I've missed a couple of posts mostly about treadmill running.
I tried interspersing biking with running and though that is great exercise it doesn't seem to help my hamstring strength issue and my foot starts dragging sooner now. Last couple of times it was at .8 and .87 miles, and I had been able to do 1.25 mile beforehand. So I think I'm going to have to stick with running and walking.

Today I'm up at Terri's mom's in Redding and I drove up to Mt. Shasta (a place I love), and snowshoed up to the Horse Camp cabin. I originally wanted to go up to Hidden Valley but I was tired and concerned about the weather so I just turned around at the cabin. Because I turned around earlier than I was planning on I took a more difficult way back spending most of my time on powder and unbroken trail. More tiring but certainly more satisfying. I'm very happy with the new MSR snowshoes (to the point of convincing a skier that he may want to consider them - he will).

I am concerned that I got tired on the climb as it was only 1000' climb, but I always seem to get tired on it. Maybe something about snow? Not sure.

I'm still puzzled how on earth I'm going to be able to summit Shasta. From Horse Camp it's a 6000' steep climb. One can certainly start from Helen Lake or 50/50 flat but it means carrying a pack that much higher and Chris from Shasta Guides says their success rate went up when they started climbing from Horse Camp.

Currently I'm not sure the best approach. For a while I was convinced that the best option is backpack to Horse Camp, then backpack to 50/50 and spend 1.5 days there before trying the climb. Now I'm vacillating again. I think accepting the "I climb slow" belief is sort of a cop out and I'm not sure I want to accept it. I climb slow because I have a leg weakness and I want to work on it.

I think what I'd like to shoot for this season is two Mt. Shasta trips neither with the goal of summiting. The first one will be from Horse Camp with a day trip to Helen. The second will also be from Horse Camp but the day trip's goal will be the Red Banks (will have to have an earlier start time for this one.)

Still haven't given up on Whitney, but I think with all of our climbing practice we should go up the Mtneer's Route, but allow plenty of time to acclimate.

1st day drive down
1st night - portal
2nd day - hike to Lower Boy Scout Lake
2nd and 3rd night - Lower Boy Scout Lake
4th day hike to Iceberg lake
5th and maybe 6th day Summit attempt
4th and 5th night - Iceberg lake
6th day summit or hike out

If we want to go in August we need to call in the reservation in February.