Snowcapped Mt. Shasta stands 14,162 feet on the summit. It is the second highest peak in the Cascade Range, surpassed only by Mt. Ranier which is just 249 feet taller. Though the volcano itself is still active, the last eruption occurred in 1786. The sulfur springs near the top of Mount Shasta give warning that the mountain will reawaken in the future.
Over 15,000 summit attempts are made every year, only a third of which are successful. Greg, Karl and their team of 7 made the ascent on the most popular route up the mountain, Avalanche Gulch. Though this route is perhaps the least difficult, it is nonetheless a formidable undertaking and an ice axe and crampons are necessary. All 7 in the MITC entourage made the summit.