Accidents on Mt. Shasta

Hopefully the following accident descriptions, will help fellow climbers to prevent similar accidents from happening. Climb and Descend Safely!

"Every accident, of any kind, is preceded by a chain of events or errors, but each is set into motion at one irreversible moment. Until that moment the accident might have been prevented."
Jill Fredston, from "Snowstruck: In the Grip of Avalanches", 2005

2007 CLIMBING SEASON SUMMARY:
The seasonal precipitation was 68% of normal and snow surveys below tree line were around 59% of normal. High winds during the winter additionally kept the snow pack above tree line well below normal with rock fall beginning very early in the season. One climber was hit by rock fall in March which is very unusual for that time of year. Due to these conditions, Mt. Shasta had a short climbing season and fewer climbers than normal. The avalanche season was also relatively quiet with only a few human triggered slides and no fatalities or injuries.

Searches 7

Rescues 4

Public Assist 9

Total 20

Month #Rescues #Searches

2007 January 2 0

February 0 0

March 0 0

April 0 1

May 0 0

June 0 3

July 1 1

August 1 2

September 0 0

October 0 0

November 0 0

December 0 0

Helicopter Used Rescue Search

H-14/16, CHP Twinstar B3 2 4

PHI – Med 45 Twinstar B3 0 0

UH-60, Blackhawk, Guard 1 1

CH-47, Chinook, Guard 1 0

202, CDF Bell Super 205 0 1

Total 4 6

Injury

Fracture 3 (leg, arm, fingers, ribs)

Sprain/Strain 2 (knee, back)

Lacerations 1 (head)

Dislocation 1 (shoulder)

Puncture 1 (crampons in leg)

Route Used by: Injured Climber Lost Climber

Avalanche Gulch 2 2

Casaval 1 0

West Face 0 0

Cascade Gulch 0 0

Green Butte/Sargents’ 0 0

Clear Creek 0 4

Hotlum glacier 1 1

Age (rescue only)

            <15                                          0

15-20                                                                             0

21-25                                                                             1 (6/24 Mud Creek)

26-30                                                                             1

31-35                                                                             0

36-50                                                                             1

>50                                          0

Unknown                                 2

Gender (rescue)

            Male                                        4

Female                                     1 (on a search with no rescue, a 25 y.o. female climber sustained a broken arm when she fell in the cliffs on upper Mud Creek, 6/24)

Immediate Cause (rescue)

            Fall/slip on snow/ice                  4

            Fall/slip on rock                        1 (6/24 Mud Creek)



Contributing Causes (rescue)

            Exceeded abilities                     4

            Climbing alone                          1



Incident occurred while: (rescue)

            Ascending                                1

            Descending                               4

Helmet (rescue)

            Helmet worn                             3

            No helmet                                2

            Unknown                                 0

Climbing Incidents of 2007
January 14      Rescue A climbing party of 4 reported one of their members had fallen and broke his ankle at around 1500 hours. They were on the lower section of Casaval ridge. The California Highway Patrol helicopter responded and found the victim near Giddy Giddy gulch and transported him to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta. Little information is available on this incident. It is presumed they were descending due to the time of day.
January 28 Rescue A 44 year old male and his son were attempting to climb the Avalanche Gulch route on Mt. Shasta. They were unsuccessful and began descending. At around 1300 hours, the father fell on snow at approximately 11,500, sliding around 700 feet. A witness to the fall said the climber zipped by him at over 30 mph while at 11,300 ft. They descended to the victim and assess his injuries which included: laceration to head (no helmet was worn), broken ribs, broken finger. The assisting party helped to lower the victim to Helen Lake (10,400 ft.) and awaited assistance from Siskiyou County SAR. The California Highway Patrol helicopter responded and evacuated the victim at 1700 hours, transporting him to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta. Below normal snow fall, high winds and high pressure had left a smooth and hard snow surface.
April 8 Search At 1600 hours a USFS Climbing Ranger was notified of a missing 24 year old male climber who had ascended Avalanche Gulch and was last seen descending off route on the Konwakiton glacier at 1230 hours. His climbing partner had turned back early and was waiting at the trailhead when other climbers told him of the last seen location. Weather conditions showed temperatures in the mid 30’s at 8000 ft. and strong north winds above 12,000 ft. with a lenticular cloud on the upper mountain. The missing climber had little mountaineering experience, intermediate ski ability, limited quality clothing, no bivy gear, but a headlamp, map and compass. He was also reported in excellent physical condition. The missing climber had teamed up with another solo climber at 10,400 ft., but turned around by himself at 13,900 ft. at noon, his turn around time. Another party of climbers descending were following him in the lenticular cloud whiteout when they realized they were off route and on the Konwakiton glacier.   They were too high above to make contact and quickly returned to the route and descended. Due to low light and high winds, the USFS and Siskiyou County SAR began a search at low elevation, searching with snowmobiles and snow cats below tree line in the drainage of the Konwakiton glacier. Others waited with the missing climbers’ partner at Bunny Flat trailhead where they had started climbing that morning. At 2315 hours the missing climbers’ partner received a cell phone call from the missing climber who was hitching a ride with a big rig driver on the north side of the mountain on the highway leading to Klamath Falls, Oregon. He was told to stop and wait for a deputy to pick him up and return him south to Mt. Shasta City. He had realized he was off route when he got to the bottom of the Konwakiton glacier (SE side of mountain). He turned around and ascended up to 13,200 ft. and crossed over to the Whitney glacier (NW side of mountain) and descended. He spoke of passing by “blue house-sized chunks of snow” which is the serac field on the Whitney glacier. At lower elevation he began skiing and continued to as low an elevation as possible and then bushwacked out to highway 97 and hitched a ride northbound in the dark. He had no injuries.
May 6 Public Assist A USFS Climbing Ranger assisted a female skier at 8400 ft. descend by foot who was having problems from a previous injury. Her party finally caught up at 7600 ft. and took over assisting her back to the trailhead. Group separation.
May 27 Public Assist Two USFS Climbing Rangers assisted a 32 year old male climber with AMS to descend to the trailhead from Lake Helen (10,400 ft.). They carried his gear and accompanied him on the descent to check his condition.
May 28 Public Assist A 50 year old male climber was found with snow blindness at Horse Camp (7900 ft.) by a USFS Climbing Ranger. The Climbing Ranger examined his eyes and gave advice on treatment.
Comments: The effect of solar radiation on Mt. Shasta should never be taken lightly. Very high amounts of UV radiation can be expected and proper sunglasses and sunscreen should always be part of your “Ten Essentials”. Bringing a spare pair can make a big difference.

June 1 Public Assist Two weary climbers descended late from Avalanche Gulch and reached the high camp of a commercial guide at 9500 ft. They were too exhausted to continue and had no bivy gear. Through an exchange of phone calls, a USFS Climbing Ranger above at Helen Lake (10,400 ft.) was notified at 2030 hours and descended in the dark with a bivy sac and sleeping bag which the party used in one of the commercial tents and were able to descend to the trailhead the next morning.
Comment: The growing popularity of one-day climbs has left many climbers exhausted and far short of the trailhead. Always carry the ten essentials, including extra food and water and a head lamp with spare batteries. One bivy sac and one light weight sleeping bag per two people can also be a wise decision.

June 3 Public Assist A male climber had hurt his ankle in Avalanche Gulch while descending with his crampons on. Two USFS Climbing Rangers examined his ankle at Lake Helen (10,400 ft.) and determined it was not broken. They taped his ankle and the climber descended with the assistance of his climbing party.

June 9 Public Assist At 1345 hours a 55 year old male climber approached a USFS Climbing Ranger at Helen Lake (10,400 ft.). His tent and equipment has blown away and the clothes he was wearing were saturated from rain and snow. The Ranger found that the climber was moderately hypothermic and treated him in the USFS tent with warm fluids and down sleeping bags. Later, his climbing party returned to Helen Lake with his tent and equipment and he was transferred back to his climbing party.

June 9 Public Assist At 1615 hours a USFS Climbing Ranger at Helen Lake (10,400 ft.) was notified of a climber at 11,200 who was hypothermic. The Climbing Ranger climbed up and made contact with the hypothermic climber, a 56 year old male. By that time his conditions had improved and the Climbing Ranger assisted him to Helen Lake where he was determined to be able to descend to the trailhead with his own climbing team.
June 21 Search Climber became lost on the Clear Creek route. A search was done with a USFS Climbing Ranger and Law Enforcement Officer. The missing party was found later in the evening at the Clear Creek trailhead. He had gotten lost on route and eventually found his way back to the route and trailhead.

June 23 Search Three climbers became lost on the Clear Creek route. On descent, they wandered off route and ended up north of the route on Ash Creek. A California Highway Patrol helicopter found the missing climbers and flew them back to the Clear Creek trailhead area.
June 24 Search with injury, no rescue At 1800 hours the Siskiyou County SAR was notified of a missing 25 year old female climber. She had left her climbing partner at 13,600 ft. and continued to the summit alone. He waited for her to return, but she did not and he became cold enough that he decided to descend and wait for her at Lake Helen (10,400 ft.). When she still didn’t return, he called 911. A California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter was used at last light to search for her and was unsuccessful. Due to low light they terminated the air search. USFS Climbing Rangers hiked up from the trailhead in the dark to search for her and other Climbing Rangers searched other likely trailheads on the SE and E side of the mountain where missing Avalanche Gulch climbers often end up. All Climbing Rangers finished their searches at 0130 hours on June 25. At 0630 hours the search continued with the CHP helicopter, USFS Climbing Rangers and Siskiyou County SAR. At 0830 a call was received from a logging camp on the SE side of the mountain where the missing climber had arrived. She was interviewed in the hospital where it was found that she had reached the summit, made contact with one of the USFS Climbing Rangers and then descended off route onto the Konwakiton glacier and below into the steep cliff section in Mud Creek canyon. She fell several times while descending, receiving multiple bruises and a fractured left arm. She continued down to the lower falls and then climbed out of Mud Creek canyon and huddled next to a log for the night. The next morning she continued descending until she hit a logging road and later found the logging camp. She had climbed Mt. Shasta once before, but had no other mountaineering experience. She had no helmet, no ice axe, no crampons (only “yak trax” chains on light weight boots).
Comments: Group separation remains the number one reason for missing climbers on Mt. Shasta. Pre-trip preparation can familiarize climbers with the route and certain terrain features to look for. Carrying and knowing how to use a map and compass can be critical in keeping yourself from becoming lost. Come prepared.
July 1 Public Assist A USFS Climbing Ranger assisted a climber with equipment problems at 12,700 ft. and was able to fix the issue. Carry the proper tools to adjust your crampons. Later, at 1300 hours, the same Climbing Ranger assisted several climbers descending through the Red Banks, from 12,700 to 12,500 ft., the “crux” of Avalanche Gulch.
July 3 Injury, no rescue A climber fell near the Heart in Avalanche Gulch (12,000 ft.) while descending and stuck his crampons into his calf, receiving multiple deep puncture wounds. A USFS Climbing Ranger at Helen Lake (10,400 ft.) made contact with the climber at 1400 hours who refused assistance and descended on his own.
Comments: An ice axe and crampons are great tools for snow and ice and recommended on all routes on Mt. Shasta. However, we see puncture wounds every year due to improper use. Get some training before using these and continue to practice throughout your mountaineering career.
August 2 Search A 29 year old male climber became lost on the Clear Creek route when he became separated from his party while descending on Tuesday, July 31. When their missing partner did not show up at the camp and later at the trailhead they returned to the campsite (8500 ft.) and were unable to locate him. A search began on Wednesday, August 1 using a CHP helicopter but nothing was found. On Thursday, August 2, a much larger search began using several ground teams, search dogs and two helicopters, Cal Fire and a National Guard Black Hawk. Teams started up Mud Creek canyon from 5000 ft. and one working down the canyon from 8500 ft. The Black Hawk found the missing climber at the confluence of Mud Creek and Clear Creek (6400 ft.) and hoisted him out. He had no injuries.
August 15 Search A 28 year old male climber was hurt when he jumped into a shallow crevasse on the Hotlum glacier at around 11,400 ft. His crampon caught and he broke his tibia. He was transported by his climbing partners to camp and a Black Hawk came in to evacuate him in the evening. They were unable to hover and a Chinook was ordered for the following morning. That night, the injured climber fell when urinating and dislocated his shoulder. His trained team was able to relocate the shoulder and lower him the next morning to an appropriate landing zone at 9500 ft. He was then transported to the Weed airport and then taken by vehicle to Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta.
Comment: He was with an experienced and trained team who were able to take care of his injuries and transport him safely over the glacier and surrounding snow fields. All climbing parties on Mt. Shasta should come prepared to handle their own emergencies and know who to call and what to do.

