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Summiting Mount Shasta

In August 1854 Mount Shasta, also known then as Shasta Butte, was thought to be the highest peak in California. A Yreka, CA man named E.D. Pierce led a group of eight men in the first attempt to reach the summit of the mountain. It was unknown how tall it was or how long the route may take, but they made it to the summit where they raised a U.S. flag. The news of the story traveled to San Francisco where it was published in the Daily Herald, but it was received with disbelief. At the end of the summer climbing season, Pierce led another group of nine men to the summit where they etched their names on a rock. After the climb, they estimated the distance to be seven miles and the elevation to be between 3,659 - 4,877 m (12,000 to 16,000 ft).