HORSE CAMP TREE LINE (UP FROM BUNNY FLAT) ON MT. SHASTA

 IN 1973 I CLIMBED UP FROM BUNNY FLAT ON SNOWSHOES WITH MY BACK PACK AND GUITAR CASE ON MY BACK AND SPENT MY 25TH BIRTHDAY ALONE HERE. IT WAS WONDERFUL. THE SNOW WAS UP TO THE TOP OF THE ROOF SO I HAD TO FIND THE SNOW SHOVEL TO DIG DOWN SO I COULD OPEN UP THE FRONT DOOR. I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE LIKELY FOR SEVERAL MILES OR MORE THEN. I LEFT MY CAR PARKED AT THE BUNNY FLAT PARKING LOT THEN. AT THAT TIME THE HORSE CAMP SIERRA CLUB EMERGENCY CLIMBERS LODGE WAS LIKELY BUILT ORIGINALLY IN THE 1920S OR 1930S AND HAD HUGE TREES AS ROOF RAFTERS TO CARRY THE SNOW LOAD BECAUSE THE SNOW COULD THEN IN THE 1970S GO MUCH HIGHER THAN THE ROOF SO NORMAL RAFTERS WERE NOT GOING TO WORK AND THE ROOF WOULD COLLAPSE. BUT, SOME TIME IN THE LAST 20 YEARS THEY MUST HAVE USED A HELICOPTER TO BRING IN STEEL ROOF RAFTERS INSTEAD TO MAKE THE ROOF MORE PERMANENT. HOWEVER, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER THE ROOF RAFTERS AND THE ROOF MATERIALS MIGHT NOT RUST NOW EITHER. AT LEAST RUSTING WASN'T A PROBLEM WITH THE OLD HUGE TREE SIZED RAFTERS. THE ORIGINAL ROOF RAFTERS WERE 2 TO 3 FEET IN DIAMETER AND SO COULD LIKELY EASILY CARRY SNOW 20 FEET ABOVE THE ROOF LINE. I REMEMBER SKIING ON SNOW 40 FEET DEEP ON MOUNTAINEERING SKIS ONCE ON THIS MOUNTAIN LIKELY IN THE 1980S. ALL YOU COULD SEE WERE THE TIPS OF THE VERY TALLEST OF TREES AND THAT'S ALL THEN.