August 25 Search Overdue climbers were reported missing on the Hotlum glacier by a lone member of their party at the 10,000 ft. high camp. The three missing climbers were supposed to have arrived at the high camp the day before at 1600 hours. The California Highway Patrol helicopter searched the area and found the group of missing climbers moving without any problems and the search was cancelled.
Comments: Again group separation was the culprit. Lack of communication between the three climbers at a higher camp and the single climber at the advanced base camp resulted in a search involving 2-3 hours of flight and work by helicopter, SAR and USFS teams.

2006 CLIMBING SEASON SUMMARY:
Another season with no climbing or avalanche related fatalities on Mt. Shasta. Additionally we had relatively few climbing rescues, only 7. Of note however was the high number of searches. This may have been a result of the deep snowpack covering trails and roads and making for longer approaches later in the year to many routes. The winter of 05/06 was wet, with the total precipitation at around 155% of normal and near record snow depths in the spring. With 24 feet of snow on the ground in April at treeline, we had a fairly good year for climbing conditions. The climbing rescues were all on the south side of the mountain and involved predominantly male climbers (86% male). The majority of the injured climbers had none to little experience mountaineering.

Searches                     10
Rescues                      7
Public Assist               0
Total                           17

            Month             #Rescues        #Searches
2006    January             0                      0
            February          0                      0
            March              0                      0

            April                 1                      0

            May                 0                      2

            June                 2                      6

            July                  2                      1

            August              1                      1

            September        1                      0

            October           0                      0

            November        0                      0

            December        0                      0

Helicopter Used                                             Rescue                        Search

            H-14/16, CHP Twinstar B3                  5                      5

            PHI – Med 45 Twinstar B3                  4                      0

            UH-60, Blackhawk, Guard                   0                      0

            CH-47, Chinook, Guard                       0                      0

            202, CDF Bell Super 205                     0                      0

            Total                                                   9                      5

Injury

            Concussion                               1

            Fracture                                   3

            Sprain/Strain                             2 (knee, back)

            Lacerations                               1 (head)

            Dislocation                               1 (ankle)

            AMS                                        1

            Bruise                                       1

            Other                                       1 (chest injury)

Route Used by:                      Injured Climber                      Lost Climber

            Avalanche Gulch                       3                                              5

            Casaval                                    1                                              1

            West Face                                3                                              0

            Cascade Gulch             0                                              1

            Green Butte/Sargents’               0                                              1

            Clear Creek                             0                                              1

            Brewer Creek                          0                                              1

Age (rescue only)

            <15                                          0

15-20                                                                             1

21-25                                                                             0

26-30                                                                             2

31-35                                                                             0

36-50                                                                             2

>50                                          2

Unknown                                 0

Gender (rescue)

            Male                                        6

Female                                     1

Immediate Cause (rescue)

            Fall/slip on snow/ice                  3

            Fall/slip on rock                        1

            Falling rock                              1

            Ascended too fast                     1

            Exceeded abilities                     1

Contributing Causes (rescue)

            Exceeded abilities                     4

            Climbing alone              2

            Poor position                            1

Incident occurred while: (rescue)

            Ascending                                4

            Descending                               3

Helmet (rescue)

            Helmet worn                             6

            No helmet                                1

            Unknown                                 0

Climbing Incidents of 2006

April 28

An experienced 17 year old male was climbing alone to train for a Denali climb this season. He fell while down climbing in loose rocks on Casaval ridge at 0345 hours. He was at approximately 11,000 ft. He slid on snow/ice approximately 50 vertical feet on a 40 degree slope. A nearby party of 3 heard him yell and saw sparks when he hit rocks. The party of 3 were WFR trained and responded, finding a 2 inch laceration below his helmet (BD Half Dome) and above his ear. There was no loss of consciousness and the victim remained alert and oriented. However, he was a bit flustered and a concussion was suspected so the party of 3 assisted him descending to their high camp at 9600 ft. After resting there, they continued to assist him to the trailhead and eventually to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta at 0900 hours.

A good reason not to climb alone, but this was a great case of the type of climber camaraderie which should always exist. A trained group gave up their summit plans to assist another climber in need.

June 3

At 0750 hours, a 41 year old male climber fell on snow/ice while ascending at approximately 12,500 ft. at the base of the Red Banks in Avalanche Gulch. He attempted to self arrest, but was unsuccessful and fell/slid 1100 vertical feet. During the fall, his left crampon caught, fracturing and dislocating his left leg and ankle with multiple bruises and abrasions on much of his body from the fall. A nearby guide observed the fall and called 911. Climbing Rangers from Helen Lake (10,400 ft.) were notified and responded, arriving at approximately 0845 hours at 11,400 ft. The Climbing Rangers and guide stabilized the injured leg and began lowering the victim in a SKED. On a lower angle slope at 11,000 ft. two other Climbing Rangers arrived at 1130 hours with a break-down toboggan. The injury was evaluated again. The leg was deformed, out of alignment and his circulation was becoming compromised due to swelling. Helicopter evacuation would be delayed and it was decided that it would be faster to sled the victim to an ambulance at the trailhead. The victim was transferred to the toboggan and transported to Bunny Flat trailhead (7000 ft.), arriving at 1300 hours. He was then transported to the ground ambulance and taken to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta.

He suffered multiple fractures in the leg/ankle area along with dislocation at the ankle. He had emergency surgery that evening and later surgeries to repair the ankle joint. He spent several months recovering and learning to walk again. He had little mountaineering experience, but was using appropriate clothing and equipment, including a helmet. The weather was stable and mild while the route remained firm and smooth.

June 4

A 26 year old male climber on the West Face route fell while climbing at 1200 hours. He was unable to self arrest and fell/slid approximately 1300 vertical feet, stopping at 12,000 ft. Four Climbing Rangers were notified and responded from the Helen Lake high camp (10,400 ft), arriving with gear at 1300 hours. The victim had multiple bruises and abrasions on much of his body and had suffered a knee injury. A helicopter was requested and lowering began. The victim was lowered 2700 vertical feet in a SKED to a good LZ in Hidden Valley at 9300 ft. At 1620 hours the victim was loaded into a medical helicopter and transported to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta.

July 2

A 39 year old male climber complained of severe back pains while in his camp at 7900 ft. He was spending a few days traveling at lower elevations in an attempt to acclimatize for a commercial trip. He had a previous back injury which was aggravated. His pain prevented him from returning to the trailhead under his own power and a helicopter was requested. A medical helicopter used a nearby LZ at 7900 ft. and transported the victim to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta at 2000 hours.

July 15

At 0430 hours, the Climbing Ranger at the Helen Lake high camp (10,400 ft.) was notified of a 54 year old male climber sick with AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). The Climbing Ranger monitored the sick climber every 30 minutes and found that his condition was worsening, showing signs of severe AMS. At 1100 hours, a helicopter evacuation was requested. Due to warm air temperatures limiting helicopter use at that elevation, the Climbing Ranger lowered the sick climber in a SKED to 9200 ft., arriving at 1230 hours. A medical helicopter arrived at 1300 hours, transporting the sick climber to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta.

Climbers should learn to identify the signs of altitude illness, even on lower elevation mountains like the Cascades. While AMS is common, pulmonary and cerebral edema can and have occurred on Mt. Shasta. Identifying the symptoms in yourself or your partners and deciding to turn around before conditions worsen and you are unable to descend, prevents putting rescuers at risk during evacuations and can save you a lot of money!

August 10

A 59 year old male fell while on loose rocks while descending from Hidden Valley at 1500 hours. A Climbing Ranger was notified at 1600 hours and left the trailhead at 1625 hours, arriving on scene at 1720 hours. The victim’s leg had been splinted by the Horse Camp caretaker, suspecting an ankle fracture. The medical helicopter dropped two crew members at an LZ at 9200 ft who descended to the scene arriving at 1745 hours. Because of the steep slope, the victim was placed on a stretcher and carried at 1820 hours through the loose rocks 0.33 miles to an LZ at 8100 ft. He was loaded into the helicopter at 1900 hours and transported to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta.

September 6

Two separate parties (totaling 4 people) were climbing Avalanche Gulch in the poor September conditions (loose rocks, lack of snow). Unfamiliar with the route, they veered off route at 13,000 ft. and crossed the open Konwakiton glacier. Untrained in glacier travel, they were uncomfortable with this route and decided to descend via another route. They chose the West Face route which had even less snow on it than Avalanche Gulch. While descending, one member left, choosing yet another route. The other 3 continued down the West Face. At 10,200 ft. on a 35 degree slope, the 3 climbers left the snow patch, moving to loose rock. They observed both natural and human triggered rock fall and decided to move back to the snow. During that time (1645 hours), they triggered the release of a boulder and other rocks, knocking down two of the climbers and directly hitting the third. All three tumbled 100 ft. vertically and 250 ft. horizontally. The climber directly hit was a 30 year old female and she was found by her climbing partners moaning and with difficult breathing. The other climbers had only minor injuries. They called 911 at 1800 hours. The injured climber was assisted by her partners to low angle terrain at 9200 ft. The phone call was scratchy and two CHP helicopters began to search at 1845 hours. Due to lack of snow, the climbers blended in well with the rocks and were not spotted until 1925 hours. and evacuated at 1940 hours. They were all flown to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta where the 45 year old female and 40 year old male declined treatment. The 30 year old female was treated for broken ribs, bruising and hematoma damage to the chest and shoulder. All three wore helmets.

Mt. Shasta consists of 120 cubic miles of loose rock! Even the bedrock outcrops are not to be trusted. Therefore, the best time to climb is when the mountain is predominantly covered with snow and the avalanche danger is low. This usually occurs in the late spring to mid summer. Loose rocks and boulders along with natural rockfall occur every year by mid summer into the fall. Additionally, group separation is not recommended. The fourth climber descended alone and was not able to help his friends. Keep your group together, you may need their help or they may need you!

Non Climbing Incidents on Mt. Shasta 2006

            Rescue                                     3

            Search                                      2

Month

April 1

May 1

August 2

October 1

Gender

Male 4

Female 1

Age

15 – 20 3

36 – 50 1

>50 1

Helicopter Used

CHP 2

PHI 2

Non Climbing Incidents:

April 23

A 15 year old male snowboarder became lost while descending from Bunny Flat (7000 ft.). A search began and the CHP helicopter was used. He was found that evening 0.5 miles above town on the Everitt Memorial Highway with no injuries.

May 7

A 19 year old woman was injured while climbing up the deep snow bank at the Bunny Flat trailhead. Rangers assisted stabilizing her suspected fractured ankle and positioned her in her own vehicle where she was transported to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta. She had recently fractured the same ankle.

August 11

A male, approximately 45 years old, was injured while hiking near South Gate Meadow. He was transported to Mercy Medical Center by the PHI/Med 45 helicopter. He suffered fractures on his right ankle and surgery was required.

August 28

A 16 year old male was injured while hiking near Ash Creek falls. With a suspected back injury in this remote area, he was transported to Mercy Medical Center by the PHI/Med 45 helicopter.

October 24

A 60 year old male was hiking from the Clear Creek trailhead and became lost. He bivouacked 1 night and was found the next day in Mud Creek by the CHP helicopter. He had no injuries.

