Spring skiing and mountaineering is in full tilt on Mount Shasta this year. On May 6th, the Mt. Shasta Fun Guide reported that Mt. Shasta “exceeds its corn expectations” - something backcountry skiers are blissful over. Folks are coming from all over the ski the ridiculous amounts of spring snow on Mt. Shasta and finding sweet conditions. If you’re coming to town, you can find backcountry info and direct experience by visiting The Fifth Season or Shasta Basecamp in Mt. Shasta. Both shops also rent and sell gear for backcountry adventures, from skiing to climbing. Currently the Shasta Basecamp website hasa film from a ski mountaineering trip that features footage from a full summit and ski trip on Mt. Shasta (not from this year, there is a lot more snow this year than what you see in the film).
Shasta Mountain Guides and Sierra Wilderness Seminars are getting into full swing with spring mountaineering trips. It’s going to be a long climbing season with all of the snow, but its still good to book your trip early to make sure you get into a trip on snow rather than rock. These companies, as well as Robin Kohn (author of the Fun Guide) provide ski touring packages.
For folks who are considering climbing Mount Shasta or a ski mountaineering trip, you can learn a lot about the endeavor by reading the Shasta Avalanche Advisory site put up by the Forest Service climbing rangers.
After receiving 8 feet of snow in town in late March, the conditions on Mount Shasta have been ripe for glorious spring skiing. The snow is deep and folks are reporting spring corn conditions. Shasta Mountain Guides staff have been up enjoying the conditions and supplied the photo at right. SMG and Sierra Wilderness Seminars, the two companies that guide mountaineering trips on the mountain, are looking forward to a great mountaineering season.
If you’re a seasoned backcountry skier now is the time to get in some turns. The staff at The Fifth Season and Shasta Base Camp can give you condition reports, and you can always check the Shasta Avalanche website. Or, local guide Robin Kohn posts trip reports when she’s not out skiing, so check her out as well.
If you’re new to backcountry skiing and want to learn your way around, Shasta Mountain Guides and Sierra Wilderness Seminars offer packages to teach you all about getting out there. Robin Kohn offers guided trips if you’re new to the area and want to learn the terrain.
So what are you waiting for?! Spring skiing is fine!
Local guide, Robin Kohn, is a die-hard skier and always one of the first to hit the backcountry. She was out on Dec 3rd – click here to read her blog post and find more ideas for winter adventure. Robin teaches basic skills classes and offers backcountry tours, so if you’re new to this kind of adventure she can help you learn the ropes. She is also the author of Mt. Shasta Guide to Fun, a wonderful resource for year-round adventure in the Mt. Shasta area.
Mt. Shasta has a blanket of snow and when the first storm came through in late October/early November, folks were able to get a few days in of backcountry skiing. Some skinned up to the Old Ski Bowl to make early season turns, others enjoyed touring. Now we’re waiting for that next blanket of snow to build a good base for the season. While we’re dreaming of winter’s bounty it’s a good time to get inspired and do some planning.
If you’re in the area in early November, you can get a dose of inspiration at the Mt. Shasta Avalanche Center’s presentation of Azadi: Freedom, a Banff Mountain Film Festival selection. The film will show on Nov 12th at 6:30pm at the Mt. Shasta Brewing Company tap room in Weed. Hang out with like-minded folks who have already been doing their snow dance while enjoying local brews. And if you’re going to miss this MSAC event, mark your calendar for Jan 22, 2011 and get here for the 9th annual Snowball (good times, always!). The Avy Center also offers avalanche education courses, so if you’re new to the backcountry and need to learn life-saving skills, this is the place to learn them.
Now on the planning: this winter looks like we’ll have above average precipitation and cool temps (see the MS Avy Center conditions report for details). With lots of snow, you’ll want to plan some trips to the mountain and Castle Lake for the classic backcountry ski destinations in the Mt. Shasta area. This year, Shasta Mountain Guides is offering classes to help skiers and snowboarders transition from park riding and skiing to doing it in the backcountry. So if you’ve been dreaming of the backcountry hook up with Shasta Mountain Guides. If you’ve got backcountry experience, but would like a guide, Shasta Mountain Guides and Sierra Wilderness Seminars offer guided backcountry touring. You can also book a trip with Robin Kohn of Mt. Shasta Fun who authored the book Mt. Shasta Guide to Fun about the varied recreational opportunities in the area.
That should get you started with planning a backcountry ski trip. Think snow!
Siskiyou County’s skiers wait for the first snow of the season the same way children wait for Christmas.
Several inches of snow fell in Mount Shasta on Friday, and rumor has it a few hardy souls made their way up the mountain and carved a few turns.
First real snow of the year.
It’s far too early to declare ski season open (this snow could easily melt off, and early storms are often not followed by any more snowstorms for a month or more), but the backcountry skiers are happy, and it’s an encouraging sign.
Though the first real snowstorm of the winter is yet to hit Mount Shasta, backcountry skiers are already getting antsy – waiting for the snow to fall, the mountain to turn white, and the epic days to begin.
For those who can’t wait for a fix, we present a YouTube video filmed in 2007. Nice footage, great soundtrack, and plenty of the precious white stuff:
Spring skiing and mountaineering is in full tilt on Mount Shasta this year. On May 6th, the Mt. Shasta Fun Guide reported that Mt. Shasta “exceeds its corn expectations” - something backcountry skiers are blissful over. Folks are coming from all over the ski the ridiculous amounts of spring snow on Mt. Shasta and finding sweet conditions. If you’re coming to town, you can find backcountry info and direct experience by visiting The Fifth Season or Shasta Basecamp in Mt. Shasta. Both shops also rent and sell gear for backcountry adventures, from skiing to climbing. Currently the Shasta Basecamp website has a film from a ski mountaineering trip that features footage from a full summit and ski trip on Mt. Shasta (not from this year, there is a lot more snow this year than what you see in the film).
Mt. Shasta has a blanket of snow and when the first storm came through in late October/early November, folks were able to get a few days in of backcountry skiing. Some skinned up to the Old Ski Bowl to make early season turns, others enjoyed touring. Now we’re waiting for that next blanket of snow to build a good base for the season. While we’re dreaming of winter’s bounty it’s a good time to get inspired and do some planning.
