Climbing and Skiing Lassen & Shasta: Day 7 of 7
Day 7: Shasta Summit Push
as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words
Three AM came early. I had a quick breakfast of oats, packed my bag the night before, and I was still excited despite the early hour. I set up my camera on a tripod before heading out, thinking about that shot—tent lit up with the mountain glowing behind it in the moonlight. That was going to be rad. I got that set up, enjoyed the quiet morning for a bit, and then it was time to move.
I grabbed my camera gear, packed only what I needed for the climb, and left the rest at camp. No skis today. I was here to photograph mountaineering for Big Agnes, not to ski. So I had on my boots, my crampons, my ice axe. I was ready to climb. The snow was perfect that morning. Super crusty. The kind of snow that makes movement feel fast and efficient.
About thirty to forty-five minutes in, I realized I had forgotten my helmet. I just stopped and stared for a second. I had literally told myself the night before to pack it on the outside of my backpack. Instead I left it in the tent. So I turned around, hiked all the way back to camp, grabbed it, and started the whole climb over again. An hour and a half lost to a simple mistake. That is what happens when you rush and cut corners. You live and you learn.
The rest of the climb was relentless. Avalanche Bulge is a grind. One step after another in the dark with only your headlamp showing what is directly in front of you. Then slowly the sun starts to peek out. Blues and yellows start to paint the sky. The day breaks and you can finally see where you are going. But Avalanche Bulge sits in the shade through the morning so you are cold the whole time. You want a puffy jacket but you are moving too hard to wear one. So it is fleece layers, gloves on, gloves off, beanie on, beanie off. Constant adjustments as your body temperature swings up and down.
The whole thing reminded me of my days as a swimmer. That love of suffering. Type two fun. You choose to be here so you might as well enjoy the misery of it.
I made it to the Thumb, this feature that marks the end of the steepest climbing. Still two and a half to three hours to the summit but the hard work is mostly done. I sat down to eat and warm up in the sun. That is when someone walked over and asked if I had an InReach device. They needed to call SOS. Their friend was in trouble.
Camera Gear I Packed For The Shasta & Lassen Project:
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
Peak Design Lite strap (I was lucky enough to get the camo version from the Sitka collab that sold out in less than 24 hours and feel cool about that)
I am a Wilderness First Responder. So I asked what was going on and got the details. One of their friends had gotten into trouble on the mountain and they needed help. I had the most experience so I ended up spending about two hours on that ridge helping coordinate a rescue. We got search and rescue involved. The sheriff's department. Eventually a helicopter came and picked the person up. It was nerve wracking and sobering and also a reminder that when you go into the mountains, this is part of the risk.
Once the person was airlifted off the mountain, I talked to the guy who had asked for help. I offered to walk down with him. He told me to go ahead and summit. He was fine going down on his own. So I kept pushing.
On the way up I met the owner of Shasta Mountain Guides. We talked about Epic Bill Bradley because I made a documentary about him and this guy knows Epic Bill. We laughed and chatted and hiked together for a bit. When you are climbing alone, sometimes that connection with another person is exactly what you need to break up the monotony.
I pushed harder after that. Made it up Heartbreak Hill and suddenly the summit was close. Really close. I could see it. I summited Mount Shasta at just over fourteen thousand feet. The day was beautiful. The views were perfect. I sat up there, ate two bars, and just took it all in. I was halfway done. Still had to get all the way back down.
The descent was so much faster. I glissaded down the mountain on my butt, using my ice axe to control my speed the whole way. Think of it as the world's largest slip and slide at fourteen thousand feet. What took several hours going up took a fraction of that coming down. I got back to camp around noon or one o'clock. Just lunchtime even though I had been awake since three in the morning.
I went through all the photos, made sure I had quality shots that told the story of the climb. Then I texted Kristin back home. That is when it hit me. I had work waiting in Tahoe. I had things that needed my attention. I needed to pack out today if I was going to drive home tomorrow.