2005 CLIMBING SEASON SUMMARY:
Winter continued into late June. The USDA Forest Service Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center issued an Avalanche Warning on June 18 when 2-3 feet of snow had fallen over 48 hours. The extended winter provided poor conditions for what is usually our peak climbing season, May and June. Thus our total use numbers were down 25% for the 2005 climbing season and we in turn saw fewer search, rescue and public assist incidents. Other unusual numbers this season included much more garbage than usual, less human waste than usual, and many more warnings were issued for climbers without a summit pass. There were no climbing fatalities this season, but of note was a plane crash in which the pilot was killed (no other persons were on board). This accident occurred during the strong storm of June 16-18 and in a remote area. All but one of the climbing accidents occurred on the Avalanche Gulch route and all were male. Several of the accidents included long slide/tumble/falls.

MT. SHASTA WILDERNSS
INCIDENT SUMMARY
2005

Searches                     2
Rescues                      7
Public Assist               0
Total                           9

            Month             #Incidents
2005    January             1 (search)
            February          0
            March              0
            April                 0
            May                 1
            June                 4
            July                  1
          August              0
            September        0
          October           2 (1 was search)
            November        0
            December        0

Helicopter Used
            H-14/16, CHP Twinstar B3                  3
            UH-60, Blackhawk, Guard                   0
            CH-47, Chinook, Guard                       0
            202, CDF Bell Super 205                     3
            Total                                                    6

Injury
Abrasion/Contusion                  5
Fracture                                   3 (1 was jaw)
Sprain                                      2 (knee ligaments)
Hematoma                                1 (pelvis/lower back)
Lacerations                               1 (head, including bone fragments)
Dislocation                               1 (shoulder)

Route Used by Injured Climber
Avalanche Gulch                       6
Hotlum/Wintun             1

Age (rescue only)
<15                                          0
15-20                                                                             0
21-25                                                                             0
26-30                                                                             2
31-35                                                                             1
36-50                                                                             1
>50                                          2
Unknown                                 1

Gender (rescue)
Male                                        7
Female                                     0

Gender (search)
Male                                        2
Female                                     1

Immediate Cause (rescue)
Fall/slip on snow/ice                  6
Loss of control during
voluntary glissade                      1

Contributing Causes (rescue)
Exceeded abilities                     7

Incident occurred while: (rescue)
Ascending                                3
Descending                               4

Helmet (rescue)
Helmet worn                             1
No helmet                                2
Unknown                                 4

Incidents of 2005

January 27
2 male snowboarders (17 and 19 years old) became lost riding below Bunny Flat on what is known as the Kilimanjaro run which ends at the Wagon Camp hairpin turn on the Everitt Memorial Highway. They were last seen at 1630 hours. They had never done this run before and when they realized they were lost they tried to climb back up their tracks to Bunny Flat. It was storming and their snowboard tracks quickly became covered. Travel was difficult. They dug a snow cave to stay warm. A search began with some local snowmobilers and the Siskiyou County SAR. Eventually the lost snowboarders hiked up to Bunny Flat and no one was there. They broke into one of the SAR vehicles to get inside and warm up. They were found at 0400 on 1/28 and were mildly hypothermic.

May 29
A 58 year old male was observed falling in Avalanche Gulch by a USFS Climbing Ranger at 0830 hrs. The climber fell and tumbled 1000 vertical feet. The Climbing Ranger down climbed to the victim at 11,000 ft. and found a suspected fractured ankle and multiple abrasions and contusions on the extremities. 2 other Climbing Rangers arrived and lowered the injured climber to Lake Helen (10,400 ft.) where he could be placed in the Rangers’ tent to be warmed, re-examined and stabilized. Possible rib fractures were also noted at this time. The Rangers then re-packaged the injured climber into a SKED and skied him to Bunny Flat (7000 ft.). He was taken by Ambulance from Bunny Flat at 1300 hrs.

June 12
A 33 year old male was observed falling in Avalanche Gulch by a USFS Climbing Ranger at 0815 hrs. Strong winds had knocked the climber over while he was adjusting his crampons. He had fallen and tumbled for 1100 vertical feet. The Climbing Ranger arrived at 0835 hrs at 11,500 ft. The climber had multiple abrasions and contusions and was flustered. No other injuries were found. The Climbing Ranger placed a harness on the injured climber and attached a short rope. They down climbed to the Rangers’ tent at Lake Helen (10,400 ft.) where the injured climber was warmed, re-examined and stabilized by a second Climbing Ranger at 1000 hrs. The injured climber was not wearing a helmet, had little mountaineering experience, was not carrying a day pack and had no additional clothing or any eye protection. After monitoring the injured climber, he was determined stable enough to descend to the trailhead on his own (with his climbing partner) without assistance from the Climbing Rangers.

June 12
A 29 year old male climber on the Hotlum/Wintun route fell while descending at approximately 1100 hrs. He was attempting to put his skis on while on a steep slope (~40 degrees). He fell over 1000 ft. and impacted a talus/scree pile which stopped his fall. Another climber down climbed and hiked out to call 911. This took several hours. The Siskiyou County SAR coordinated a rescue with 2 helicopters. 4 USFS Climbing Rangers and 4 SAR members were flown to 8500 ft. on the east side of the mountain. Strong winds prevented landing any higher. They climbed up to the injured climber where he was found conscious, alert and stable. The rescue party packaged him and prepared for a lowering. The injured climber was mildly hypothermic, had injuries to the head, jaw, lower back/pelvis, right knee and a dislocated right shoulder. Fortunately in the late evening at 2030 hrs, winds decreased enough for CDF helicopter 202 to hover over the scene at 12,000 ft. and short haul the injured climber to a lower elevation where he was transferred to a CHP helicopter with a paramedic on board. He was then flown to the hospital where he remained for several days. The rescue party down climbed and skied to treeline by headlamp and continued a 7 mile ski/hike out in the dark. The injured climber had moderate mountaineering experience but this was his first climb on Mt. Shasta. He was not wearing a helmet.

June 24
A male climber fell while ascending Avalanche Gulch. He fell approximately 800 vertical feet at 1030 hrs. A USFS Climbing Ranger arrived at 11,400 feet and assisted the injured climber to Lake Helen (10,400 ft.). He had multiple abrasions and contusions to his mid section and arms. He was warmed and bandaged in the Rangers’ tent. After monitoring the injured climber, he was deemed capable of descending to the trailhead without further assistance.

June 30
A 64 year old male climber fell while descending below the Avalanche Gulch high camp at Lake Helen. Siskiyou County SAR responded. His left knee was injured and he was flown out at 1700 hrs by CHP helicopter H-16.

July 31
A 36 year old male fell 800 ft. while descending Avalanche Gulch. He had been glissading on firm snow and lost control. He was unsuccessful at self arrest and continued to fall, stopping at 11,400 ft. He sustained abrasions and contusions but did not request any assistance. He descended with his climbing partner to Lake Helen (10,400 ft). At 1035 hrs. assistance was requested with a 911 call. He was evacuated from Helen Lake by CDF helicopter 202 and transported to Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta.

October 10
A 28 year old experienced climber fell while descending the Avalanche Gulch route. His fall was at 0830 hrs and began at 12,300 ft. He was able to self arrest after falling 15 feet, but his left crampon had caught during the fall. The displacement was obvious and his partners were able to align and splint his lower leg. They also called 911. Another climbing party assisted in lowering the injured climber to 11,500 ft.. Siskiyou County SAR, USFS Climbing Rangers, CHP helicopter H-14 and CDF helicopter 202 coordinated the rescue. The injured climber was short hauled by CDF helicopter 202 to the search base at 7800 ft. where he was examined and stabilized. He was then flown with a paramedic in CHP helicopter H-14 to Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta.

October 12
A 68 year old woman became lost below Avalanche Gulch and the Horse Camp cabin. A 911 call was made and Siskiyou County SAR, USFS Climbing Rangers and CHP helicopter H-14 coordinated the search. She was found by H-14 and flown to an LZ at 7800 ft. where she was met by USFS Climbing Rangers and Siskiyou County SAR. She had no injuries and was returned to her vehicle.

MT. SHASTA WILDERNESS SUMMARY 2004
Although the 03-04 winter began strong with well above normal snowpack in early March, it ended early with a dry and warm March and April. The 2004 Climbing Season on Mt. Shasta started out with nice weather early in March with the high pressure pretty much setting up, with a few NW wind events producing well over 100 mph winds. We only received 41 inches of snow in both March and April and had record warm temps for the rest of the early summer, which in turn shortened the climbing season with the best conditions in April, May and June. Due to the lean snowpack at the start of the climbing season we had our earliest opening on record of the North and Eastside trailheads. We opened them before Memorial Day weekend.

The first fatality in 3 years occurred in March with most of the other incidents taking place during May and June. All of the reported incidents were on the south side of the mountain and predominantly involved the John Muir/Avalanche Gulch route. One winter search/rescue took place during the biggest storm of the year in late December when a stranded climber called for help. Most of the injuries occurred while climbers were descending and involved typical fractures and dislocations of the extremities. Three interesting or unusual events occurred: 1) ice axe puncture/penetration to neck; 2) two injured climbers were rescued by their own party; and 3) none of the injuries were caused by rockfall. As usual, in all of the searches, party separation was a major contributing cause.

RANGERS

The Mt. Shasta Wilderness Climbing Rangers consisted of two seasonal rangers and two full time rangers this year. They regularly patrolled the wilderness, spending approximately 75% of their time on the mountain patrolling the routes, educating visitors, cleaning the bivy sites and restrooms at the trailheads and assisting in searches. Approximately 70% of their time spent on the mountain was mainly on the southside, where most of the visitors are concentrated. They provided wilderness education classes to various school and special interest groups. The rangers facilitated over 8 “So you want to Climb Mt. Shasta” power point presentations, at various REI’s in Northern California for approximately 800 aspiring climbers. They regularly updated the web page, which houses a climbing report and photos about two times a week throughout the climbing season. This information provided on the web page: (www.shastaavalanche.org) provides climbers, skiers, snowboarders and other visitors with instant access to avalanche and climbing route advisories, plus online weather data and links for Mt. Shasta area. This web page also provides future visitors educational material to help prevent accidents, information on how to minimize the impact that visitors can impose in a fragile alpine environment and links to our partners: Three permitted outfitter guides and the Sierra Club. The rangers also tried something new by trying to educate future climbers and wilderness visitors via the web page and climbing hotline (530-926-9613) that climbing in the middle of the week would insure them that they would not have the crowds that folks usually experience on the weekend. The thought was also to help minimize and spread out the impact of the fragile environment.

Climbing and Wilderness Use
The crowds seemed to come in waves in the month of March - May mainly on the weekends, then the numbers steadily increased through the month of June lasting through the end of July. The snowpack became very thin earlier than normal this year especially on the southside, and we found that more folks were trying other routes on various sides of the mountain.

