As you near 14,000 feet elevation above Misery Hill, a rolling plateau leads toward the summit cone. This area near the summit of Shasta is broad and relatively flat for the last quarter mile to the summit. The cone is composed of shattered rock and pumice skree which is frequently frozen and covered with frozen snow and ice. Conditions at the top can range from calm and sunny to bitterly cold. Visibility at this elevation can change quickly even in summer as moist air driven up the mountain boils into white lenticular cloud caps which can create white out conditions brief minutes after they begin to form. The route up the cone as you approach curves up and to the left side. [Climb On]