I can carry a bag or two LOL
So with about forty-five minutes to an hour before sunset, I packed everything up. Both backpacks and my skis were waiting at camp from the day before. I strapped one backpack to my front, one to my back, grabbed my skis, and headed out. I was absolutely cooked but also somehow chipper. Tired does weird things to your brain.
I skied as far as I could from camp and then walked the rest of the way out. By the time I got back to the van it was dark. I unloaded everything, organized it all so it would dry out properly overnight, and fell asleep in my van. What a day. What a week. I was done.
Again, thank you to anyone and everyone reading this. If you have enjoyed this journal entry, shoot me an email to say hey: dj@dalton-johnson.com
✌️
The Day’s Gallery
Read More From This Adventure
About Dalton:
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, filmmaker, and writer.
Over the last 10 years, Dalton’s creative work has taken him to every continent, above the arctic circle, and below the antarctic circle.
His travels are documented in a free, weekly newsletter called UnBound, which is written for those daring to build their dream life.
Climbing and Skiing Lassen & Shasta: Day 6 of 7
Day 6: Setting Up Camp on Mount Shasta
as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words
Nobody tells you about the unglamorous days. The ones where you are hauling gear up a mountain for hours, making mistakes you should have avoided, and wondering why you chose this life. Day six was that day. And somehow it was also one of the most beautiful days of the entire trip.
I started the approach around noon. Not early, not rushed. I had talked to a few people who mentioned that bringing my skis would actually make the approach to horse camp faster. The ski route cuts a more direct line than the hiking trail. So I packed my skis, threw everything together, and headed up feeling pretty smart about the whole plan.
I was not smart about the whole plan.
For reasons I still cannot fully explain, I stayed on the hiking trail almost the entire way up. Everyone had told me the ski route starts about a quarter mile in. I hiked over three miles holding my skis. Three miles. On a steep approach. With skis on my back like a complete bozo. By the time I got to horse camp my legs were cooked and my pride was bruised. Sometimes you just make a dumb call and you live with it.
But then I set up my tent and everything changed. Horse camp on Mount Shasta is stunning. Like genuinely take your breath away stunning. I stood there exhausted and sweaty and just looked around at this incredible place and felt grateful to be there. That is the thing about adventure. The suffering and the beauty often show up at exactly the same time.
And then I realized I still had to go back down for a second load.
Camera Gear I Packed For The Shasta & Lassen Project:
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
Peak Design Lite strap (I was lucky enough to get the camo version from the Sitka collab that sold out in less than 24 hours and feel cool about that)
Here is the part they do not show you in the highlight reel. I was up there creating content for real brands. Crazy Creek, Out There, and others. That means a tripod, a full camera kit, and all the products I needed to photograph. None of that fits in one load when you are also carrying a tent, sleeping gear, food, and climbing equipment for two nights out. So I put my skis on, skied all the way back down to the van, grabbed everything I had left behind, and headed back up. This time I took the ski route. It was dramatically faster. Of course it was.
That second load was the hardest part of the day. My legs were already tired from the first carry and now I was doing it all over again with more weight. That is the unglamorous reality of being a solo adventure photographer. Nobody is carrying your gear for you. Nobody is setting up your shots while you rest. You are the photographer, the producer, the pack mule, and the creative director all at once. It is a lot of work. But it is your work and that means something.
By the time I got back to camp and got settled, the sky was putting on a show. I set up a time lapse and watched the last light of the day move slowly across the face of Mount Shasta. Golden hour on a fourteen thousand foot volcano is something I will not forget anytime soon. I cooked a big dinner, sat with the mountain, and just let the day wash over me.
By nine o'clock the sun was down and I was in my sleeping bag with every piece of gear packed and ready to go. Three AM wake up. Summit day tomorrow. The weather looked perfect. Low wind. Clear skies. Everything I had been hoping for since I left Lake Tahoe a week ago. I closed my eyes and told myself to sleep fast.