Approximately 7600 summit passes were sold.
Approximately 24,105 visitor days were recorded on wilderness permits from five different trailheads.
SEARCH, RESCUE, PUBLIC ASSIST = 17
GARBAGE REMOVED BY RANGERS = 86 pounds
HUMAN WASTE REMOVED BY RANGERS = 109 pounds
WARNINGS ISSUED FOR FAILURE TO PAY RECREATION FEE = 38

OTHER WARNINGS/INCIDENT REPORTS:

Dogs in Wilderness 2

ATV in Wilderness 1

Snowmobile in Wilderness 1

Vandalism 2

Illegal campfire 9

Damage to stream 2

MT. SHASTA WILDERNESS INCIDENT SUMMARY 2004

Searches 6

Rescue/Recovery 10 (2 were performed without agency assistance)

Public Assist 1

Total 17

Month # Incidents

2004 January 0

February 0

March 1

April 0

May 4

June 7

July 0

August 2

September 2

October 0

November 0

December 1

Helicopter Used

H-1, Mercy Hospital A-Star 0

H-14/16, CHP Twinstar B3 10

UH-60, Blackhawk, Guard 1

CH-47, Chinook, Guard 0

202, CDF Bell Super 205 3

Total 14

Injury

Fracture, lower extremity 4 (ankle)

Puncture/Penetration 1 (neck)

Head 1

Neck (Spinal fracture) 1

Sprain/Strain 1 (ligament damage to knee)

Dislocation – Shoulder 1

Dislocation - Hip 1

Dislocation – Patella 1

Route Used During SAR Incident

Avalanche Gulch 15

Casaval Ridge 2

Age (rescue only)

<15 0

15-20 0

21-25 2

26-30 0

31-35 0

36-50 1

> 50 0

Unknown 7

Gender (all SAR)

Male 10

Female 7

Immediate Cause (Rescue)

Fall/slip on snow/ice 4

Unknown 6

Contributory Causes (Rescue)

Exceeded ability 3

Inadequate clothing/equipment 2

Unknown 5

Incident Occurred While…

Ascending 1

Descending 9

2004 Incident Descriptions

March 16, 2004

Two brothers were climbing the Casaval Ridge route on the SW side of Mt. Shasta. They had attempted this same route the year before and had some familiarity with the route. High pressure had been in place for past two weeks with spring conditions creating a hard snow surface, softening a mid and lower elevations by early afternoon. At close to 12,000 feet on the ridge, the younger brother, 21 years old, was around 30 feet ahead when he tripped and fell at 1000 hours. This area drops steeply to the west into Hidden Valley. It appears that he attempted to self arrest, but was unable and began to slide on the firm snow. His pathway of travel suggests he hit some rock outcrops during the slide, which continued for 1000 vertical feet. The older brother down climbed to help and found his brother unresponsive, with a severe head injury, and very labored breathing. He stayed with his brother until 1200 hours when he decided to descend and seek help. It wasn’t until around 1400 hours that he was able to make contact with another climber who could use a cell phone to call for help. The other climber descended with the older brother and drove him to the USFS Ranger Station in Mt. Shasta City.

The California Highway Patrol helicopter flew to the mountain and obtained coordinates of the injured brother. Then they flew two Siskiyou County SAR members near the scene at around 1550 hours. The brother was found deceased from severe head and spinal injuries and was flown out. The deceased climbers’ ice axe was found two weeks later, but a helmet was never found.

Comments: Although the Casaval Ridge route is not specifically technical, it is very exposed throughout most of the route and long falls occur almost yearly. It is unknown if fatigue led to the climber tripping or how experienced he was in self arrest. However, it is a strong reminder to all climbers to regularly practice self-arrest and to climb slowly in exposed areas, making sure each step is secure.

May 2, 2004

A male snowboarder descending Avalanche Gulch wandered off route below treeline and became lost at around 7200 feet. It was reported to two USFS Climbing Rangers at around 1400 hours and they began a search. Tracks were found descending past Sand Flat and into McBride canyon. The Rangers located the missing snowboarder near the Everritt Memorial Highway at around 1600 hours. He was uninjured.

May 15, 2004

A 44 year old male, who had climbed Avalanche Gulch 3 times previously, was attempting a one day ascent of the route with 3 other climbers with little experience. Their ascent was off route and they found themselves on Green Butte ridge in the early morning. 2 climbers traversed into Avalanche Gulch while the other two continued up Green Butte to Sargents ridge (much more challenging than Avalanche Gulch). Weather deteriorated and the upper mountain was in a whiteout. Because of this and lack of experience, the two climbers in Avalanche Gulch stopped climbing and descended. The 44 year old and his other partner on the ridge became separated and lost radio communication. The 44 year old reached the summit and radioed the other party members that he was descending. His other partner waited for him at 13,200 feet for around 3 hours, but he never appeared. The other 3 members of his party met at lower elevations and descended together.

A search began the next morning at 0700 hours with the Siskiyou County SAR team, two CHP helicopters and 2 USFS Climbing Rangers. Later in the day a California Air Guard Blackhawk assisted in the search.

While descending in the whiteout conditions from the summit, the 44 year old climber was unknowingly on the NW side of the mountain and is suspected to have descended the Whitney-Bolam ridge. He luckily had extra warm clothes and a stove with him when he bivouacked near the Whitney Glacier terminus. The following day he descended to Highway 97 and hitch-hiked back to the Bunny Flat trailhead on the south side of the mountain where the two Climbing Rangers met him.

Comments: Several things are learned from this incident – climbing into deteriorating weather is NOT recommended; party separation is one of the primary causes of lost climbers; a map, compass and GPS are great tools to use, especially because there is NO trail to the summit of Mt. Shasta and lower elevation trails are covered in snow until mid to late summer.

May 23, 2004

A 42 year old male became separated from his climbing party while descending the south side of the mountain. A search began the next morning and he was found by CHP helicopter H-16 in lower Cascade Gulch. Local skiers and snowmobilers were also used during the search.

May 30, 2004

A woman descending Avalanche Gulch injured her ankle with a suspected fracture. A USFS Climbing Ranger assisted the woman and she was evacuated by CHP helicopter H-14. No other information is available.

June 4, 2004

A woman became separated from her climbing party while descending Avalanche Gulch. A search began on June 5 and the woman was found by CHP helicopter H-14 near Sand Flat with no injuries or other problems. (Note: Sand flat is 0.5 miles from the Everitt Memorial Highway on Mt. Shasta)

June 4, 2004

A 40 year old woman became separated from her climbing party while descending Avalanche Gulch. On a search the next morning she was found by CHP helicopter H-14 in Cascade gulch with no injuries.

June 5, 2004

A 47 year old woman became lost while descending Avalanche Gulch below treeline. She called out on her cell phone and a search began in the evening. She was found by CHP helicopter H-14 and evacuated. She had no injuries.

June 5, 2004

A male climber was injured while descending Avalanche Gulch. With a suspected fractured ankle, his climbing party stabilized his injury and made a makeshift sled with a sleeping pad and began lowering him from 10,400 feet. A USFS Climbing Ranger was informed of the injury and made contact with the victim and party at 8000 feet. They denied any treatment or assistance and the Ranger found the situation to be well under control. Another USFS Climbing Ranger followed them to the trailhead in case they should need help.

June 7, 2004

A male climber dislocated his knee while descending Avalanche Gulch below Lake Helen at around 1030 hours. His climbing party was able to stabilize his leg and assist him in descending and returning to the trailhead by around 1600 hours.

Comments: Like the last two incidents, all climbers and hikers should take responsibility for themselves and be prepared to handle accidents should they occur. First Aid training, equipment and the creative skill of using the equipment you carry with you to stabilize, rescue and evacuate a member of your party is unfortunately uncommon. Great job by both of these climbing parties!

June 10, 2004

A 46 year old female dislocated her hip in lower Avalanche Gulch below treeline. Her partner called for help on a cell phone and one Siskiyou County SAR member hiked in over the snow and found them about 0.5 miles above Bunny Flat trailhead. CHP helicopter H-16 flew in and evacuated the injured woman.

June 11, 2004

A search began for an overdue climber on the south side of Mt. Shasta. His car was found at the Bunny Flat trailhead. Two USFS Climbing Rangers were on the mountain and began a search in the high camp and making contact with climbers. One other Climbing Ranger and the District Ranger began a search by vehicle at lower elevations. The climber returned that night uninjured.

June 28, 2004

A woman injured her knee while descending at around 12,700 feet. A thunder cell was over the mountain restricting rescue and making the victim’s location dangerous for lightning. With the assistance of another climber in her party, she was able to descend to their camp at 10,400 feet that evening. The next morning, CHP helicopter H-14 was able to evacuate the injured climber from 10,400 feet to the hospital in Mt. Shasta City.

August, 2004

A woman injured her ankle in Avalanche Gulch with a suspected fracture. A USFS Climbing Ranger assisted the woman and she was evacuated by CHP helicopter H-14. No other information is available.

August 13, 2004

A 23 year old female was descending Avalanche Gulch. She had no previous experience with mountaineering. Conditions on the Avalanche Gulch route were poor, with most of the snow melted, leaving steep areas of snow, ice and scree. The woman was descending with her party on a variation of the standard route. This area, know as “left of heart”, had a little more snow, but still had firm snow and unstable scree. The woman was descending at 11,800 feet with the ice axe spike pointing upwards toward her body (an unusual ice axe position). She slipped, landing on the ice axe with the spike penetrating her neck into the trachea. She reported difficulty breathing. Another climber who was a physician assisted in proper bandaging of her neck injury. He stayed with her while her party descended to the high camp at 10,400 feet to get help.

A USFS Climbing Ranger was ascending to the high camp and made contact with one of the victim’s party members at 1130 hours. The Climbing Ranger began communications with the USFS and the Siskiyou County SAR team to begin a rescue and evacuation. Additionally, the Climbing Ranger enlisted 4 other climbers at the high camp to assist in the rescue. The rescue party carried gear from the rescue cache and began ascending to the victim at 1150 hours. They arrived at the accident scene at 1220 hours. CDF helicopter 202 was on standby with a 10 minute eta. The Climbing Ranger requested helicopter evacuation due to the compromised airway. Additionally, CHP helicopter H-14 had flown over performing reconnaissance on location, flight conditions and rescue potential on the steep slope. They were unable to perform the mission but CDF helicopter 202 could.

CDF 202 was able to short haul the victim from 11,800 feet to 10,400 feet where she was transferred to the CHP H-14 helicopter and flown directly to Redding Medical Center. She remained in the hospital on a feeding tube for one week and was then released. <>

Comment: Ice axes and crampons are great tools for snow and ice. However, they are very sharp and untrained climbers receive puncture and penetration injuries yearly on Mt. Shasta. It is recommended that all climbers learn and practice proper techniques with these mountaineering tools.

September 5, 2004

The Avalanche Gulch route was in very poor climbing condition during this Labor Day weekend. With most of the snow melted, leaving a steep slope of very loose rock, climbing is more difficult and dangerous due to falling rock. A 23 year old male climber with little experience, no equipment and inappropriate clothing began ascending at 0900 hours (a late start for average climbers on Mt. Shasta).

A USFS Climbing Ranger was at the high camp, but not climbing due to the poor and dangerous conditions. He had advised the other climbers of these dangers the night before. When the solo, 23 year old climber did not return to the high camp, the Climbing Ranger became concerned and asked other climbers if they had seen him. He was climbing in running shoes, cotton jeans and a sweatshirt and did not have an ice axe, ski poles, helmet, mountaineering boots, etc… and had apparently taken a steeper variation of the normal route.

In the last light of the day, the Climbing Ranger spotted the missing climber, descending at 12,500 feet. The missing climber had a flashlight, but it went out at around 2000 hours. The Climbing Ranger ascended the route, finding the missing climber cold, tired and not moving at 11,200 feet. He was assisted by the Ranger with light and ski poles back to the high camp at 2200 hours.

Comment: The best time to climb Mt. Shasta is usually in the late spring and early summer when the unstable loose rock is covered with stable snow pack. Additionally, challenging weather is possible any day of the year on Mt. Shasta, with hypothermia, frostbite and death from exposure possible even during the summer months. Proper equipment and clothing (NO cotton!) along with extra warm clothes, food and water should always be used. Headlamps with back-up batteries are recommended, and climbing and descending early in the day allows for more “flex” time during daylight hours. Solo climbing is not recommended.

September, 2004

A male climber dislocated his shoulder in Avalanche Gulch. A USFS Climbing Ranger assisted the injured climber and helped with evacuation by CDF helicopter 202. No other information is available.

December 26-28, 2004

A 46 year old male climber was attempting a solo winter climb on Casaval Ridge. He had attempted winter climbs on Mt. Shasta before and experienced the harsh weather. He came by the USFS Ranger Station on December 22 at which time he was advised of the difficult winter conditions: high winds are common above treeline and destroy and blow tents away every year; camping at or below treeline is recommended; a storm is expected after the December 25, although the snowfall amount is currently uncertain; expect high winds and poor visibility; climbers have died on Mt. Shasta in similar conditions; even with a small amount of snowfall, avalanche conditions will increase due to the current snowpack conditions. By December 24, a “Heavy Snow Advisory” had been posted for the last week of December.

The solo climber started in the good weather of December 25^th and camped at 10,200 feet. Snowfall began on the 26^th and strong winds developed. He decided not to climb and stayed in his tent. Soon the snowfall became heavy and strong winds continued. He became concerned and contacted the Siskiyou County Sheriff for advice. Because of the blizzard conditions and increasing avalanche danger surrounding his camp, he was recommended to stay put and advised that a rescue was not possible in the current conditions. He said he had food and supplies and could stay put.

