For example, in the 1980s I was 4 wheeling on McCloud side at 9000 or 10,000 feet in his 4 wheel drive truck then with my wife and three small children (all under 8 years old) and we walked about a mile above the Truck thinking the weather would stay 80 to100 degrees and didn't bring any jackets and were only wearing 1-shirts, bermuda shorts and climbing boots. (And this is August folks) So, we saw these ominous looking clouds come in and suddenly we were in a full on blizzard with only t-shirts and shorts and hiking boot on. The kids then 8 and 6 and 5 started to freak out especially my step son who was pretty skinny then because he started to go into hypothermia quickly. We were able to pick up the two younger ones piggy back even though this was dangerous too but it kept them warmer. However, I took the 8 year old boy's hand so he wouldn't fall on the rocks in the snow even though I was having problems too on 8 to 12 inch rocks we were trying to walk over in the snow.
Eventually, I had to say to the 8 year old: "If you don't keep walking quickly you might die up here alone!" which worked great because he stayed alive and with us because I said this to him.
Finally we reached the 4 wheel drive Truck on dirt roads now closed by the forest Service by I think the mid 1980s so you cannot drive that high on the mountain anymore which I think is a good idea after the experience we had of not. being prepared and almost not making it back to the truck because of hypothermia of getting to cold to quick without warm enough clothes in a sudden blizzard in August of the early 1980s on Mt. Shasta.
Another time in August my family was walking back to our vehicle at Bunny Flat from Horse camp Sierra club emergency lodge which is a nice day hike if the conditions are right especially during summers between usually June and August depending upon whether the snow melts off then that year or not. Sometimes it stays the whole summer at Horse Camp at tree line.
Well about half way back around where the Rain Gauge is (if that landmark is still there now) it started Hailing (also in August). The hail was finger sized and so very painful when it hit you.
So, I gathered my family under good tree branches because under the branches you were less likely to go to the hospital from the Hail hitting you. Also, once again because it was august we ONLY were in Shorts and T-shirts and Climbing boots because it was about 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Town then and we couldn't imagine that day what we were actually experiencing when we got up there.
So, the point is expect the unexpected any time of year on mt. Shasta. Even a couple of nights ago it was 28 degrees in town two nights in a row which means it could have been as low as 10 degrees at Bunny Flat and possibly Zero to 10 degrees at Horse Camp at tree line. HOwever, there is an emergency lodge there that people often can build a fire in the wood stove to survive a night like this in emergencies year around. However, a caretaker is hired by the Sierra Club from may through October of any year to tell you what you can and can't do there 6 months a year on a schedule a lot like a fire lookout is too 6 months a year.