The mountain was not going anywhere. But morning would come quick.
Again, thank you to anyone and everyone reading this. If you have enjoyed this journal entry, shoot me an email to say hey: dj@dalton-johnson.com
✌️
The Day’s Gallery
Read More From This Adventure
About Dalton:
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, filmmaker, and writer.
Over the last 10 years, Dalton’s creative work has taken him to every continent, above the arctic circle, and below the antarctic circle.
His travels are documented in a free, weekly newsletter called UnBound, which is written for those daring to build their dream life.
Climbing and Skiing Lassen & Shasta: Day 5 of 7
Day 5: The Quiet Day Before Shasta
as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words
Not every day on a seven day alpine project looks like a ski descent or a summit push. Some days look like sleeping in, running errands, and eating enough food to prepare your body for what is coming next. Day five was that day. And honestly, after everything Mount Lassen had put me through, I needed it.
I let myself sleep. No four AM alarm. No rushing out the door in the dark. I just rested until my body was ready to get up and that felt like a small luxury after the previous few days. When you are deep in a solo project like this, rest is not laziness. Rest is strategy. A tired body makes bad decisions in the mountains and I had a big mountain ahead of me.
Once I was up I drove down into the town of Mount Shasta. I needed to pick up a few things I had not been able to find earlier in the trip. Odds and ends. The kind of stuff you do not think about until you are in the middle of nowhere and realize you forgot it. I also needed to get my permit for the climb. Mount Shasta requires a summit pass and getting that sorted ahead of time is just part of the process. It is one of those behind the scenes logistical pieces that nobody really sees but every successful project depends on.
Camera Gear I Packed For The Shasta & Lassen Project:
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
Peak Design Lite strap (I was lucky enough to get the camo version from the Sitka collab that sold out in less than 24 hours and feel cool about that)
After town I got back to the van and settled in for a few hours of work. I edited photos, caught up on some of the commercial work that needed attention, and did a rough inventory of everything I was bringing up the mountain. Two nights out means packing smart. Every ounce matters when you are carrying a full mountaineering kit up a fourteen thousand foot volcano. Tent, sleeping gear, food, camera equipment, climbing gear, layers. I went through it all methodically and made sure nothing critical was missing.
The plan for Shasta was straightforward. Pack in on day six, set up camp, rest and enjoy being up there, then wake up early and push for the summit. Come back down to camp, sleep one more night, and pack out the following morning. Clean and simple. Two days on the mountain with a summit in the middle.
By evening I had everything ready. Gear was organized. Food was prepped. Permit was sorted. I ate a big dinner, did a final check of my pack, and got to bed at a reasonable hour. Tomorrow the real work would begin again. Mount Shasta was not going to climb itself.
Again, thank you to anyone and everyone reading this. If you have enjoyed this journal entry, shoot me an email to say hey: dj@dalton-johnson.com
✌️
The Day’s Gallery
Read More From This Adventure
About Dalton:
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, filmmaker, and writer.
Over the last 10 years, Dalton’s creative work has taken him to every continent, above the arctic circle, and below the antarctic circle.
His travels are documented in a free, weekly newsletter called UnBound, which is written for those daring to build their dream life.
Climbing and Skiing Lassen & Shasta: Day 4 of 7
Day 4: Skiing Mount Lassen
as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words
I woke up at five in the morning in my van. The goal was simple. Be at the trailhead by six, fully packed and ready to go ski Mount Lassen. That is the kind of early that makes you question your life choices. You are warm in your bed. It is cold outside. Every part of you wants to stay put. But then the excitement kicks in. This is the day. This is what I came here to do.
I stepped outside to pack up and immediately felt the chill bite. I thought about putting on my ski boots for the walk to the trailhead but then reality hit. That mile-plus hike in ski boots would be brutal. They are stiff and awkward and your feet sweat inside them. So I made a call. I grabbed my regular shoes, laced them up, and strapped my ski boots to the outside of my pack. Once I got to the trailhead I would swap them out. It was a small logistical move but it saved me thirty minutes of misery and cost me about thirty minutes of sleep time. Worth it.
