Wild Weekends on Shasta

Hey there, It's been awhile since my last post. I've been super busy working on Shasta. As it's our busy time of the year, full open season for all arm chair mountaineers from the large climbing communities of Berkley, Palo Alto and Marin. These bay area mountaineers punch the short 4 hour drive up the I5 in audi wagon loaded down with the newest REI titanum cups and 7000 meter mountaineering gear, and whole food organic groceries. With the overall goal of a weekend on the bay area's Everest. A weekend of touching their void. So come Monday when they return to their job in the city they can tell of their wild adventures and glorious ascent of Mt. Shasta.
I often know it's friday with the sounds of crampons and snowshoes on the pavement of bunny flat the launch off piont for many of these armchair mountaineers. The first step in there summit goals. With rescues happening weekly, myself and the other Rangers have to keep out for those junk show climbers, who are going to fuck up and make out lives a living hell. Nothing like dealing with stupid city people who think because they are members at REI and own there own crampons and ice axe and have climbed Whitney, have "keep tahoe blue" sticker on the Audi they are mountain people.

Back in the Office

So in the last few weeks I have moved home to Mt Shasta and started my summer job. I work for the U.S Forest Service as a Climbing Ranger up on the 14,162 ft. flanks of the cascade volcano Mount Shasta. All I have to say is that the skiing is firing right now and the spring corn on the mountain is super good.


As part of my job, I spend weekends up at Lake Helen. Lake Helen is the base camp for many of the people who intend on summit Shasta. Here are some shots from life at the base camp.

At 6 a.m on Monday morning, I left the comfort of our ranger tent and my down sleeping bag with the goal of climbing up to the Red Banks, a rock outcropping at 12,400 feet. The Red Banks chutes are often the crux of the climb up Shasta and is where most of the climbers are likely to fuck up and get hurt. This is where we climbing rangers come into effect, we take the lead in the rescue operations and move the hurt climber down to an LZ so a rescue helicopter can fly them off the mountain and down to the hospital in Mt. Shasta City. After hanging out for a few hours at Red Banks and making sure everything was okay, I decided to climb up to 13,000 feet and drop in to ski the Trinity Chutes.
The Trinity Chutes is one of the coolest ski descents on the south side of the mountain but as I dropped in on center chute it soon became apparent that the howling south wind had kept the snow super firm. I gingerly worked my way down the chute getting to the soft creamy corn where I could open it up and shred back to camp. As I said, not a bad day at the office.

Looking down from the Red Banks at four thousand feet of corn that needs to be shredded.

Spring time in Shasta = Time to get back on the bike

I'm back in Shasta and spring is in full gear. It has rained almost everyday since I got back home sometime last week. All of the rain is getting pretty old, but on a positive note the mountain biking is firing right now so sick, all of the trails are so fast and the dirt is super tacky. Truly the best time to ride.

Party time

Let the night begin !!
A little Norwegian Club time

The after party, in a barn? Why not it's Norway

Some people don't know there limits.
Some of the HH athletes kicking it in the VIP room overlooking the party



The harmonic man, Killing it !!!

My walk home in the Norwegian twilight

I have to say this is one of the biggest afterparties that I have ever attended. From the main party that turned in a club to the after party up in the hills of Roldal in a 300 year old hay barn. Which had a live blues band, people swinging from the rafters, fighting, hooking up and in the hay as the band layed done a smooth blue sound, it was crazy. Before I know it the sun had come up and I had partied all night long. Not to bad for my first trip to Norway, I will for sure be back to Roldal.

norway day 4 continued

NORWAY!!!
No big deal a waterfall next to the chair lift.

Norway Day 4

Norwegian energy drinks
The heli. with the venue in the background
The worst booze in the world, but the Norwegian love it!
A Norwegian Booze fairy

Team HH in the refection

So, I didn't make the the cut, I ended up 23rd. I guess all still score some points. All be back next season, I need to find my narr switch over the off season. Here a some shots from the finals day and the post party, and after party. More photos to come. Of the party party.

Norway Day 3 comp day

My comp run and a few photos from the days events

Norway Day 2 Photo essay

My home for the next few days
It could be this slope for tomorrow, too, (have to wait and see)

Sunset in Norway
Your little Apartment, in Roldal Team Helly Hansen
Chilling out, Ted and I watching the days events
Maybe a face in the center that I will ski on tomorrow,
Looking down from the resort to the little town of Roldal