I found the trek up Misery Hill above the Red Banks to be the most disheartening part of the hike. It's aptly named, both for the physical exertion and for the mental aspect of getting to the top of this "false peak" and seeing the field of snow and the true peak beyond, even when you know what to expect, lol.
IMO, the most dangerous part of the hike up Shasta isn't the falling rocks in Avalanche Gulch (you can seee those coming, literally, from a mile away), it's going up through the Red Banks where there is the potential for some inexperienced/risky/stupid person to be sliding back down though those natural icy chutes and right into you.
Thanks for confirming what I had heard from a guy at work that Shasta is harder. It certainly helps me mentally. :-) I guess I just got a little bit of a shock when I read reports indicating I may need to use crampons and go up the Chute, since I wasn't planning for that type of a hike.
