Published October 24, 2026 03:06AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A flurry of rescues on California\u2019s Mount Shasta this year has prompted officials to remind hikers that the popular 14,179-foot peak is also dangerous and potentially deadly.<\/p>\n
On October 18,\u00a0a 39-year-old Florida man summited Whitney Glacier, a technical alpine climb accessible via Mount Shasta\u2019s\u00a0popular Avalanche Gulch<\/a> route. During his downclimb, a snowbridge collapsed under his weight. He injured his leg, fell into a crevasse, and spent two days waiting for rescuers.<\/p>\n The climber did not bring snow and ice equipment and wore sweatpants and a hoodie, according to the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center<\/a>. Eventually, rescuers airlifted him to safety after he spent two nights at 12,000 feet.<\/p>\n Siskiyou County Sheriff\u2019s Office (SCSO) told Outside<\/em> that it\u2019s the 19th rescue on the mountain this year. Most of those rescued in 2026 had several things in common: they were young, underprepared, left the trailhead too late, and underestimated the challenge, according to SCSO spokesperson Sage Milestone.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have seen this year that nearly every SAR incident began with someone failing to adhere to the noon turnaround rule,\u201d Milestone told Outside<\/em>.<\/p>\n The rule\u00a0Milestone is referring to is simple: climbers should turn around if they haven\u2019t reached the Shasta summit by noon.<\/p>\n On October 12, two hikers, 19 and 20, were lost on the mountain<\/a> for 36 hours before officials located and rescued them. In September, a San Jose climber summited around 7:30 P.M.\u2014seven hours past the recommended turn-around time\u2014then slid 500 feet and crawled through the night on injured feet. A 71-year-old woman spent nearly a week lost in the Mount Shasta wilderness in late September, and in August, three men summited at 7 P.M., wandered off route<\/a> in the dark, and spent the night stranded on the mountain. One later told sheriffs the duo used AI to plan their route, and the advice turned out to be drastically incorrect.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no cap on how many people can climb Mount Shasta each year. According to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), between 5,000 and 6,000 people<\/a> attempt the summit, and only about half reach the top.<\/p>\n Mount Shasta\u2019s reputation as an easier peak for mountaineering may be part of the problem, Milestone said. It sits about a 20-minute drive from the nearest highway, making it one of California\u2019s more geographically accessible mountains over 14,000 feet. The Avalanche Gulch<\/a> trailhead is just 12 miles from the town of Mount Shasta.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a non-technical route, though it gains approximately 7,000 feet of elevation.\u00a0Novice mountaineers often flock to the peak because the route to the top includes ice, snow, and rock for much of the year.<\/p>\n \u201cOur theory at Siskiyou County Search and Rescue is that folks are becoming more aware of the mountain through social media and hear it described as a \u2018beginner 14er,\u2019 which is a misconception that we are trying to correct through public outreach and education,\u201d Milestone said.<\/p>\nA Long List of Unprepared Climbers<\/h2>\n
Mount Shasta Is Not a Beginner 14er<\/h2>\n