Wednesday, May 1, 2024

If Mountain Climbing gets into your blood it is hard to resist (even though many die in this sport worldwide every year)

note: the mount shasta stuff is repeated but I wasn't allowed by the software to delete it without deleting the whole article completely so I left it.
 

 I'm referring to this article about dead bodies on Mt. Everest. I have a friend who has climbed Mt. Everest by the way and he has climbed most of the taller peaks on earth too.

I have climbed a few places in California like San Gorgonio mountain:

begin partial quote: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=san+gorgonoi+mountain

San Gorgonio Mountain, also known locally as Mount San Gorgonio, or Old Greyback, is the highest peak in Southern California and the Transverse Ranges at 11,503 feet. It is in the San Bernardino Mountains, 27 miles east of the city of San Bernardino and 12 miles north-northeast of San Gorgonio Pass. Wikipedia
Elevation: 11,503′
Mountain range: San Bernardino Mountains
Prominence: 8,294′
Coordinates: 34°05′57″N 116°49′29″W / 34.099162°N 116.824853°W
Easiest route: Strenuous hike
English translation: Saint Gorgonius
First ascent: 1872 by W. A. Goodyear and Mark Thomas

end quote.

And I have also climbed Mt. Shasta to the top as well:

Partial quote from:

Mount Shasta (/ˈʃæstə/ SHASS-tə; Shasta: Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki;[5] Karuk: Úytaahkoo)[6] is a potentially active[7] volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. At an elevation of 14,179 ft (4,322 m), it is the second-highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth-highest in the state. Mount Shasta has an estimated volume of 85 cubic miles (350 cubic kilometers), which makes it the most voluminous stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc.[8][9] The mountain and surrounding area are part of the Shasta–Trinity National Forest.

Description

The origin of the name "Shasta" is vague, either derived from a people of a name like it or otherwise garbled by early Westerners. Mount Shasta is connected to its satellite cone of Shastina, and together they dominate the landscape. Shasta rises abruptly to tower nearly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above its surroundings.[4] On a clear winter day, the mountain can be seen from the floor of the Central Valley 140 miles (230 km) to the south.[10][citation needed] The mountain has attracted the attention of poets,[11] authors,[12] and presidents.[13]

The mountain consists of four overlapping dormant volcanic cones that have built a complex shape, including the main summit and the prominent and visibly conical satellite cone of 12,330 ft (3,760 m) Shastina. If Shastina were a separate mountain, it would rank as the fourth-highest peak of the Cascade Range (after Mount Rainier, Rainier's Liberty Cap, and Mount Shasta itself).[4]

Mount Shasta's surface is relatively free of deep glacial erosion except, paradoxically, for its south side where Sargents Ridge[14] runs parallel to the U-shaped Avalanche Gulch. This is the largest glacial valley on the volcano, although it does not now have a glacier in it. There are seven named glaciers on Mount Shasta, with the four largest (Whitney, Bolam, Hotlum, and Wintun) radiating down from high on the main summit cone to below 10,000 ft (3,000 m) primarily on the north and east sides.[4] The Whitney Glacier is the longest, and the Hotlum is the most voluminous glacier in the state of California. Three of the smaller named glaciers occupy cirques near and above 11,000 ft (3,400 m) on the south and southeast sides, including the Watkins, Konwakiton, and Mud Creek glaciers.[citation needed]

History

The oldest-known human settlement in the area dates to about 7,000 years ago.[citation needed]

At the time of Euro-American contact in the 1810s, the Native American tribes who lived within view of Mount Shasta included the Shasta, Okwanuchu, Modoc, Achomawi, Atsugewi, Karuk, Klamath, Wintu, and Yana tribes.

A historic eruption of Mount Shasta in 1786 may have been observed by Lapérouse, but this is disputed. Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program says that the 1786 eruption is discredited, and that the last known eruption of Mount Shasta was around 1250 AD, proved by uncorrected radiocarbon dating.[15][16]

Although earlier Spanish explorers are likely to have sighted the mountain, the first written record and description was made in May 20,1817 by Spaniard Narciso Durán, a member of the Luis Antonio Argüello expedition into the upper areas of the Sacramento River Valley, who wrote "At about ten leagues to the northwest of this place we saw the very high hill called by soldiers that went near its slope Jesus Maria, It is entirely covered with snow."[17] Peter Skene Ogden (a leader of a Hudson's Bay Company trapping brigade) in 1826 recorded sighting the mountain, and in 1827, the name "Sasty" or "Sastise" was given to nearby Mount McLoughlin by Ogden.[18] An 1839 map by David Burr lists the mountain as Rogers Peak.[19] This name was apparently dropped, and the name Shasta was transferred to present-day Mount Shasta in 1841, partly as a result of work by the United States Exploring Expedition.

