Castle Lake

We had a beautiful snowshoe hike of the backcountry behind Castle Lake. The sun has finally decided to grace us with its presence. We were in shirt sleeves and thought maybe we should be in shorts as well.


The snow pack this year is impressive. The lake is frozen solid and covered by deep snow still.
The mountain ridges are peaked with giant cornices and the sun is starting to bring down avalanches into the gullies. From the ridge line, the views of the mountain and the surrounding hills was magnificient.




We saw lone Bear paw prints as big as my head zig-zagging around the snowfields. At one point I mentioned it would be so cool to see a Bear (off in the distance, of course) ambling about. A few minutes later, Nancy said something which I could only hear one word of , “BEAR” and saw her pointing into the distance. My heart immediately started pounding and I frantically called, “BEAR! WHERE?” my head swiviling around. I guess the reality of seeing a Spring thaw-hungry and potentially mauling exhibit of nature in real life was a bit less romantic than my fantasy. Nancy, after all, was only pointing out more bear tracks.


Our descent in the mushy snow was a challenge and in one area I started sliding down a step slope. Ending up on my rear (cotton clad in my optimism-sigh) I started sliding in the snow. Finding I couldn’t stop I settled in for a fast descent. Nikita, loyal girl, followed me straight down. Linda and Nancy, not wanting to be left out of the fun, followed on their more appropriately clothed rears.


I am lugging Webster’s Dictionary and Bartlett’s Quotations for weight training and thought I’d put them to good use each time I blog:
Webster’s Contribution: did you know that the word cornice’s origin is with the Latin word Crow and Greek word Raven? I wonder if that is because a cornice is perched above, the way a bird will sit, and a raven/crow has an ominous feeling, like it will fall down upon you.
Bartlett’s Contribution: "In some of those dense fir and spruce woods there is hardly room for the smoke to go up. The trees are a standing night, and every fir and spruce which you fell is a plume plucked from night’s raven wing.-Henry David Thoreau

First Training Snowshoe Hike

A few days after being accepted into the Breast Cancer Fund’s Climb Against the Odds, I drove to Mount Shasta for my first training climb! It was a beautiful day, the sun actually graced us with her presence (which unfortunately hasn’t been seen since). Linda Chitwood our guide and training guru works with Shasta Mountain Guides and is also the steward of the Sierra Club cabin at Horse Camp. We snowshoed from Bunny Flats on Mount Shasta to Horse Camp where, during the actual climb in July, we will make base camp.

Never having climbed in snowshoes (you’d think such a mountain girl would have, but no!) I quickly became sorry I hadn’t brought poles. Falling on a hillside in snowshoes is not so fun. Usually you are falling because you just stepped on your own snowshoe and then suddenly you are sitting Indian style! It was so hard to get up with a pack on, I just wanted to tell everyone, “Go on ahead! I think I’ll just do some meditation today instead since I’m in the right position!” But, no. Slacking wasn’t going to be allowed. So off we went.

I was doing well until the final uphill leg when the elevation really hit me. I know, theoretically, how elevation can affect one, but until you are actually trying to make your legs take the tiniest of baby steps and your heart rate is already 120 you can’t really understand what it can do to you. When I would stop I would feel just fine, not tired or sore at all, then just one step would have me wheezing and sweating. It was a very humbling experience.

We finally made it to Horse Camp and could actually sit on the chimney of the cabin. The door was beautifully dug out with snow steps and the interior quite cozy though so dark you couldn’t imagine. The mountain came out from behind the clouds while we were resting and it was a spectacular view.

I definitely need to keep training so I won’t be gasping with every step, but if all days could be as lovely as that one, it won’t be a hardship in the least.

Tune in soon for more updates as I work my way to the top!