The approach started easy enough. I was moving well, cruising up the trail in my regular shoes, feeling good. And then the sun came up and everything changed. By eight in the morning it was already hot. I mean really hot. The kind of heat that makes you question why you signed up for this in the first place. I was getting smoked. Energy was dropping fast. I pulled out my Dermatone and slathered on sunscreen, but it did not matter. The climb was relentless.
About three quarters of the way up, I hit a wall. My legs were tired. My lungs were working hard. I could see the peak but it felt so far away. So I stopped. I sat down. I ate some food and just let myself rest for a bit. Sometimes the best thing you can do on a long climb is give yourself permission to take a break. After twenty minutes I felt better. Stronger. Ready to keep going.
Camera Gear I Packed For The Shasta & Lassen Project:
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
Peak Design Lite strap (I was lucky enough to get the camo version from the Sitka collab that sold out in less than 24 hours and feel cool about that)
That is when the boot pack started. I took off my regular shoes, pulled them into my backpack, and clicked into my ski boots. The snow changed immediately. It went from normal to soft. Really soft. With each step my foot was sinking deeper. Shin deep. Knee deep. And then waist deep. I was using my arms now, punching into the snow with every step, crawling more than walking. That is when I felt it. That weird feeling in your gut that something is off. The snow did not feel right. It felt sketchy. Unstable. Like it was waiting to move.
I was maybe a couple hundred feet from the summit but I made a decision. I was not going to push it. I was not going to be a hero. I stopped right there and got ready to ski down. Better safe than sorry. Better alive than proud.
I dropped in and made my first turn. The moment I did, I looked back over my shoulder and saw it. I had released a small slough. Just a little avalanche. Nothing massive but enough to remind me why I had made the right call. I made a hard quick turn and booked it in the opposite direction, going straight and fast to get away from it. The slough did not catch me but it did not need to. The message was clear.
I skied down the other side where the snow was more stable. The descent was good. The snow was thick and forgiving. I skied almost all the way back to where I had started, took off my boots, and walked back to the van. By noon I was back.
I was so early that I decided to pack everything up and head straight to Mount Shasta. On my way out I got to meet up with my dad for a quick minute. I stopped at one of the lakes, jumped in, and rinsed off all the sweat and exhaustion. Standing there in that cold water, I started mentally preparing for what was coming next. Mount Shasta was waiting. And after today, I knew I was ready for it.
Again, thank you to anyone and everyone reading this. If you have enjoyed this journal entry, shoot me an email to say hey: dj@dalton-johnson.com
✌️
The Day’s Gallery
Read More From This Adventure
About Dalton:
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, filmmaker, and writer.
Over the last 10 years, Dalton’s creative work has taken him to every continent, above the arctic circle, and below the antarctic circle.
His travels are documented in a free, weekly newsletter called UnBound, which is written for those daring to build their dream life.
Climbing and Skiing Lassen & Shasta: Day 3 of 7
Day 3: Manzanita Lake and Scouting the Route
as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words
I was up before the sun. Four in the morning, pitch dark outside the van, and I had a long drive to the north entrance of Lassen to make before first light hit the lake. That kind of early morning has its own energy. Part exhaustion, part anticipation. You are moving through the dark on pure intention.
As I drove into the north entrance, everything was blue. Not dark, not light, just this deep cool blue that sits between night and morning. It is one of my favorite times to be outside with a camera. The world feels quiet and untouched and entirely yours. I knew I was cutting it close on time so I grabbed my Sony A7R4, one tripod, one lens, threw everything in a backpack and started walking along the northern edge of Manzanita Lake looking for the right composition.
