Tread Worn Souls: Horse Camp and Helen Lake at Mt. Shasta

This was my second trip up to Helen Lake on Mt Shasta. Whereas on my first ascent in 2012, I charged straight up from Bunny Flat making Helen Lake in 2hours and 20mins, this time I did not go alone, but rather, accompanied by my friends (Mary and Evan) we took a much more leisurely approach to the ascent which allowed us time to enjoy each others presence, enjoy the beauty around us, and chat with other hikers along the way.

We left Sacramento around 3:45pm with more than enough camping supplies and food for the three of us. Usually with backpacking it is a good idea to consolidate and pare down gear as much as possible in order to save weight, however since it would be a relatively short hike in, I was not overly concerned with bringing duplicate gear and a surplus of food.

The Alpine Lodge, a welcomed sight.

The hike into Horse Camp was completed in the warm evening air, and our tent was pitched under a beautiful sunset that bathed the mountain in pink, orange, and red as the light faded. Horse Camp, located at roughly 8,000ft and about 1.6 miles from the parking lot at bunny flat, was the starting point for John Muir’s Mt Shasta expeditions in the late 1800s and remains a popular day hike destination and/or base camp for hikes and climbers today. In 1922 The Sierra Club built an alpine lodge that remains standing today.

Headlamps with the fading light.

The lodge contains books about the mountain, a guest log book to sign, a fire place with wood to be used in emergencies only, rescue gear for the rangers, as well as a general first aid kit located below the book shelf. The lodge is open year round, and usually staffed with a summer care taker, however we did not see one during our trip. There is also a spring/fountain that provides fresh cool mountain water that is safe to drink unfiltered, and there is also a well taken care of solar composting toilet on the grounds. There are many places to camp in the trees around the lodge for a minimal donation which goes to support the upkeep of the facility.

Evan getting the coffee just right as Mary brought water for the oatmeal.

Waking with the morning light we made a healthy breakfast of oatmeal with diced dried fruit, and of course Evan provided a large pot of percolated mountain coffee. We then made lunch for later on, stocked up on water and repacked our bags for the day hike up to Lake Helen.

Proper apparel for the harsh elements, Mary and I got a little
sunburned as we underestimated the reflection from the snow.

I am thankful for the company of Mary and Evan. On my last trip to Helen Lake, I distinctly remember being brought to my knees, exhausted and panting for air on the last steep stretch of the hike. Evan set a nice controlled pace that allowed the three of us to not only make it to our destination without bumping totally into anaerobic metabolism, but to also have the energy to talk with one another and enjoy the beauty around us. While I did not take any pictures of the flowers around our camp site and those that we passed along as we hiked up there were many beautiful flowers such as Lupin Indian Paintbrush that dotted the land.

A giant boulder precariously perched on snow and ice alone

Despite its name there is actually no standing or free flowing water at Helen Lake, perhaps there might be some at the end of a long hot summer, however I have not seen it myself, nor have I seen any pictures of water at Helen Lake. The location is however a popular camping destination. At 10,450ft. the horizontal snow covered moraine provides an ideal location for a mid mountain base camp where most people will then make their summit bid up Avalanche Gulch.

Helen Lake provided a beautiful view looking out towards the city of Mt. Shasta, the Castle Crags, and Mt. Lassen in the distance. Unfortunately some of the beauty was marred by the garbage and feces left by previous campers. It is a pity that some humans do not respect the land and do not show gratitude for the unique opportunity that climbing the mountain is. There are not many places in the US where we can camp for free, and are even provided with free human waste pack-out bags.

Many climbing accidents happen
on the decent, each step was purposeful.

I like to be hands free, yet
trekking poles provide additional
stability, a worthy
investment.

The first part of our return trip was faster than the ascent and quite enjoyable as we took a more snow covered route that was less prone to rock fall, not quite as steep, yet steep enough to Glissade down much of the slope. The second half was a methodical march down the well beaten path amongst the volcanic scree.

The practice of self arrest is a vital skill to have mastered for mountaineering. Evan used the descent as an opportunity to practice stopping an unwanted slide with his ice axe.

Leaving camp the following day, Evan noticed that he was one Nalgene short,
going back through the pictures when I returned to Sacramento,
I figured out where his missing Nalgene went.
Hopefully another hiker will pick it up and use it on their own adventures.

Making the transition between Glissading to self a self arrest position.

One of Mary's favorite parts of the trip was using her
Frisbee as a saucer to slide down the snowy slopes.

Once back at the camp the remainder of the day was spent napping in hammocks, sewing up torn gear, talking with other hikers either on their way up or down, and preparing a nice meal of vegan burritos. Although tired, I couldn't resist the opportunity to capture some of the beauty that the moon and stars provided and therefore spent a decent portion of the night capturing some long exposure images.