thick, sky is grey, our guides are deciding whether we should move on or turn back. I'm a little torn...but a quick cliff espresso gel shot sways me to the MOVE UP and ON side of the vote...

12:45pm - We are within feet on the summit! We have traveled nearly 10 hours, over deep sandy scree and vertical snow masses, no lunch, just grabbing quick energy boosts every hour along the way...my heart has raced with fear, pounded with pride and purred over the glorious sights...

 

ONTO THE TOP!

 

 

The top of Mt. Shasta!!!

 

 

1:00pm - Summited, took a few pix, signed the guest book, grabbed a quick bite and swig of water and...no time for basking in glory! Turn it around ladies...we need to be down the mountain by 6:00pm...

 

So off we went...the descent...as slowly as it took us to get there, it would take half the time to get back to base camp.

We were all happy to have reached the top, each of us for a different reason, but all feeling empowered just the same.

 

3:30pm - Almost there doesn't count...Even though I am smiling, inside I am a 48 year old whiner! I am fatigued! Just when I just want to sit down and not move another inch (by the way, our guides said this does/has happened before)...I see the beautiful Shastina...I am reminded again, to appreciate the beauty along with the challenge and triumph!!!

We glissaded, ran, marched, slipped, fell (my knees gave out, i fell three times!) and stumbled down Mt. Shasta from summit to base camp, never stopping to eat and barely stopped to grab some water...

We met and helped stranded hikers, turn arounds and day hikers as we got closer to camp and as we turned around a huge rock outcropping we saw our camp, but now the area had three times as many tents set up, and many eager happy clean rested people... we were greeted by inquiring minds..."did we make it? what about the weather? how long did it take? and comments like... "wow! you are the first group of the day we know to have made it to the summit, many turned around, that's awesome, we are going to leave @ 1:00am". I was too tired to speak, my tongue felt swollen, my mouth full of dust...I just smiled and let my guide engage in joyful conversation...she does this hike almost every week!!!!

 

This was the longest, most challenging summit I have ever undertaken, I learned so much and used almost every skill they taught us and know this magical mountain looked after me the whole way.

 

I never got a blister, never got sick, got the adrenelin rush I was looking for and although I will not climb this mountain again...I am inspired to climb our planet's other magical mountains!

 

 

Stay tuned for Day 3...the descent from basecamp to the trailhead...