Camp at Horse Camp at the base of Avalanche Gulch on Mt Shasta this weekend. Conditions were wintery on the mountain! Photo: Jan Czyzeswki
MT SHASTA BACKCOUNTRY SKI CONDITIONS
2024-04-28 | Avalanche Gulch
Fresh snow and cold conditions made for some great powder skiing on Mt Shasta this weekend! The new snow piled in and made for some great skiing, but it also created a hazard with wind slabs building in Avalanche Gulch. On Saturday a party was caught in a relatively small avalanche (D1) that resulted in a critical injury. This incident was a good reminder that despite the Mt Shasta Avalanche Center having wrapped up the season, avalanches are still a concern, especially when there is new snow. Careful evaluation of the snowpack is required and hiring a guide is a great way to manage the hazard!
Even before this latest storm, Mt Shasta has been having an incredible season. This year they received nearly the same snowfall totals as last year, falling short of the 2022-2023 season by less than 2 inches! Even better was the Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) reported this season: 66% more than last year! This means that we got 66% more water in the snowpack, so essentially, now that things are settling out, we have way more snowpack on the ground than we did last year (see the picture below of the West Face - it's stacked!!). See the full details on Mt Shasta Seasonal Snowpack Here.
