CLIMBING MOUNT SHASTA // Skiing Avalanche Gulch & West Face // One of the 50 Classics

Mount Shasta is the second highest volcano in the Cascades at 14,180' and the largest by volcanic volume. The mega popular avalanche gulch route is one of the "50 Classic SKi Descents of North America". I had been wanting to ski Shasta for years, and with California having their snowiest winter ever, I decided this spring was the time to go for it! This is the first of 4 volcanoes I summited and skied this spring. Stay tuned for episodes every week the next month!
Instagram: / seamus.dolan
Strava: / strava

[@MrIsomer]

Thanks for the beautiful vistas you caught on your descent! I love dropping down the Avi Bowl...

[@stumpy25lbs]

Excellent! Your other two "upcoming" volcano skis in my Watch Later folder 😃🤘🏼🙏🏼

[@randallgd]

Good work!

[@seamus.dolan98]

Thank you!

[@chrisbaham2284]

Why were you walking up in ski's in the beginning? Do those have barbs on them? Wouldn't it be easier in boots or crampons so you don't slide back? (I have no knowledge of mountain climbing so sorry for dumb question)

[@seamus.dolan98]

We put climbing skins on the bottom of our skis so we can walk uphill without the skis sliding. Much more efficient than snowshoeing or cramponing on mellow terrain. Less efficient once it gets steep

[@KevinTame]

I’m doing this is may? How long did it take you to summit?

[@seamus.dolan98]

Took me 4ish hours to summit. But I backcountry ski A LOT. So I’m in extremely good shape. Whatever your comfortable vert per hour is, use that to estimate your time and add an extra hour cuz you’ll slow down as you get higher in altitude

[@KevinTame]

@@seamus.dolan98 I'm in Utah and skin up several times a week, but my vert per hour looks slower than yours. I'm just trying to determine the best time to decend for optimal conditions. I can then backward calculate when I need to head out. So if you left around 6am you were descending by 10am ish?

[@seamus.dolan98]

@@KevinTame we took a long lunch break at the top and I think we descended sometime after 11am. I can’t remember off the top of my head what time we descended, but SW aspect I’d recommend descending between 11am and noon