[ckissick]

But when talking to people coming down, we heard stories of 100 mph winds at the summit, and 50 mph at Helen Lake. The forecast was for 30 mph winds at the summit. The first thing I learned was that the weather forecasts for Shasta are worthless. The mountain is very tall and all alone with no other high terrain around it. So it makes its own weather and it can't be predicted.

I (foolishly) don't have a 4-season tent that can take 50 mph winds, so I decided to spend another night at Horse Camp and get up early and make a push for the summit on Sunday when the wind was supposed to die down. That would make it a 6000 foot climb in 3.6 miles. Ouch.