I could not find it. The angles felt off and nothing was grabbing me the way I wanted. So I doubled back and walked all the way around the lake instead. That decision changed everything. As I made my way along the southern side, the sun started to hit Lassen Peak. That first touch of golden light on the mountain was breathtaking. Below it, a thin layer of mist and steam hung just above the surface of the lake, glowing in the early morning light. I found a small man made dam on the southern side, sat down, and just looked at it for a moment. Lassen Peak fully lit, the lake perfectly still, fog drifting just above the water. It was one of those moments where you almost forget to pick up the camera because you are just trying to absorb it.
Camera Gear I Packed For The Shasta & Lassen Project:
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
Peak Design Lite strap (I was lucky enough to get the camo version from the Sitka collab that sold out in less than 24 hours and feel cool about that)
I spent a few hours there. Shooting landscapes, shooting product work for the brands I was working with, testing compositions, and just enjoying being in that place. There is something about a morning like that which reminds you why you chose this life. No client on the phone. No deadlines screaming at you. Just you, a camera, and a mountain doing something extraordinary with the light.
Eventually I headed back to the van, ate some breakfast, and started doing a quick edit on the morning's images. I always like to do a rough pass early just to see what I actually captured, what is working, and what adjustments I need to make going forward. The Manzanita shots were strong. I felt good about what I had.
Then I looked over at my ski gear and made a decision. It was time to go check out the actual route. I grabbed everything, drove up toward Lassen Peak, and started hiking the approach just to get a feel for what I would be dealing with the next morning. Once I hit snow I clicked into my skis and skinned up to the base of the route, skiing just a few hundred feet of vertical to test the snow conditions and feel out the line. It was a quick look but it told me what I needed to know.
By the time I got back to the van the sun was getting low. I ate, organized my gear, and got to bed as early as I could. Tomorrow was the real day. I was going to ski Mount Lassen and I wanted every possible advantage that a good night of sleep could give me.
Again, thank you to anyone and everyone reading this. If you have enjoyed this journal entry, shoot me an email to say hey: dj@dalton-johnson.com
✌️
The Day’s Gallery
Read More From This Adventure
About Dalton:
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, filmmaker, and writer.
Over the last 10 years, Dalton’s creative work has taken him to every continent, above the arctic circle, and below the antarctic circle.
His travels are documented in a free, weekly newsletter called UnBound, which is written for those daring to build their dream life.
Climbing and Skiing Lassen & Shasta: Day 2 of 8
Day 2: Getting My Bearings at Mount Lassen
as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words
I woke up at four in the morning with big plans. Sunrise photography at Mount Lassen. Epic light. The whole adventure photographer dream. I dragged myself out of bed, looked outside the van, and immediately knew those plans were dead. The fog was thick. The clouds were heavy. Everything was gray and soupy and there was zero chance of anything epic happening before sunrise. So I made the smart call. I went back to bed.
A few more hours of sleep made a huge difference. When I finally got up and had some coffee, the world felt a bit more manageable. I took my time that morning because I knew this day was about getting my bearings, not making magic happen. I wasn't going to rush into this project half awake and exhausted.
Once the van was rolling, I backtracked a bit because I'd spotted something from the road the night before that looked promising. I flew my drone and shot from the ground, but honestly, it was so foggy and gross that nothing really came together. That's adventure though. Sometimes you try something and it doesn't work out. You learn and you move on.
As I kept driving, I made a stop at Mill Creek because the roadside view just grabbed me. I took a bunch of photographs there. The light was still terrible, but the landscape had character and I wanted to document it. Then I headed toward the south entrance of the park, thinking that would be my main access point. When I got there, I realized the road was closed. Just like that, my plan changed. I walked around, took some photos, talked to a ranger, and accepted that this entrance wasn't happening.
Camera Gear I Packed For The Shasta & Lassen Project:
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
Peak Design Lite strap (I was lucky enough to get the camo version from the Sitka collab that sold out in less than 24 hours and feel cool about that)
So I did what any reasonable person would do. I drove an hour and a half all the way around the outside of the park to the north entrance where Manzanita Lake sits. When I finally got there, it was still rainy and foggy. Not ideal. But I made the most of it. I shot some product work for the brands I was working with, explored the area, and drove as far up the road as I could go to see what was around the next bend.
