Quick report
Despite being 15 minutes off the intestate, Mt Shasta is a big mountain and should not be taken lightly. This post is to highlight the best way to get through/around the Redbanks formation, a feature that one will encounter at 12,500 feet on the Avalanche Gulch route.
Please note that Redbanks is NOT almost the top. You still have several thousand more vert to go. Redbanks is a good place to check the time, check the weather, check yourself and decide if you're going to commit to the upper mountain, or not. We recommend a turn around time of noon, or one at the latest.
With the current conditions, the BEST way to get around Redbanks is to go RIGHT of The Heart, and up THROUGH the Redbanks feature, ascending up any one of the snow filled gullies. See photo for illustration. You can descend the same way. You do not need to go around Redbanks with the current snow coverage, and this keeps you off the Konwakiton Glacier.
DO NOT GLISSADE through Redbanks. This is a BAD idea. Climbers often get going too fast and out of control, resulting in a long, sliding fall and injuries.
The other option to get around Redbanks is LEFT of The Heart and LEFT of Redbanks. This is a fine route, albeit a little bit steeper near the crest of the headwall.
DO NOT attempt to climb through Redbanks any other way. The rock is a loose mess. Numerous accidents have occurred from climbers attempting unusual routes through rocky clefts, only to result in fatalities and rescues.
Other pictures include the Bunny Flat trailhead. There is still snow to the TH and possible to launch snowmobile.