Mount Shasta

Avalanches are unlikely today. Upper mountain hazards include rockfall, icefall, and slick surfaces with slide-for-life potential. Visible and shallowly buried obstacles dominate the snowpack. The proper equipment and training are essential for travel in the alpine. 

The avalanche danger remains low. With the unseasonably warm temperatures, there is a slight chance of small wet loose slides on isolated, steep solar aspects above treeline. If the ingredients for a slab avalanche exist, they are most likely to be found on isolated, leeward terrain features where wind-drifted snow was deposited on top of a continuous pre-existing snowpack.

The temperature at the Old Ski Bowl has remained above freezing since Monday morning. And the snowpack near and below treeline shows it. It is becoming more difficult to reach consistent snow coverage on Mount Shasta. From Bunny Flat, the task requires hiking on bare ground to nearly 8,500 feet in Avalanche Gulch. The snowline is lower on the east side of the Mountain, and Brewer Creek Trailhead offers an easier starting point for dirt-free travel. Snow depths generally increase with elevation, on shadier aspects, and on wind-loaded features. Snow surfaces are a mixed bag of wind-textured snow, firm and icy melt-freeze crusts, and moist December "corn" once the California sun softens mid-elevation solar aspects. Visible and shallowly buried obstacles abound. In the Eddy Mountains, any notable remaining snow is limited to the highest terrain on the north half of the compass. Visit the observations page for more pictures and recent conditions updates from around the forecast area. There are plenty of opportunities for snow-free recreation.

For climbers and day hikers, although it may feel like spring, it's still December. It wouldn't be hard to be lured up the mountain by the pleasant weather and find oneself in a position for which one is unprepared. Be aware of the hazards. For all routes, these include potential for rockfall, icefall,  and slick, slide-for-life conditions on the upper mountain. A slip and fall with rocks in your fall line is highly consequential. There are moments in mountaineering when one must not fall! A full mountaineering kit is advised: 12-point crampons (NOT microspikes), ice axe, and helmet, along with the ability to know how to use them. All trailheads are still accessible. The last mile of the road to the Clear Creek trailhead is 4x4 only.

If you make it into the backcountry, please consider posting an observation! Short or long, text or photos, we would love to hear from you. Check out our EVENTS page for a list of happenings. Many still to come!