On Friday, Sept. 11, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an overdue climber on the Avalanche Gulch route of Mount Shasta. The climber, a man from San Jose, Calif., had successfully summitted the mountain about 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10.
However, he ran into trouble shortly thereafter. His cellphone died after summiting, and the climber’s friends became concerned when they were unable to contact him the following day. They then reported him missing to the Sheriff’s Office.
At approximately 2 p.m. Friday, Mount Shasta Climbing Rangers, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter crew were mobilized and began their search of the Avalanche Gulch area. At 4 p.m., a hiker entered the Horse Camp Cabin and found the missing hiker. She then informed Climbing Rangers of the climber’s whereabouts.
The climber told rescuers that he had attempted to glissade down the mountain, lost control, and slid approximately 500 feet. During his fall, he sustained several significant lacerations and injuries to his feet. The climber removed his boots due to painful swelling and crawled through the night, down the remainder of Avalanche Gulch to the Horse Camp Cabin. After evaluating the climber’s injuries, he was airlifted from Horse Camp to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Some safety reminders from this incident:
Let someone know of your plans, and what to do if you don’t check in. The climber wisely notified his friends of his plan to climb Mount Shasta and made a point to check in and provide progress updates. When he lost contact, his friends contacted law enforcement to report him overdue and traveled to help with the search effort. It is always advisable to notify at least one person of your itinerary.When climbing Mount Shasta or a similar objective, give yourself plenty of daylight to hike out. This make the descent safer, and if you or another member of your party needs help it is easier for rescuers to find and assist you. For this reason, it is recommended that climbers set a noon turnaround time when climbing Mount Shasta, even if you’re short of the summit.When using electronic navigation, have a backup and always be ready to self-rescue. The climber did his best to self-rescue despite significant injuries, and knew his route well enough without a map, to find his way back to the Horse Camp Cabin. Never rely solely on a GPS or phone to navigate – if those devices stop working, your own navigation skills will be critical in ensuring a safe return home.The Shasta-Trinity National Forest thanks the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, SAR volunteers, CHP helicopter team, and the hiker who found the climber at Horse Camp Cabin for their assistance in this mission.
