Mt. Shasta Sees Spike in Rescues and Deaths During Extended 2025 Season

With only days left in 2025, Mt. Shasta has already seen more search and rescue incidents—and more fatalities—than all of 2024, according to officials with the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and the Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center.

Between New Year’s Day and Thanksgiving, rescue teams responded to 10 incidents on the mountain, compared to eight during the same period last year. Two people died in falls while recreating on Mt. Shasta, doubling the single fatality recorded in 2024. In another case, a 21-year-old Redding man remains missing six months after heading out on a solo hike.

Officials say one reason for the increase may be an unusually long season. Major winter storms dropped more than 60 inches of snow in early February, drawing skiers and climbers to the mountain earlier than normal. While most rescues typically occur in spring, summer, and fall, incidents began piling up as early as March.

Several rescues involved climbers losing control while sliding down icy slopes, including one man who had to be airlifted from 13,000 feet after losing his ice axe. The Clear Creek route—often considered one of the safer ways up the mountain—was the site of multiple rescues and both fatal falls in late summer, underscoring the risks even on well-known routes.

Search and rescue officials stress that while thousands safely enjoy Mt. Shasta each year, preparation is critical. They urge visitors to avoid traveling alone, end trips well before dark, check weather and avalanche forecasts, and carry proper safety and rescue gear when traveling in snow and avalanche terrain.

As Mt. Shasta’s popularity continues to grow, rescuers say caution and planning remain the most important tools for a safe climb.