Mount Shasta seen from south of Weed, California

Beginning in the 1820s, Mount Shasta was a prominent landmark along what became known as the Siskiyou Trail, which runs at Mount Shasta's base. The Siskiyou Trail was on the track of an ancient trade and travel route of Native American footpaths between California's Central Valley and the Pacific Northwest.

The California Gold Rush brought the first Euro-American settlements into the area in the early 1850s, including at Yreka, California and Upper Soda Springs. The first recorded ascent of Mount Shasta occurred in 1854 (by Elias Pearce), after several earlier failed attempts. In 1856, the first women (Harriette

Aerial view of Mount Shasta from the southwest
Highest point
Elevation14,179 ft (4,322 m)[1]
NAVD88
Prominence9,772 ft (2,979 m)[2]
Parent peakNorth Palisade[2]
Isolation335 mi (539 km)[2]
Listing
Coordinates41°24′33″N 122°11′42″W[1]
Naming
Native name
Geography
Mount Shasta is located in California
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Location in California, U.S.
LocationShasta–Trinity National Forest, California, U.S.
Parent rangeCascade Range
Topo mapUSGS Mount Shasta
Geology
Age of rockAbout 593,000 years
Mountain typeStratovolcano
Volcanic arcCascade Volcanic Arc
Last eruption1250[3]
Climbing
First ascent1854 by E. D. Pearce and party[4]
Easiest routeAvalanche Gulch ("John Muir") route: talus/snow climb[4]

Designated1976

 

Mount Shasta (/ˈʃæstə/ SHASS-tə; Shasta: Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki;[5] Karuk: Úytaahkoo)[6] is a potentially active[7] volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. At an elevation of 14,179 ft (4,322 m), it is the second-highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth-highest in the state. Mount Shasta has an estimated volume of 85 cubic miles (350 cubic kilometers), which makes it the most voluminous stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc.[8][9] The mountain and surrounding area are part of the Shasta–Trinity National Forest.

Description

The origin of the name "Shasta" is vague, either derived from a people of a name like it or otherwise garbled by early Westerners. Mount Shasta is connected to its satellite cone of Shastina, and together they dominate the landscape. Shasta rises abruptly to tower nearly 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above its surroundings.[4] On a clear winter day, the mountain can be seen from the floor of the Central Valley 140 miles (230 km) to the south.[10][citation needed] The mountain has attracted the attention of poets,[11] authors,[12] and presidents.[13]

The mountain consists of four overlapping dormant volcanic cones that have built a complex shape, including the main summit and the prominent and visibly conical satellite cone of 12,330 ft (3,760 m) Shastina. If Shastina were a separate mountain, it would rank as the fourth-highest peak of the Cascade Range (after Mount Rainier, Rainier's Liberty Cap, and Mount Shasta itself).[4]

Mount Shasta's surface is relatively free of deep glacial erosion except, paradoxically, for its south side where Sargents Ridge[14] runs parallel to the U-shaped Avalanche Gulch. This is the largest glacial valley on the volcano, although it does not now have a glacier in it. There are seven named glaciers on Mount Shasta, with the four largest (Whitney, Bolam, Hotlum, and Wintun) radiating down from high on the main summit cone to below 10,000 ft (3,000 m) primarily on the north and east sides.[4] The Whitney Glacier is the longest, and the Hotlum is the most voluminous glacier in the state of California. Three of the smaller named glaciers occupy cirques near and above 11,000 ft (3,400 m) on the south and southeast sides, including the Watkins, Konwakiton, and Mud Creek glaciers.[citation needed]

History

The oldest-known human settlement in the area dates to about 7,000 years ago.[citation needed]

At the time of Euro-American contact in the 1810s, the Native American tribes who lived within view of Mount Shasta included the Shasta, Okwanuchu, Modoc, Achomawi, Atsugewi, Karuk, Klamath, Wintu, and Yana tribes.

