When you drive up to Bunny Flat on Everitt Memorial Highway from the City of Mt. Shasta there is a cement bench up about 20 or 30 or more steps up towards the mountain a cement bench with a back to lean against which is there always day and night and all throughout every year.
It is in memorial to two 18 year old boys that Summited Mt. Shasta but lost their lives on the way down which is very easy to do.
For example, I found myself at age 22 in 1970 mentally feeling like a 5 year old when I summited then and I can understand how someone might make mistakes coming down the mountain. That both of them didn't make it down might mean that they were roped together and one fell and pulled the other down with them.
Looking back now when I climbed the mountain in 1970 I was in that "Somewhat immortal headspace then too" but I can see how being a real 18 year old could be a problem if there were no adults with them doing this for a variety of reasons.
It says they both were born in 1985 so they would both be 18 in 2003 which is what the bench says. I sat on this bench with my wife and a friend and gazed up at the mountain and watched a group of about 10 climbers with ice axes and back packs and likely crampons headed up this afternoon to climb Mt. Shasta.
Because they were leaving so late in the day they likely were either hiking up as far as Horse Camp to spend the night (OR) they could also have been hiking up to Lake Helen where climbers often leave their camping gear. Then it's an easy climb up (relatively speaking) to the Summit if you are very coordinated and have your act together in all sorts of ways including knowing how not to get air sick starting at about 10,000 or 11,000 feet and above.
Part of the trick to not get air sick is realizing that you are at a higher altitude and because of this you have to breathe much faster and to slow down your pace so you don't either throw up or pass out. Because if you pass out at the wrong time it will likely be fatal. So, knowing your limits in these conditions is very important.
Also, that route is dangerous if there is no snow because of the steepness and rocks falling often dislodged by climbers higher than you on the mountain. So, if you are not always watching for rock fall then you could easily get caught in the face or head by a rock and die. Only a 2 inch or even 1 inch diameter rock could be fatal because of the steepness of the slopes.
Luckily when I went up there was still a lot of snow so this wasn't a problem for me because I had crampons and an Ice Axe.
But, being able to really think like an adult in all serious situations is necessary to survive climbing Mt. Shasta if you want to live through it.
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