Heavy snowfall (36 inches) plus wind deposition, continually buried his tent and caused it to collapse. Winds were measured at 40-50 mph at 8000 feet and expected to be higher at upper elevations. The avalanche danger, posted by the Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center rose from Moderate on the 25^th to Considerable on the 26^th to High on the 27^th and High/Considerable on the 28^th. The climber requested a rescue on the 27^th.

The evening of the 27^th a rescue began. Snowfall was heavy, winds were strong the road up the mountain was closed and the avalanche danger was High. One of the USFS Avalanche Specialists provided weather and avalanche reports to the Siskiyou County SAR team throughout the evening and into the morning of the 28^thas well as preferred travel routes. A snowcat took 3 SAR members from the gate closure at 5000 feet on the mountain road up to 6500 feet where they began skiing toward the bottom of Casaval ridge, outside of avalanche paths. They later retreated to the Horse Camp cabin at 7900 feet.

Despite advise to stay put, the climber descended on the evening of the 27^th. This descent involves crossing many slopes with a history of avalanche activity. He ended up descending below treeline and dug a snow cave.

The next morning, the SAR team of 3 began searching the area below Casaval ridge. Additionally, a CHP helicopter was asked to assist, if weather conditions permitted. Luckily, they arrived just in time as the clouds lifted to 10,000 feet. Winds were measured at 40 mph from the east, making flight conditions challenging. However, they were able to spot the climber and give directions to the SAR team on the ground who then made contact with the climber. He was determined to be in fair condition and the SAR team assisted him in descending where they met a snow cat and traveled down the road to the gate closure at 5000 feet.

Comments: Solo climbing and climbing into deteriorating conditions are not recommended. The weather forecast should be watched until the last minute before your climb and you should monitor the weather for changes during your climb. Natural and human triggered avalanches occur every year on Mt. Shasta and climbers have died in avalanches on Mt. Shasta. Winter climbing is best for experienced mountaineers.

RESCUES, ASSISTS & INCIDENTS – 2003 CLIMBING SEASON:
Mt. Shasta Wilderness & Recreation Area

GARBAGE
Rangers removed approximately 118 pounds of garbage from the wilderness. An additional 600 pounds was removed from the Bunny Flat area during the early winter (picnic tables and metal rails used for ski/snowboard tricks).

HUMAN WASTE
    Rangers removed approximately 112 pounds of human waste from the wilderness.

Human waste removed by climbers was approximately 2.5 tons.

WARNING NOTICE – FAILURE TO PAY RECREATION FEE
Approximately 44 individuals were issued warnings for failure to pay summit pass fees.

OTHER VIOLATIONS
    Vandalism to US property        1
    Dog in Wilderness            7
    Snowmobile use in wilderness    3
    Snowmobile use in closed area    1
    Camping too close to stream        1
    Camping too close to meadow    1
    Parking out of parking area on plants    1
    Damming stream            2
    Illegal fire rings            10

SEARCHES, RESCUES, AND ASSISTS
    Search        3
    Rescue        5 (plus 2 outside of wilderness)
    Assists        17
    Total        25

CLIMBING USE
    Summit Passes sold            ~7800

SUMMARY
    With above normal snowpack, climbing conditions remained fairly good through most of the season (May-September). This was the third year with no fatalities and decreasing rescues and searches. Helicopters were used only twice for rescues. A helicopter was used once during a search. Of the three searches, two involved climbing parties who ran later than expected and had to bivouac, while one involved a lost climber.
    One contributing cause to this decrease in searches and rescues may be due to climbing safety education and information provided by the Mt. Shasta Climbing Rangers through: presentations in retail stores and outdoor clubs, contact with the public on the mountain, the web page and the telephone recording. In addition, information provided by the Station’s front desk personnel has added to the public’s safety.
    Commercial climbing guides performed two rescues and one search involving their clients.
    As far as search, rescue and public assists go, it was a quiet season on Mt. Shasta.

    Outside of the Mt. Shasta Wilderness, there are a few incidents worth mentioning. First was a report of a rock climbing injury at Cantara, along the upper Sacramento river, SW of town. No further information has been discovered. Second was the death of two Mt. Shasta climbers who were returning home on Interstate 5 and the driver fell asleep at the wheel. Their vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic. And last, a Climbing Ranger assisted in rescuing an injured snowshoer at Castle Lake, using a toboggan to transport the victim across the frozen lake.

MT. SHASTA WILDERNESS
INCIDENT SUMMARY
2003

Searches        3
Rescues        5
Assists        17 individuals/5 incidents
Accident,
No Assistance    1
Total            26

Month        # Incidents
2003    January    0
    February    0
    March    1
    April        0
    May        0
    June        7
    July        2
    August    4
    September    0
    October    0
    November    0
December    0

Helicopter Used
    H-1, Mercy A-Star            0
    H-14, CHP Twinstar B3        1
    UH-60, Blackhawk, Guard    0
    Pavehawk                0
    CH-47, Chinook, Guard        0
    202, CDF Bell Super 205        1
    Total                    2

Injury
    Fracture, upper extremity        1
    Fracture, lower extremity        1
    Fracture, ribs            1
    Laceration                1
    Abrasions                2
    Puncture/Penetrations        0
    Head                    1
    Neck                    0
    Bruise/Contusion/Hematoma    2
    Sprain/Strain            1 (ligament damage to knee)
    Concussion                0
    Frostbite                0
    Hypothermia            2
    Dislocation-shoulder        0
    Dislocation-hip            0
    Dislocation                1 (patella)
    AMS                    1
    HAPE                0
    HACE                0
    Pneumothorax            1
    Other                    1

Route Used During Incident
    Avalanche                8
    Casaval Ridge            0
    West Face                0
    Cascade Gulch            0
    Whitney                 0
    Whitney/Bolam            0
    Bolam                0
    Hotlum/Bolam            1
    Hotlum                0
    Hotlum/Wintun            2
    Wintun                0
    Clear Creek                1
    Sargent’s Ridge            0
    Other                    2

Age (Rescue only)
    <15        1
15-20
21-25    1
26-30
31-35
36-50    1
>50        2
Unknown

Gender (Rescue only)
    Male        2
    Female    3
    Unknown

Immediate Cause
    Fall/slip on rock        1
    Fall/slip on snow/ice        3
    Faulty use of crampons    1
    Falling rock/object
    Exceeded Abilities
    Exposure
    Ascended too fast
    Failure to follow route
    Fall in crevasse
    Loss of control glissading
    Failure to turn back
    Other

Contributory Causes
    Weather            1
    No protection
    Unroped
    Exposure
    Exceeded ability        3
    Inadequate clothing/Equip.    1
    Party separation

Incident Occurred While…
    Ascending        2
    Descending        3
    Other/unknown

Incidents to learn from…

June 8, 2003
    On the summit a USFS Climbing Ranger was contacted by a 25 year old woman who had the signs and symptoms of snowblindness. She had ascended the NE side of the mountain with inadequate eye protection. She was given advice and a pair of proper sunglasses and was able to descend on her own.

June 14, 2003
    A climber in his mid 40’s was hit by a falling rock while ascending the Avalanche Gulch route at 0800 hours. A USFS Climbing Ranger witnessed the impact, contacted the individual who then refused treatment. The injury appeared to be an abrasion and large contusion to the lower thigh. The individual continued climbing.

June 14, 2003 Assist
    A USFS Climbing Ranger was notified on the summit of a climber showing signs of severe AMS. The Ranger made contact with the climber whose speech had become slurred, had vomited several times, had lost hand coordination and was unable to attach his crampons. His walk showed clear signs of ataxia with multiple falls and his general condition was poor. The Ranger convinced the sick climber and his party to descend and assisted the sick climber to the Avalanche Gulch high camp at 10,400’ where he recovered after an extended rest.

June 15, 2003 Rescue
    A female climber fell while descending the Clear Creek route at 9000’. She fell approximately 150’. During the fall, her crampon caught, resulting in a fracture near her ankle. With assistance from her party, she descended to 8000’ where she was evacuated by the California Highway Patrol helicopter and flown to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta.

June 24, 2003 Search
    A 27 year old male became separated from his guided group while descending within 30 minutes of the Avalanche Gulch trailhead. The snow covered route was well traveled, but when he did not appear at the trailhead, the guides began a search. The following morning a search by Siskiyou County SAR involving the climbing outfitter, two USFS Climbing Rangers, and a California Highway Patrol helicopter began. The missing climber had the proper gear and was able to bivouac overnight. He reached the trailhead later that morning and was in good condition.

June 25, 2003 Search
    A female climber became separated from her group and when she did not appear at the Avalanche Gulch trailhead, they reported her missing. She spent an extra night on the mountain and was contacted the next morning by a USFS Climbing Ranger. She was in good condition and able to descend on her own.

July 7, 2003 Rescue
    A 65 year old male fell into rocks and scree while ascending to the Northgate high camp. He was with a guided party who assessed his injuries, finding a probable fracture to his right wrist and to 3 ribs. He began to show signs of a pneumothorax, but was able to walk out under his own control with a guide.

July 16, 2003 Rescue
    A climber fell at approximately 12,000’ while ascending the Avalanche Gulch route in the morning. He slid approximately 200’ and suffered from multiple abrasions, lacerations and contusions.   He apparently had lost consciousness and had a head injury. He was evacuated by California Department of Forestry helicopter 202 and flown to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta.

August 3, 2003 Rescue
    At approximately 1300 hours a call was placed to the Ranger Station by a climber who reported that his daughter had fallen 200’ while descending and was injured. A summer storm had brought rain and very low visibility with thundershowers expected in the afternoon and evening. A USFS Climbing Ranger at 8000’ responded and was later able to find their location using binoculars during a break in the clouds. They had gone off route from Avalanche Gulch to a steep section on Sargent’s Ridge and were at approximately 11,400’.   Their clothing was inadequate in the cold and wet weather and was comprised of cotton shirts and socks with rain shells, uninsulated gloves and no warm hats. Another climbing party was able to reach them and loan them some warm jackets, but unable to perform a rescue. The USFS Climbing Ranger arrived at 1545 hours, finding the fallen climber hypothermic and with a knee injury.   She was given an ensolite pad and sleeping bag to maintain heat and was then lowered 800’. Two other USFS Climbing Rangers arrived and assisted in the rescue. They stopped at the standard high camp to sit out a lightning storm and warm-up using the USFS stove and equipment. With a break in the lightning, she was lowered an additional 1800’ and then assisted in the 2.5 mile, low angle walk to the trailhead, which was reached at 2315 hours. She was later diagnosed with ligament damage to her right knee.

August 12, 2003 Rescue
    A 14 year old female was on a guided climb on the Hotlum/Wintun Ridge. She had a pre-existing knee injury and while descending, caught her crampon and fell, dislocating her patella. The guides constructed a litter and carried her to the trailhead where she was then driven to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta.

August 16, 2003 Search
    A father and son climbing party had not returned on August 15th as planned and a search began the morning of the 16th.   A USFS Climbing Ranger began ascending Avalanche Gulch and found them in good condition in the late morning. Their late departure for the summit on the 15th had brought them darkness on their descent. They bivouacked and continued to the trailhead on the 16th.

Note: Most of the public assists this season involved route finding, instruction on proper equipment use (glissading) and assistance with these skills.

RESCUES, ASSISTS & INCIDENTS – 2002 CLIMBING SEASON:
Mt. Shasta Wilderness & Recreation Area

GARBAGE
    Rangers removed 269 pounds of garbage from the wilderness.

    Approximately 4 tons were collected at trailheads.

HUMAN WASTE
    Rangers removed 50 pounds of human waste from the wilderness.

Human waste removed by climbers was approximately 3145 pounds (103 barrels).

WARNING NOTICE – FAILURE TO PAY RECREATION FEE
Rangers issued 20 warning notices for failing to pay recreation fees (summit and parking passes).