I thought about hiking the approach to scope out my ski line, but then I looked at the time and reality hit me. I still had commercial work to finish for the day, work that actually paid the bills and kept these brand partnerships alive. So instead of hiking, I grabbed my binoculars, looked at the route from a distance, and made a mental note of what I'd see. The day was slipping away and I needed to be smart about it.
By late afternoon, I knew it was time to head out. I had no cell service most of the day, so I wanted to check in with Kristin and let her know I was okay. Then I found a spot to sleep for the night, knowing exactly what tomorrow would bring. I was going to wake up early, really early, and hit Manzanita Lake at first light. I'd do a preliminary ski to scout the base of the route and get eyes on exactly what I'd be dealing with when I went for the real ski attempt on day four.
Again, thank you to anyone and everyone reading this. If you have enjoyed this journal entry, shoot me an email to say hey: dj@dalton-johnson.com
✌️
The Day’s Gallery
Read More From This Adventure
About Dalton:
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, filmmaker, and writer.
Over the last 10 years, Dalton’s creative work has taken him to every continent, above the arctic circle, and below the antarctic circle.
His travels are documented in a free, weekly newsletter called UnBound, which is written for those daring to build their dream life.
Climbing and Skiing Lassen & Shasta: Day 1 of 7
Day 1: Leaving Lake Tahoe
as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words
Packing for a seven day solo alpine adventure is equal parts exciting and terrifying. I stood in my van that morning running through my checklist one more time, double checking that my camera gear was there, my climbing equipment was secure, and my food was packed properly. There's always this voice in the back of your head that whispers you messed something up or forgot something critical. The truth is, you can only prepare so much. You do your best, check your lists, and then you have to trust yourself and move forward. So I did exactly that. I loaded up the van, grabbed some food from town, filled the tank with gas, and pointed myself toward Mount Lassen.
The drive from Lake Tahoe to Lassen is long. Really long. Hours of road stretched out in front of me and I knew I needed to make the most of that time mentally. Good podcasts and music became my companions for the road. There's something powerful about driving alone for hours. Your mind wanders. You process things. You think about the project ahead, the brands you're working with, what you want to capture, and honestly, whether you're ready for it. I stopped a few times to stretch, grab coffee, and take a few phone calls. I wasn't trying to photograph everything I saw on that drive. The goal wasn't to slow down and hunt for shots. Instead, I focused on bringing people along for the ride itself. A few phone selfies here and there, some behind the scenes moments of the van and the road, simple stuff I could share on Instagram and LinkedIn to show folks what this journey actually looked like.
Camera Gear I Packed For The Shasta & Lassen Project:
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
Peak Design Lite strap (I was lucky enough to get the camo version from the Sitka collab that sold out in less than 24 hours and feel cool about that)
I didn't make it all the way to Lassen on day one. The drive was longer than I expected and I wanted to arrive rested and ready. So I found some public land off the highway, pulled over, and slept under the stars. It was quiet and simple and exactly what I needed. When I woke up the next morning, fog rolled thick across the landscape. It wasn't the clear alpine morning I was hoping for. The light was flat and gray and honestly, kind of depressing. But that's adventure. You don't always get perfect conditions. You work with what you have and you make the most of it.
Again, thank you to anyone and everyone reading this. If you have enjoyed this journal entry, shoot me an email to say hey: dj@dalton-johnson.com
✌️
The Day’s Gallery
Read More From This Adventure
About Dalton:
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, filmmaker, and writer.
Over the last 10 years, Dalton’s creative work has taken him to every continent, above the arctic circle, and below the antarctic circle.
His travels are documented in a free, weekly newsletter called UnBound, which is written for those daring to build their dream life.