New & improved Swamp

[Olafaye]

nyc

I did Whitney but I would rather tell you Shasta. Actually I have done a lot of climbing. Can't remember all the details but at Shasta, I have climbed it so many times it is like home.

I start out in the parking lot with the briefest of packs...lite tent, dried meals 2 will do, canteen, down bag...single, and an ice ax(is recommended). I have a little pack of mole and bandaids, nylon rip cord, matches, knife fork spoon etc. not much. No clothes changes. No toiletries.

Starting out early in the morning, I stop every 200 ft. or so and after awhile 400, 600 and on up into the Forest Ranger station area. I truck right through this area having got my "wind" of course, I have no cigarettes (sigh) and believe me they would sear my lungs at this point. m I keep going, arriving at 11,00 ft level...Trees and vegetation are gone for the most part and we are in the Lake Helen area. Breaking through the ice, I get water and hang out for a rest. itching the tent is easy and make sure you anchor every guy wire(rope) strongly...I mean really anchor it. I go up in late August or September but let me tell you, the storms at Lake Helen are furious. The storm runs around the mountain and hits numerous times during the night. Slashing rain, thunder and brilliant lightning right in camp...The noise is unbelievable! I sleep well eventually. Morning it is so cold you don't want to get out. I have one of those little square stoves with a canister of gas, a tucked and nested pot array and coffee/sugar. getting this going is a chore but by then you are moving better. It is really cold and there is snow everywhere or ice...sometimes just wet and rocks. Lake Helen is always frozen but accessible through the ice. Grabbing a canteen and a few energy bars, a pen, camera and little else., I head for the top. Now, this is ingteresting. I said an ice ax because once I went up an alternate route and through an ice chute with no gear whatsoever, not even crampons.1! When I was in the midle of the chute, terrified and wondering where I would find the energy to continue...two rappelers came down the chute, saw me and were stunned to see me there, clinging with no gear. they wouldn't lend me an ice ax saying they had to get out of there themselves. Had I made one misstep, the chute shot out to nothingness and I would have fell 2000 ft to my death.

Another time I was on Misery Hill and got to far out into the scree, again with no gear on, and barely made my way back to safety. The easy way is up through the heart, over Misery Hill and out the ridge to where about 800 ft below the top there is a natural volcanic vent, erupting in steam and some water. You can make coffee or tea here and one summer, an Episcopal Minister camped and cooked there 800 ft. below the summit, all summer long. Nice chap! On to the top which is steepnow and then the magnificent view 60 miles in any dirwecgtion. You can see Home Powwers headquarters all the way in Oregon on the OR/CAL border, the Pacific Ocean, etc. Great View. sign the register. 1000's do.

They replace it often.

ola