OTHER VIOLATIONS
    Damage to US Property    2 (graffiti, sign damage)
    Dog in wilderness        1
    Snowmobile in wilderness    4
    ATV/motorcycle in wild.    3
    Overstaying allowed time    1

SEARCHES, RESCUES, PUBLIC ASSISTS AND REPORTED ACCIDENTS WITH NO ASSISTANCE
    Search/Missing        4
    Rescue                6 (7 people involved)
    Public Assist            15 (20 people involved; 6 assists had no injuries)
    No Assistance            4 (5 people involved)

    A total of 29 incidents involving 36 people.

CLIMBING USE
    7600 summit passes were sold.

MT. SHASTA WILDERNESS
INCIDENT SUMMARY
November 2001 – October 2002

Searches        4
Rescues        6
Public Assists        15
No Assistance        4
Total            29

Month
2001    November    0
    December    0
2002    January    0
    February    1
    March        0
    April        0
    May        0
    June        11
    July        12
    August        3
    September    1
    October    1

Helicopter Used
    H-1, Mercy A-Star        1
    H-14, CHP Twinstar B3    3
    202, CDF Bell Super 205    4
    National Guard/Military    0
    Total            8

Climbing Route Used During Incident
    Avalanche Gulch    17
    Casaval        0
    Sargent’s        0
    West Face        1
    Cascade Gulch    0
    Whitney Glacier    1
    Whitney/Bolam    0
    Bolam            0
    Hotlum/Bolam    4
    Hotlum        0
    Hotlum/Wintun    0
    Wintun    Glacier    0
    Wintun Ridge        0
    Clear Creek        1
    Other           5

Incident occurred while…
    Ascending        17
    Descending        14
    Other/unknown    4

Terrain incident occurred on
    Rock        9
    Snow        25
    Ice        2

Experience Level
    None/Little    21
    Moderate    2
    Experienced    3
    Unknown    10

Gender
    Male        26
    Female        7
    Unknown    3

Age
    <15        0
15-20    3
21-25    1
26-30    1
31-35    4
36-50    16
>50        1
Unknown    10

Injury (as assessed on mountain)
    Fracture, upper extremity    3
    Fracture, lower extremity    3
    Laceration            7
    Abrasion            10
    Puncture/Penetration        1
    Head Injury             1
    Neck/Spinal3            1
    Bruise/Contusion/Hematoma    6
    Sprain/Strain            2
    Concussion            0
    Frostbite            1
    Hypothermia            0
    Dislocation – shoulder    1
    Dislocation – hip        0
    AMS                 2
    HAPE                0
    HACE                0
    Pneumothorax            0
    Other5,6,7,8,9            5

    Fatality            0

Immediate Cause
    Fall/slip on rock        2
    Fall/slip on snow/ice        9
    Faulty use of crampons    0
    Falling rock/object        4
    Exceeded ability        13
    Exposure            2
    Ascended too fast        0
    Failed to follow route        1
    Fall in crevasse        0
    Loss of control glissading    2
    Failure to turn back        0
    Other10,11            3

Contributing Causes
    Weather            2
    No protection            3
    Unroped            3
    Exposure            0
    Exceed ability            10
    Inadequate clothing/equip.    4
    Party separation        3
    Climbing alone        9
    No helmet            0
    Darkness            1
    Ice screw pulled        0
    Inadequate belay        0
    Failed to follow directions    1
    Illness                0
    Equipment failure        0
    Other                0

Note: Out of 29 incidents, the Forest Service was involved in 23, 2 incidents involved only the County SAR, and 4 incidents had no professional involvement. Commercial climbing guides assisted in 2 rescues and no commercial incidents were reported.

RESCUES, ASSISTS & INCIDENTS – 2001 CLIMBING SEASON:
Mt. Shasta Wilderness & Recreation Area

Date: 4/18/01
Submitted By: Matt Hill,U.S.Forest Service, Mt.Shasta Avalanche Center
Location: Sun Bowl, Mt. Shasta, CA, USA
Fatalities: 0 Activity: Skiing
Summary: 3 back country skiers caught, three partially buried
Date and Time: April 14, 2001 1600hrs.
Avalanche:
HS-AS-2-O (Hard Slab, triggered by a skier, class 2, bed surface ran on old snow layer). Approximately 8,400' on the south side of Mt. Shasta in a southwesterly facing bowl known as Sun Bowl.
Accident:
There was a large group of 36 conducting a back country festival. The purpose of the event was to ski as well as educate people to back country awareness. They chose to use the Sun Bowl area on Mt. Shasta. They dug snow pits along the way and performed different tests. They entered the bowl from the bottom and gained the ridge line to the west to get to the top of the bowl. The group made three laps in the bowl, skiing various aspects. The slide was triggered on the southwestern aspect by a lone skier, where there were several other tracks. The majority of the skiers were skiing in the southeastern portion of the bowl where it was less steep (28 degrees) and more sun affected. The starting zone of the slide was more wind affected and slightly steeper (35 degrees).
The slide occurred when one skier traversed into the southwestern aspect of the slope and found the sweet spot. The fracture propagated across the slope approximately 500 feet with slope angles of 25 to 35 degrees. It was a hard slab avalanche about a 1-4' crown with 3-9' of firm snow in the deposition zone. The victims including the skier who triggered it rode a chunk of hard slab, while the others scurried out of the way of the avalanche. The two victims that were down slope were almost at the bottom of the slope, which was 800' vertical and ran 1,500' linear. The victims were spotted visually and kept in sight throughout the whole event was witnessed by the other skiers. The victims were accounted for within 3 minutes. The skier who triggered the slide was knocked down and uninjured. One skier was buried up to his waist and uninjured. The other woman was knocked down and uninjured.
Weather:
The weather preceding the incident was strong NW winds, clear days and cool temps. The weather that day was clear, calm winds and the first day of warm temps, with light cloud cover. The temperature in the morning was 19F degrees and warmed to 40+F degrees at 16:00.
Snow Data:
There was 50cm of pencil hard wind deposited affected snow, with a 2cm layer of 1/2-1mm intermediate facets sitting on top of a 5cm four finger hardness wind affected snow. Below that was 30 cm of 1 finger rounded grains 1-2mm. The failure was believed to have occurred on the faceted layer 50cm below the surface.
Conclusion:
The accident could have been prevented by heeding the signs of day such as increasing temps, slope angle, aspect and recent wind affects. The pit that was dug was not in the area that was skied and the group mentally could have been tempered with a greater emphasis on heeding the clues throughout the day.

1. Report completed by:
Eric White, Matt Hill (USFS Climbing Rangers), Michael Massari (SWS)

2. Date of Accident:
05/21/01

3. Geographic Location:
Mt. Shasta Wilderness, CA

4. Gender and ages of persons involved:
Male, 27
Male, 30

5. Total Number of Persons in Party:
5 (1 guide, 4 clients)

6. Details of Accident:
While ascending the Avalanche Gulch route, a large rock slide occurred, hitting the party, and injuring 2 individuals.

A. Snow
B. Ascending
C. Immediate Cause:
Falling Rocks
D. Contributory Cause:
Weather (low snowpack for May and warm temperatures 5/21)
E. Type of Injury:
#1 climber: Laceration, contusions, loss of consciousness
#2 climber: contusion (upper back on spine), fracture to hand

7. Experience Level:
Moderate for both

8. Narrative Description of Accident:

The Sierra Wilderness Seminar (SWS) guided parties began their climbs early to lessen their exposure to rock fall which is usually more active in the afternoon. There were several SWS parties on the route simultaneously. One party was at 11,500’ at 07:45 when the rock slide started. As rocks and ice chunks fell, they attempted to move out of the way, but the rocks were moving fast and had enough momentum to cross the gulch where the party was located. Two of the five member team were struck by rocks. One climber was hit on the forehead, impacting his helmet. He tumbled down the hill 250 feet, lost consciousness, and slid another 250 feet before coming to a stop. The SWS guide descended immediately to the climber, did a primary and secondary assessment.
Other SWS guides were notified as well as Search and Rescue. The other guides were able to keep their clients in a safe place while they descended to assist. They made a barricade of backpacks and gear above the injured climber to protect him from continuing rock and ice fall. The climber's neck and head were immobilized and the laceration on his forehead was bandaged.
Another climber, not with SWS, was also impacted by rock fall to the arm, and walked to Lake Helen where he was evacuated by helicopter at 09:45.
The climber was hit on the upper back and on the lower arm/hand. The climber descended with a guide to Lake Helen (10,400’), where he was evacuated by helicopter at 10:30.
Search and Rescue climbed up to the first injured climber and arrived at 12:30 bringing rescue gear. The climber was backboarded, placed in a SKED and lowered to an LZ at 10,600’ where he was evacuated by helicopter at 13:30.
The California Highway Patrol helicopter evacuated all injured climbers and transported them to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta. Both climbers were released by 16:00.

9. Analysis of Accident:
The snowpack on Mt. Shasta was around 70% of normal and very warm spring conditions caused a rapid melting. Rock fall usually becomes more prevalent in July and August as the Avalanche Gulch route is surrounded on three sides by higher terrain of loose rocks. This route is notorious for rockfall as the snow melts, and early season and early morning climbs are usually safer.
Although climbing helmets are not designed for front or side impacts, it probably made a huge difference in the extent of the injured climber's head injury.
Wilderness rescues often take several hours to days to complete. In this case, the party had to wait 6 hours in a very exposed and dangerous area before they were evacuated.

1. Report completed by:
Eric White, Matt Hill (USFS Climbing Rangers), Michael Massari (SWS)

2. Date of Accident:
06/24/01

3. Geographic Location:
Mt. Shasta Wilderness, CA

4. Gender and ages of persons directly involved:
1 Male, 24

5. Total Number of Persons in Party:
12 (10 is the maximum allowed)

6. Details of the Accident:
Male climber was glissading at 13,500 with his crampons on. His crampons caught and through him into a tumble where his leashed ice axe penetrated his thigh from hip to knee. He fell approximately 2000 feet.

A. Snow
B. Descending
C. Immediate Cause:
Faulty use of crampons, loss of control-voluntary glissade
D. Contributory Cause:
Exceeding ability
E. Type of injury:
Abrasion
Other: puncture/penetration (ice axe through thigh, hip to knee)

7. Experience Level:
none or little

8. Narrative Description of Accident:
The male climber and his party had climbed the Hotlum-Wintun route on the northeast side of the mountain. The climber and many in his party, had very little climbing experience. Although this route is not technically difficult, it does have steep sections and crosses above hazardous areas on the Wintun Glacier. On their descent, he decided to glissade wearing his crampons and his ice axe leashed to his wrist. At about 13,500’ on a 40-45 degree slope, the heels of his crampons caught, tumbling him into an out of control fall. He came to rest at about 11,500’ where the slope had decreased to about 30 degrees. This area was right above a cliff over the Wintun ice fall.
His party summoned help from a commercially guided Sierra Wilderness Seminars trip. Two guides, Miller and Rodriguez, responded and used their cell phone to contact search and rescue at around 14:30. They assessed and stabilized the climber's injuries. He had abrasions all over his upper body and his ice axe had entered his thigh just below his pelvis and exited near his knee. It was deep in his leg and their concerns were that he had ruptured his femoral artery.
USFS Climbing Ranger, Harrington, who was at 10,400 on the south side of the mountain, was contacted and responded through white-out conditions. He arrived at the scene at 16:30 and found the injuries to be stable and bleeding under control. The climber showed no signs of shock, and they continued to monitor his condition waiting for air transport. A volunteer from Siskiyou County Search and Rescue arrived at the scene at 19:00 and they wrapped the climber in sleeping bags to maintain his body temperature. At 20:30, a California Department of Forestry Bell super 205 short hauled the climber in a litter with an attendant. He was taken to a lower elevation where he was transferred to the California Highway Patrol helicopter, and then transported to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta. Luckily, the ice axe had done little damage internally.

9. Analysis of Accident:
The USFS Climbing Rangers, outfitter guides and the retail shops which rent mountaineering equipment for Mt. Shasta, work hard every season to educate climbers about the use of ice axes and crampons. Unfortunately, every year there are accidents on Mt. Shasta from improper use of equipment even after people have been informed. Glissading with crampons can be hazardous to your health! Usually, leg fractures occur from this type of accident, but, amazingly, the climber had no fractures.

