Shasta Ski to McKenzie Butte
Hike Review:
On the last day of my avalanche level 1 class, we went into the back country to see if we could navigate safely in a mixed terrain.
The path we took is one that we agreed was the least risky when analyzing the map and looking for terrain traps and slope angles.
Halfway to McKenzie Butte, however, I was having a real tough time with the powder snow, and we ended up stopping to dig a snow pit for snow stability tests.
On the way back, we hiked up to the “Douglas Get Back” ski run to get back to the parking lot.
What I Learned:
My snowshoes are rated to 250 lbs, and I was under that by 50 lbs, but I just kept falling into the super soft snow. So much so that some of the times, I was falling into my hips, though most of the falls were to my knees. Still, it was a tough going and I got very tired, very fast. For everyone else in the class, they were having a great time—they were floating on the snow. When I saw how much fun they were having, I made a promise to myself to learn how to ski.
Also, I have to give props to my instructor, Caleb Burns, who tried his best to compact the snow in front of me to help me float just a bit better. What a guy!
Friends:
I’m not sure if I could call them friends after such a short amount of time, but it was great taking the class with Paige, Brendan, Bekka, Sheyna, and David. Also, Caleb was a great instructor.
What Happened?
1.1 miles, 4 hrs 7 mins, 379 ft of ascent
On the last day of the avalanche level 1 class, we tried to head over to McKenzie Butte to apply the things that we had learned in the previous days. Unfortunately, I kept sinking into the snow so much that we only went about half way to McKenzie Butte before we stopped to dig a snow pit and run stability tests. It wasn’t a throw-away day, however, as we ended up seeing signs of avalanches in previous years (e.g. flagging) and learned how to identify terrain traps.
Even with the soft snow and the tough going, I was still taken away by how beautiful the forest was covered in snow. As I sit here in San Jose, I can’t wait to get back to the cold.