A historic eruption of Mount Shasta in 1786 may have been observed by Lapérouse, but this is disputed. Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program says that the 1786 eruption is discredited, and that the last known eruption of Mount Shasta was around 1250 AD, proved by uncorrected radiocarbon dating.[15][16]

Although earlier Spanish explorers are likely to have sighted the mountain, the first written record and description was made in May 20,1817 by Spaniard Narciso Durán, a member of the Luis Antonio Argüello expedition into the upper areas of the Sacramento River Valley, who wrote "At about ten leagues to the northwest of this place we saw the very high hill called by soldiers that went near its slope Jesus Maria, It is entirely covered with snow."[17] Peter Skene Ogden (a leader of a Hudson's Bay Company trapping brigade) in 1826 recorded sighting the mountain, and in 1827, the name "Sasty" or "Sastise" was given to nearby Mount McLoughlin by Ogden.[18] An 1839 map by David Burr lists the mountain as Rogers Peak.[19] This name was apparently dropped, and the name Shasta was transferred to present-day Mount Shasta in 1841, partly as a result of work by the United States Exploring Expedition.

Mount Shasta seen from south of Weed, California

Beginning in the 1820s, Mount Shasta was a prominent landmark along what became known as the Siskiyou Trail, which runs at Mount Shasta's base. The Siskiyou Trail was on the track of an ancient trade and travel route of Native American footpaths between California's Central Valley and the Pacific Northwest.

The California Gold Rush brought the first Euro-American settlements into the area in the early 1850s, including at Yreka, California and Upper Soda Springs. The first recorded ascent of Mount Shasta occurred in 1854 (by Elias Pearce), after several earlier failed attempts. In 1856, the first women (Harriette

Aerial view of Mount Shasta from the southwest
Highest point
Elevation14,179 ft (4,322 m)[1]
NAVD88
Prominence9,772 ft (2,979 m)[2]
Parent peakNorth Palisade[2]
Isolation335 mi (539 km)[2]
Listing
Coordinates41°24′33″N 122°11′42″W[1]
Naming
Native name
Geography
Mount Shasta is located in California
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Location in California, U.S.
LocationShasta–Trinity National Forest, California, U.S.
Parent rangeCascade Range
Topo mapUSGS Mount Shasta
Geology
Age of rockAbout 593,000 years
Mountain typeStratovolcano
Volcanic arcCascade Volcanic Arc
Last eruption1250[3]
Climbing
First ascent1854 by E. D. Pearce and party[4]
Easiest routeAvalanche Gulch ("John Muir") route: talus/snow climb[4]

 end quote.
The thing about mountain climbing is it's like nothing else. Planes are going by often "private planes" at lower altitude than you are at at the summit of either San Gorgonio or Mt. Shasta. Though I have flown over and around both mountains in a private plane the experience of being over 10,000 feet is an amazing one especially on the larger peaks in California or other states.
Often there are memorials to the people who died climbing the mountains somewhere along the way over the years. I think being aware of just how dangerous mountain climbing can be especially above 10,000 feet should be more thought about by many climbers. 
Because if you are not prepared for literally anything that can happen at altitude then you are often dead.
The first problem is altitude sickness which can be overcome by breathing more breaths per step. I found that I had to breathe about 3 to 4 breaths every step in order to summit without getting sick on Mt. Shasta by the way when I was 22 years old in 1970.
Then you need equipment so you don't slide off and die like Crampons (spikes attached to your climbing boots) and an ice axe if there is snow or ice. You might also need snow shoes depending upon the snow conditions that change during different times of the day or night.
You might want to rope together above around 10,000 feet or 11,000 feet so if someone starts sliding on ice or snow you can stop them.
But, if you aren't trained how to do this quickly then everyone tied together can die too. So, being trained enough to survive mountain climbing is important too.
But, something like Mount Everest I have never tried to climb simply because it's expensive and it's very easy to die on Mt. Everest. People often climb a 14,000 plus foot mountain in the U.S. or another country and think they are ready for Mt. Everest. This is a good way to die from ignorance. Climbing Mt. Everest is going to kill any inexperienced person who thinks they are better than they are when they aren't prepared for what they are going to face.
So, climbing Mt. Everest from my point of view in some ways it's suicidal (sort of like surfing a 50 foot high ocean wave if you have only surfed a 5 to 10 foot wave before. 
Unless you know your limitations in life you soon will be dead. 
 And in mountain climbing it is about as forgiving as flying a plane. In other words mountain climbing is not forgiving at all much like flying a plane is too if you are an unprepared pilot for whatever you are facing.

 

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