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This route ascend the Clear Creek drainage directly to the summit shoulder. There is little difficulty or danger here, except during avalanche conditions; route finding is very straightforward. Early season ascents and ski descents are popular.
This route can be completed car to car in one day, but overnight trips are more pleasant.
Activity Notes
Mt. Shasta is one of the crown achievements of PNW mountaineering, and great training for BCEP graduates looking to summit a 14,000ft+ mountain. There is 7600ft of gain and loss over the course of 3 days (I include driving time from Portland in this estimation).
We will leave Portland very early Saturday morning and meet at the Mt. Shasta Ranger Station at 11am to bag our permits (204 W. Alma St, Mt. Shasta) next to the railroad tracks.. Summit permits are $25ea, and each person will be responsible for purchasing their own permits.
After lunch, we will head towards the Clear Creek trailhead. Driving directions from Ranger Station to Clear Creek. From Mt. Shasta City, continue to CA-89 S/Volcanic Legacy scenic byway for 14 miles. Turn left onto Pilgrim Creek Rd. for 30mi. Follow signs for Clear Creek trailhead.
We will review our backpacks and group gear together and repack as a team, then head out for for our campsite. This is likely no fresh water so it will be melting and filtering snow. We will wake up EARLY AM Sunday & head up to summit then back to camp for one more overnight. This route has a great glissade coming down – plan on doing it. On Monday morning, we will pack up and back down to trailhead. We may even head down to Shasta City for breakfast and then back to Portland! The total ascent is approx. 7,600 feet.
| Other Information | |
|---|---|
| Driving Distance from Portland | 375 miles |
| Driving Time from Portland | 6 hours |
| General Route Info | from summitpost https://www.summitpost.org/clear-creek/157378 Clear Creek is the standard route on the southeast face of Mount Shasta, though it remains far overshadowed by the heavily populated Avalanche Gulch route on the southwest side of the mountain. Clear Creek remains an excellent alternative to the latter as it hosts outstanding views, alpine meadows, deep Mud Creek Canyon, and it is far less populated than most of the routes leading out of Bunny Flat. This route is actually the least technical on the mountain, having a gentler slope than Avalanche Gulch for almost the entire ascent. Despite the easier terrain, however, beginning climbers flock to Avalanche Gulch out of habit, year-round access (Clear Creek is inaccessible in winter and early spring), and the easier drive to the trailhead (although the dirt road to Clear Creek is navigable by most any car and the total distance is only 12 miles further than Bunny Flat if coming from the south on Interstate 5). The route conditions vary considerably as the season progresses, ranging from nearly complete snow coverage from the trailhead to trails through scree for the entire route up the mountain. Parties climb it in all conditions, it just depends on your preferences. Very late in the season as fall approaches Clear Creek can even be the more popular alternative to Avalanche Gluch… following the correct use trails is fairly solid, the route isn’t subject to the late season rockfall that Avalanche Gulch has, and descending through the scree is much easier than the talus that appears on other routes. In mid to late season running water is available at Clear Creek Meadows, and there are comfortable camp locations ranging from 8300 feet to over 9900 feet on the route. Weather: https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Shasta/forecasts/4317 Snow depth: http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/html/map.html |
| Expected Duration | Car to car in two or more days |
| Relevant Books | Climbing the Cascade Volcanoes by Jeff Smoot The Mt. Shasta Book by Selters and Zanger |
| Relevant Maps | USGS 7 minute series, Mount Shasta Google map https://goo.gl/maps/9CNvVh3G8A22 |
| Awards Qualified | 16 Major NW Peaks |
| Useful Links | GPS Track GPS Coordinates Map |
