- Why 2 ill-prepared men attempted to climb Mount Shasta's rugged north face
Two men spent almost a week climbing Mt. Shasta before a search and rescue team found the pair — dehydrated, exausted and hungry — on Monday, June 24, according to first responders.
The two unnamed hikers said they wanted to climb the mountain’s north side — the most rugged and difficult route — on a quest for spiritual enlightenment, according to staff at the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center and the California Highway Patrol.
The two men ― one in his 70s and the other a Southern California resident in his 20s ― met in Mount Shasta shortly before they started climbing on June 19, they told rescuers.
While his team helps rescue hikers off Mt. Shasta every year, this “was sort of a unique one” because of how long the hikers were on the mountain — six days, said Avalanche Center’s Director and Lead Avalanche Forecaster Nick Meyers.
On day three, the two hikers shared an apple, but had no food or water during the final three days of their trip, said Officer Steve Weyand, a helicopter pilot with the CHP’s Northern Division Air Operations out of Redding.
One difficult rescue off Mt. Shasta’s peak turns into two rescues
The CHP took off for the 25-minute flight to Mt. Shasta at about 8 a.m., after the Siskiyou County Sheriff had received reports the younger man had been stuck on the peak for at least 24 hours.
“They (the two men) started out at North Gate and they were taking the Hotlum Glacier Route,” Weyand said. That route stays snowy into June or July and it becomes more difficult the higher you go, according to the Avalanche Center, which recommends climbers budget two days for the trip.
The summit sits at 13,600 feet above sea level, about 560 feet below what the USGS said is the highest point, according to Amber Orrey, police services manager with the Mount Shasta Police Department.
Thin air at that altitude is comprised of about 12.5% oxygen, compared to approximately 18% in the town of Mount Shasta, which sits at about 3,500 feet. Lack of sufficient oxygen can make it a person's heart beat faster, speed up their breathing, thicken their blood and make them sleepy and disoriented, according to the Center for Wilderness Safety.
“They were kind of taking a decent amount of time to get up there,” but were ill prepared for the hike, according to Weyand.
Rescuers found the Southern California man on the summit. He was out of provisions, dehydrated and sunburned, but suffered no injuries and seemed “awake and alert,” according to Weyand.
More:California's weather hasn't been kind to Mt. Shasta's glaciers. Can they survive?
The man’s clothing wasn’t appropriate for a harsh climb in frigid temperatures, rescuers said. The younger climber wore jeans, leather boots and a cotton jacket with a camouflage print that made it difficult for rescuers to spot him.
That man said he built “rock shelters” to keep him from being exposed to the elements as he climbed, according to Weyand. He also asked the CHP to check on his climbing companion, who up until then had not been reported lost.
The first climber said he had last seen his friend when stopping to rest at a plateau called "The Step” at 12,500 feet, Weyand said.
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Finding the older climber proved more of a challenge for rescuers, said Weyand, because the man wasn’t moving and he “was wearing a white sweatshirt, which looked like a rock in snow.”
Rescuers said they thought the older climber was dead, but he awoke when rescuers approached.
“He was awake, but in poor condition. The older man was about 250 pounds” and not in good shape for a climber, Weyand said.
The CHP took both climbers to Mercy Medical Center in Mount Shasta. The older man was treated by a doctor, according to the CHP and was flown back into Redding at about 11 a.m. on June 24.
Weather helped CHP land on Mt. Shasta summit
Landing a helicopter on the mountain's summit is no easy task, even in good weather. Strong wind gusts and winter conditions can batter Mt. Shasta’s peak. Luckily, the weather was clear on June 24, according to Weyand.
Still, the CHP had to make the helicopter “as light as possible. We pretty much have to remove every piece of medical gear to fly that high. The helicopter has one seat for the pilot,” so those rescued are secured to the aircraft’s floor, Weyand said.
Still, getting off the ground was “a challenge” with the two climbers and rescuers on board, he said.
More:Santa Clara County man was where he most wanted to be when he died on Mt. Shasta: Family
While experienced climbers are usually fit, know how to plan and what to bring, novices may not realize how challenging the mountain trails really are. “The people who go up the mountain for spiritual reasons tend to be the least prepared for the conditions on the mountain," Weyand said.
Four people died and 16 were rescued off Mt. Shasta in 2022 and 2023, according to the Avalanche Center.
While few of the thousands of visitors to the mountain need help, most injuries are caused by slipping on unstable rocks or in snow. Other problems arise when people don’t prepare for bad weather or delays, or don't wear proper clothing, first responders said.
Even if they stay at lower altitudes and closer to populated areas, visitors should wear bright colors and avoid earth tones, white and gray clothing that could blend into the background, Weyand said. Anyone who gets in trouble should also move around to make it more likely they'll be spotted by rescuers.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories.Followher on Twitter@RS_JSkropanicand onFacebook. Join Jessica in theGet Out! Nor Calrecreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work,please subscribe today. Thank you.
