"Strange Weather Brings Avalanches"
Reprinted by permission from the Mt. Shasta Herald

Dated June 10, 1998 from the Mt. Shasta Herald

The word "avalanche" can strike fear into the most intrepid mountain climbers. Normally avalanches are few and far between, but in this strange weather year Mt. Shasta has experienced between 20 and 30 avalanches in the last week and a half. This according to the Mt. Shasta Ranger Station lead wilderness ranger Matt Hill.

Hill said if you're planning on climbing Mt. Shasta in the near future, you'll want to stick to the ridges. "The avalanches we've been experiencing are all of the 'wet slab type,'" said Hill. "These type of avalanches are caused when sun hits the surface of the snow and starts the melting process." The ranger said that with a slope angle of more than 35 degrees, there is a gradual pulling down effect called "glide." Once the snow starts gliding, it begins moving quickly on the ice crust.

"Most of the avalanches have started at Trinity Chutes, sliding off Casaval Ridge and moving down through Avalanche Gulch," said Hill. He added that there were several avalanches last weekend. "One was a big one that went about 3,000 feet down the Gulch," Hill said. Diller Canyon and the southeast side of the mountain at Mud Creek have also experienced avalanches. The recent spate of avalanches have been caused by sunny weather, Hill said, and more can be expected with warming temperatures. "A lot of them have been coming down about 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. in the warmest part of the day," he explained, "and in some cases you could see them from town."

Hill said the Forest Service recommends that climbers stay on the ridges because they are usually coming down the mountain in the afternoon when the avalanches occur. He said some tips for climbers were:

• Stay on the ridge
• Wear a transceiver
• Climb with a partner
• Carry a shovel and probe

"If someone gets covered by an avalanche, a transceiver works better if the person has a shovel and probe to assist him," said Hill. Hill, who hopes to present an "Avalanche Awareness" class in the fall, said the Forest Service post up-to-date information from their snow test. People can call the ranger station at (530) 926-4511 for avalanche information. The Fifth Season at (530) 926-3606 also has information about climbing conditions.

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