10. Additional comments:
Cloudy conditions and the time of day made this rescue difficult.

1. Report completed by:
Eric White, Matt Hill (USFS Climbing Rangers) and Chis Carr (Shasta Mountain Guide)

2. Date of Accident:
07/18/01

3. Geographic Location:
Mt. Shasta Wilderness, CA

4. Gender and ages of persons directly involved:
Male, 25

5. Total Number of Persons in Party:
3
6. Details of Accident:

A Shasta Mountain Guide, was descending with two clients when he was struck on the head by a falling rock. He was wearing a helmet, but still suffered from head trauma and a skull fracture.

A. Snow
B. Descending
C. Immediate Cause:
Falling rock
D. Contributory Cause:
weather
E. Type of injuries:
Other: head trauma, skull fracture

7. Experience Level:
Experienced

8. Narrative Description of Accident:
A guide for Shasta Mountain Guides (SMG), was descending with two clients on the Avalanche Gulch route at 10:15 when he was struck on the side of the head by a falling rock. They were at 11,800’ and he was aware of the rock fall, having asked the clients to move out of its’ fall line, when he was hit. As he lay unconscious, one of the clients used his radio to call other SMG guides who were at a higher elevation.
The other guides responded and notified Siskiyou County Search and Rescue. As the guides arrived, they did a primary and secondary survey, stabilized and monitored the injured guide. Another SMG guide from the West Face route assisted in bringing gear from the USFS rescue cache at 10,400’. The injured guide was stabilized in the SKED and lowered 1,000’ on snow, then carried to an LZ at Lake Helen (10,400’).
With a clearing of cloud cover at 14:15, Sikiyou County Search and Rescue flew in the California Department of Forestry super 205 helicopter to Lake Helen and transported the ijured guide to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta. He was later transferred to Mercy Medical Center, Redding where he was treated for head trauma and a skull fracture. Fortunately, a full recovery was expected.

9. Analysis of Accident:
Avalanche Gulch is one of the least technical and most popular routes on the mountain, but, it also has the highest exposure to rock fall.
The injured guide was wearing a helment, and although he had a side impact around ear level, injuries probably would have been worse without it.
There were many minor injuries (contusions) in Avalanche Gulch this season due to rock fall.

1. Report Completed by:
Eric White, Matt Hill (USFS Climbing Rangers)

2. Date of Accident:
07/16/01

3. Geographic Location:
Mt. Shasta Wilderness, CA

4. Names and ages of person directly involved:
Male, 22

5. Total Number of Persons in Party:
7
6. Details of Accident:
Hogenacker developed AMS and felt unable to move. His party requested emergency assistance. It was late in the day, the upper mountain had cloud cover, and the elevation restricted rescue. A rescue was attempted by 6 SAR team members at 19:50, but, on arrival at 13,000’, SAR found that Hogenacker had descended with his party.

A. Rock/Snow/Ice
B. Ascending
C. Immediate Cause:
Illness, ascended too fast
D. Contributory Cause:
Exceeded abilities
F. Type of injury:
Other: appeared to be AMS

7. Experience Level:
none or little

8. Narrative Description of Accident:
The sick climber and his party had little experience and were unable to recognize the symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness as they developed. They were climbing the Avalanche Gulch route on Mt. Shasta, and stopped at 13,200’ at the base of Misery Hill. The climber appeared sick, could not walk and had difficulty breathing. As often happens, their late ascent left them in cloud cover, with some electricity in the air.
Siskiyou County SAR was notified at 14:33. At 17:30, the California Department of Forestry, Bell super 205 flew 3 SAR team members to Sargents ridge at 11,200’. It was too cloudy to fly any higher. The 3 SAR members were planning on climbing Sargents ridge to Misery Hill. This is a slightly technical and exposed climb. At 19:50 a brief clearing allowed the California National Guard CH-47 helicopter to lift 3 SAR members to 13,200’ at the base of Misery Hill. Another climber informed them that the climber and his party had descended on their own when they believed he wouldn’t be rescued. They were spotted from the air at 12,400’ in an inaccessible area. The rescue was aborted.
On their descent, the climber improved and was able to walk out on his own.

9. Analysis of Accident:
The groups inexperience presented them with several problems. Climbing late in the day and into bad weather, limited rescue capabilities. As well as not recognizing the signs and symptoms of AMS put their whole party at risk. The biggest problem was involving SAR team members in risky rescue attempts, when the party was able to resolve their situation without help.

1. Report Completed by:
Eric White, Matt Hill (USFS Climbing Rangers)

2. Date of Accident:
09/26/01

3. Geographic Location:
Mt. Shasta Wilderness, CA

4. Gender and ages of person directly involved:
Male, 41

5. Total Number of Persons in Party:
1

6. Details of Accident:
A male climber was climbing alone on the Avalanche Gulch route and continued into a storm. On his descent from the summit, in a blizzard, he veered off route, and became lost on the southeast side of the mountain. He was wearing cotton and carried only a little water. He was found 2 days later in reasonable condition with mild hypothermia and superficial frostbite.

D. Rock/Snow/Ice
E. Descending
F. Immediate Cause:
Failed to follow route, exposure
D. Contributory Cause:
Inadequate equipment/clothing, weather, climbing alone
G. Type of injury:
Hypothermia, frostbite

7. Experience Level:
none or little

8. Narrative Description of Accident:
The climber was planning on climbing the Avalanche gulch route on the south side of the mountain, starting on September 24th. He had little mountaineering experience, but had attempted Mt. Shasta in August of 2001. On his August climb, he did not summit due, appearantly, to AMS and had returned by himself in September.

Without checking the weather forecast or the poor current climbing conditions provided by the U.S. Forest Service, he began his climb from Horse Camp (7880’) at 0700 hrs on 9/24. A storm was forecast for that afternoon and evening and during the day many signs of its’ approach were visible. Thinking his illness during his August climb was from too much food, he brought only a bag of trail mix and a Camelback water pack. He wore cotton jeans, a long sleeve cotton t-shirt, a light insulated windbreaker, mid-weight boots, thin leather gloves and a felt hat.

He did not notice the approaching storm and when he summited around 1500, the storm began. The climber removed his rimed (icy) glasses and unknowingly wandered off route from the summit plateau (13,800) into the steep Mud Creek drainage on the southeast side of the mountain. In the whiteout on the steep scree slopes, he fell and tumbled several times.

The storm dropped between 6 inches to over a foot of new snow with the snow level around 9000’. He realized he was lost and kept himself awake all night huddled by some rocks during the storm. He was attracted to the lights from the town of McCloud 6000 feet below and miles south. He continued at first light and around 7000’ climbed out of the Mud Creek canyon into the forest. He crossed a prominent logging road, but continued past it toward McCloud. He spent his second night in a ravine against a log at around 5000’. The next morning, 9/26, he decided to go back to the road and follow it.

The Horse Camp caretaker noticed the empty tent on 9/24 and notified the U.S.Fores Service Climbing Rangers and Siskiyou County SAR. On 9/25 the search began with rangers following the route to 10,400’ and the California Highway Patrol helicopter searching from the air. The helicopter was limited by winds and cloudy conditions. On 9/26 two rangers climbed toward the summit while two other rangers and Siskiyou County SAR searched the southeast side of the mountain from above 5000’. The climber was found at 5000', 7 miles southeast of his original trailhead at 0930 on 9/26. The ranger performed a full assessment and found mild hypothermia, bruising, abrasions, and possible superficial frostbite on Clardy’s fingers, toes and face. He was taken to Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta where he was treated and released.

9. Analysis of Accident:
Although this incident is not uncommon, it reminds us of the preventative actions we should take before a climb, even in California. Bad weather can happen any time of the year on Mt. Shasta, and climbing conditions are usually poor in September due to rockfall. It has snowed on Mt. Shasta even during the peak of summer and the average summer high temperature on the summit is below freezing. As well, there is a fine line between going light and being prepared. Avoiding cotton and carrying the “ten essentials” is always recommended and we encourage climbers to wear a helmet. (For current climbing conditions, avalanche advisories and weather forecasts: www.avalanche.org or (530)926-9613)

2001 MT. SHASTA WILDERNESS INCIDENT SUMMARY

GARBAGE
Rangers removed approximately 150 pounds of garbage from the wilderness.

HUMAN WASTE
Rangers removed approximately 100 pounds of human waste from the wilderness.
Human waste removed by climbers was approximately 5550 pounds (111 barrels at approximately 50lb/barrel).

WARNING NOTICE – FAILURE TO PAY RECREATION FEE
Approximately 45 warning notices were issued for failure to pay fees for parking passes or summit passes.

OTHER VIOLATIONS
Vandalism to US property 1
Fire in wilderness 1
Snowmobile use in wilderness 4

SEARCHES, RESCUES, ASSISTS AND REPORTED ACCIDENTS WITH NO ASSISTANCE
Search 6
Rescue 13
Assists 3
No assistance 6
Total 28

A total of 33 people were involved in these incidents.

CLIMBING USE
Estimated at approximately 11,000.

SUMMARY
With an increase in the number of climbers and lower than normal snowpack, we amazingly saw fewer searches, rescues and assists with no fatalities. Many of the 28 incidents that occurred may be attributed to the usual causes: loss of control glissading, party separation, inadequate clothing or equipment, fall or slip on snow or ice. However, we did see more injuries due to rock fall. The early snowmelt gave us a longer season of rock fall danger.
One contributing cause to this decrease in searches, rescues and assists may be due to climbing safety education and information provided by the Mt. Shasta Climbing Rangers in presentations, on the mountain, on the web page, and by information provided by the stations front desk personnel.
Most incidents happened in June and July on the Avalanche Gulch route. Most victims were male between 26-50 years old. There were more broken legs than any other type of injury, but, a wide variety of injuries occurred. Most incidents happened while descending and the CHP Twinstar B3 Helicopter was used for ¾ of helicopter evacuations.
Rangers were only involved in one flight, but worked with helicopters from the ground on the mountain.
Commercial climbing Guides performed two rescues and were involved a few other incidents.

MT. SHASTA WILDERNESS
INCIDENT BREAKDOWN
November 2000-October 2001
Searches 6
Rescues 13
Assists 3
Accident,
No Assistance 6
Total 28

Month
2000 November 0
December 1
2001 January 0
February 0
March 0
April 0
May 4
June 5
July 11
August 2
September 4
October 1

Helicopter Used
H-1, Mercy A-Star   0
H-14, CHP Twinstar B3 10
UH-60, Blackhawk, Guard 0
Pavehawk    0
CH-47, Chinook, Guard 1
202, CDF Bell Super 205 3
Total     14

Injury
Fracture, upper extremity 1
Fracture, lower extremity 4
Laceration    2
Abrasions    2
Puncture/Penetrations 3
Head      2
Neck     0
Bruise/Contusion/Hematoma 2
Sprain/Strain   1
Concussion    0
Frostbite    2
Hypothermia   2
Dislocation-shoulder 1
Dislocation-hip   0
AMS      1
HAPE    0
HACE    0
Pneumothorax    1
Other     3

Route Used During Incident
Avalanche    19
Casaval Ridge   0
West Face    0
Cascade Gulch   0
Whitney     0
Whitney/Bolam   0
Bolam    0
Hotlum/Bolam   2
Hotlum    0
Hotlum/Wintun   2
Wintun    0
Clear Creek    3
Sargent’s Ridge   1
Other     1

Age
<15 2
15-20 0
21-25 3
26-30 8
31-35 6
36-50 9
>50 1
Unknown 4

Gender
Male 28
Female 4
Unknown 1

Immediate Cause
Fall/slip on rock 1
Fall/slip on snow/ice 5
Faulty use of crampons 1
Falling rock/object   8
Exceeded Abilities 1
Exposure   3
Ascended too fast 1
Failure to follow route 3
Fall in crevasse 1
Loss of control glissading 4
Failure to turn back 1
Other     1

<>Contributory Causes
Weather   1
No protection   1
Unroped   1
Exposure   1
Exceeded ability 2
Inadequate clothing/Equip. 5
Party separation 5

Incident Occurred While…
Ascending   7
Descending   17
Other/unknown 4

RESCUES, ASSISTS & INCIDENTS – 2000 CLIMBING SEASON:
Mt. Shasta Wilderness & Recreation Area

4-08-00
25 year old male slipped while climbing Sargents ridge @ approximately 12,600’. His shoulder was dislocated while arresting with his axe. His partner assisted him down towards Lake Helen in whiteout conditions; a Climbing Ranger contacted them @ approx. 10,700’ and continued down towards Lake Helen. When the clouds broke, CHP helicopter H-14 flew into Helen and evacuated the victim.

