Mount Shasta

California 14er #7 is now in the bag. Shasta is a sweet peak. The south side climbing was similar to your basic early season class 3 Sierra climbing, with the exception of lots of afternoon rockfall. We huffed from Helen to the summit in 4 hours. A spectacular summit indeed. Views to the north, displayed some very wild looking glaciers similar to the terrain on Rainier...very likely we'll try the glaciers next time. The local ranger station and forrest service deserve credit for their efforts in keeping Shasta safe and clean. Although Avalanche Gulch is not an especially technical route it was disturbing how many people were attempting to summit with little or no safety equiptment nor mountaineering skills.