4-13-00 – 4-23-00
Two climbers were reported missing on the Cascade Gulch route on the Northwest side of Mt Shasta. The climbers had been caught out in a severe spring storm- nearly two feet of new snow had fallen on the upper mountain the evening that they should have returned. Bad weather hampered search efforts throughout the operation. An additional 4+ feet of new snow fell on the upper mountain during the search. One climber died as a result of a fall and the other climber succumbed to hypothermia.
During the operation the following aircraft were utilized: 2 Cal Guard Black hawks, US Air Force Pavehawk, USFS CWN Bell Jet Ranger, CHP A-Star. Over-the-snow vehicles and skiers were utilized on the days that weather conditions made flying impossible.

4-19-00
During the search for the climbers missing in Cascade Gulch (above incident), a Cal Guard UH-60 Blackhawk crashed at approx. 11,600 feet near Cascade Gulch, just below the Shasta/Shastina saddle. The helicopter rolled at least once and came to rest on its side, yet those onboard- four Guardsmen, a reporter and two Climbing Rangers sustained only minor injuries. The party descended together through clouds to a helispot. The Guard crew and reporter were evacuated later that day by another Cal Guard Blackhawk. The Climbing Rangers skied out to Bunny Flat.

5-16-00
35 year old male fell off Casaval ridge and sustained a broken ankle. Cal Guard Blackhawk was in the area to assist in the removal of the crashed Blackhawk(see above), so it was diverted and evacuated the victim.

5-21-00
Climber was reported missing in Avalanche Gulch. Climbing Ranger located the missing person- who was exhausted and dehydrated- and escorted him to Bunny Flat.

5-30-00
34 year old male was glissading with crampons on in Anaconda Gulch (halfway between Horse Camp & Hidden Valley) when his right crampon dug into the snow and his ankle broke. Climbing Rangers responded to the scene on foot and lowered the victim to a helispot. CHP helicopter H-14 evacuated the victim.

6-04-00
53 year old male became separated from his party on Sargents ridge. Climbing Rangers began to search for him. Fortunately, he eventually returned to Bunny Flat.

6-07-00
40 year old male fell several hundred feet down the Left of Heart variation in Avalanche Gulch. He sustained fractures to his tibia, fibula and humerus. He was evacuated (short-haul) by CDF Copter 202.

6-17-00
40??? year old male developed High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). His party had climbed the Hotlum/Bolam ridge and at the summit other parties reported that he was short of breath and making “gurgling” sounds. The party apparently assisted the victim back to their camp @ 11,000’. They reportedly arrived in camp at 8:30pm, after an over 6-hour descent.

6-23-00
Climber fell in Avalanche Gulch near The Heart- approx. 11,600’. Victim sustained: avulsion to thumb, sprained ankle, wrist and bruised ribs. For unknown reasons, the victim continued to climb. Climbing Ranger contacted him near the Summit and after a thorough examination, assisted him down to Lake Helen. From here he declined further assistance.

6-23-00
15 year old male complains of chest pain and has a moderately elevated pulse. He had no previous medical history. After a thorough assessment, Climber Ranger recommends descent and escorts individual to Bunny Flat. His condition improved rapidly upon descent.

6-25-00
32 year old male climbed the Clear Creek route in deteriorating weather and became separated from his party. He mistakenly descended Avalanche Gulch. A Climbing Ranger- who was responding to another incident, contacted him @ the top of The Heart (12,200’). The Ranger provided him with directions to Horse Camp and continued with his mission.

6-25-00
45 year old male mistakenly descended onto steep terrain just east of the Konwokiton Glacier. His ascent route was Avalanche Gulch, but got off route coming down Misery Hill. It was mid- afternoon when the climber called 911 on his cell phone for help. A Climbing Ranger was dispatched to the scene from Lake Helen shortly after the incident was reported. A high altitude helicopter was not immediately available. The Ranger arrived on scene at approx. 8:00 pm and guided the climber back down to Lake Helen. The climber spent the night at the Ranger camp at Helen and hiked out the next day.

7-02-00
21 year old male suffered severe case of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Climbing Ranger contacted individual at 11,000’; symptoms included chest pain, shortness of breath, ataxia and elevated resting heart rate. Ranger descended with individual to 8,000’, where his symptoms improved dramatically.

7-02-00
At approx. 2:30 pm a 44 year old female fell off the trail over Spring Hill (1/4 mile above Horse Camp). She tumbled 50-60 vertical feet over rocks, before coming to rest on the loose rocks near the base of the hill. She suffered multiple abrasions, lacerations, contusions, and avulsions on her face, head, arms, hands and legs. First responders took immediate C-spine precautions due to the mechanism of injury. A Climbing Ranger at Lake Helen responded immediately and arrived on scene at approx. 3:00pm and performed a thorough assessment. Lightning, with heavy rain and hail put the possibility of helevac on hold; so 3 additional Rangers began to hike to the scene to prepare for a possible carry out. At approximately 5:00pm, weather conditions allowed Mercy helicopter H-1 to move in and evacuate the victim. Shortly thereafter, weather conditions worsened again and heavy showers with lightning continued into the night.

7-04-00
At 3:30am, a 53 year old male dislocated his artificial hip at Lake Helen while attempting to put on his crampons. At 3:45am the Climbing Ranger at Helen was notified and he began to arrange for helevac. The patient was made as comfortable as possible. The patient was evacuated via Mercy helicopter H-1 at approx. 7:45 am.

7-09-00
A teen age male and female, together with a 45 year old female climbed the Mountain via Avalanche Gulch using crampons, but no ice axes. When contacted by a Climbing Rangers they were uneasy with the descent. The Rangers led them down through the Red Banks and then assisting them in descending to approx. 11,000’. An ice axe is a necessary piece of equipment.

7-13-00
53 year old male was preparing to glissade through the Red Banks, when he slipped and began sliding through the chimney. He slid out of control and sustained a broken ankle and a laceration to his head. He descended on his own to Lake Helen. A Climbing Ranger was flown into Lake Helen via Mercy H-1 and performed a thorough assessment of climber. The climber was then evacuated via H-1. The climber was not wearing crampons at the time of the incident. Only climbers proficient with self-arrest should attempt to glissade through the Red Banks and only when conditions are optimal.

7-18-00
32 year old male broke his proximal tibia and distal fibula when he stumbled at approx. 11,400’ on his descent of Avalanche Gulch. A passing climber reported the incident on his cell phone and then continued on his climb- leaving the injured climber alone. Four Climbing Rangers and three Siskiyou County SAR volunteers were flown to Lake Helen (10,400’) via Mercy H-1 and CDF Copter 202. Rescuers carried gear to the scene and began to package the patient and prepare to lower him in the SKED to Lake Helen. After the patient was lowered to Lake Helen, H-1 evacuated him and Copter 202 retrieved the rescuers.

7-28-00
Climbing Ranger assisted 3 climbers in descending through the Red Banks and down to Lake Helen. The climbers were untrained and afraid of the descent.

8-05-00
40 year old male fell while descending Misery Hill and landed on the adze of his ice axe. He descended unaided to Lake Helen where a Climbing Ranger assessed his condition. He complained of severe pain to his lower, left-side ribs. He refused evacuation assistance and descended the next morning with the aid of his party.

8-05-00
Climbing Ranger contacted a 35 year old male at the base of Misery Hill who complained of extreme nausea and that he had already vomited several times. The Ranger suggested that he descend. The climber tried to continue his climb, but began to vomit prodigiously. He descended to Lake Helen with the Ranger, vomiting occasionally. His partners arrived at Helen shortly thereafter, and assisted him in descending to Bunny Flat.

8-06-00
Climbing Ranger assisted a 20 year old female down Avalanche Gulch from about 12,000’ near The Heart. The individual possessed no mountain skills and could not control her speed while glissading in soft snow and could not arrest a fall.

8-07-00
Climbing Ranger assisted ??? year old male??? In descending from the Red Banks-12,400’ to approx. 11,500’. The individual was afraid to descend without assistance.

8-07-00
While the Ranger was assisting the (above) climber he heard yelling from the other side of The Heart and moved over to investigate. The Ranger yelled back but received no response. This occurred twice. After descending to approx. 11,500’, the Ranger heard yelling again and this time with the aid of binoculars, identified the subject. The subject was at approx. 12,400’, in a chute east of the Trinity chutes (off of Casaval ridge). Apparently the subject was attempting to climb the Left of Heart variation and got incredibly off route. The terrain became increasingly difficult the higher he climbed (without crampons) and eventually reached a ledge where he stopped @ approx. 11 am. He also dropped his ice axe during his ascent. The Ranger arrived at his location at approx. 3:30 pm and began to prepare to belay him back down his ascent route. Meanwhile, two additional Rangers and Siskiyou SAR personnel staged at the Mercy hospital helipad and CHP helicopter H-14 reconned the area.
The chute the subject had somehow climbed was 50 degree snow that choked down to an ice chute that was nearly vertical for the last 8-10 feet and surrounded on three sides by vertical cliffs. The Ranger belayed the subject approx. 500 vertical feet and then they walked roped together another 800 vertical to approx. 11,000’ where they unroped and descended to Lake Helen. The subject joined his party at Helen and descended to Bunny Flat.

8-11-00
Climber was reported missing. He began his Avalanche Gulch climb on Monday and planned to be out Thursday. He was reported missing by a friend on Friday morning. Climbing Ranger contacted individual mid-day on Friday, descending in the Horse Camp area. Apparently, he was running late.

8-13-00
16 year old male was reported as having a possible aneurysm at approximately 12,000’ in Avalanche Gulch. Members of his and another party lowered him down to Lake Helen. The individual was eventually evacuated by Mercy helicopter H-1.

8-14-00
30 year old male lost control while glissading and sustained a large abrasion on his back. Rangers applied a dressing and bandage and the subject descended with the aid of his party.

9-08-00
Two inexperienced climbers fell while climbing the Left of Heart route in Avalanche Gulch. They tumbled approximately 1,000’ and sustained bad abrasions and lacerations to hands (they were not wearing gloves). They walked out unassisted and drove to the hospital.

9-08-00
Climber was struck by a falling rock at approx. 11,000’ in Avalanche Gulch. He sustained a contusion/hematoma to his leg, but walked out unassisted.

9-09-00
Climbing Ranger assisted 7 individuals in descending around and through the Red Banks.

9-23-00
36 year old male climber fell from near the 12,000’ level on the Hotlum/Bolam ridge to approximately the 10,500’ level. Two Shasta Mountain Guides were among the first on scene and provided initial first aid. He was evacuated by CHP helicopter H-14 and Siskiyou County SAR personnel. The climber died from his injuries approximately one week later, due to major head trauma and c-spine complications. (He was wearing a helmet.)

10-01-00
45 year old male sustained a broken ankle while attempting to stop the fall a member of his party. His partner fell above him- approx. @ 11,500’ Hotlum/Bolam ridge- they slid together a short distance. Before they came to a stop, his crampon caught on ice and his ankle “snapped”. His partners located and used gear from the USFS rescue cache to splint his ankle and begin lowering him. County SAR personnel and Climbing Rangers assisted in the effort and the patient was eventually evacuated by CHP helicopter H-14.

ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. PLEASE COME PREPARED TO CLIMB MT.SHASTA! DO NOT UNDER ESTIMATE THIS 14,000’ PEAK!!!!!

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