Mt. Shasta is the highest volcano in California and popular backcountry destination in Northern California which provides a lot of various terrains for skiers at any level. This year California experiences serious lack of snow, so Mt. Shasta is one of the few reasonably accessible places one can ski this spring.
Amazing Mt. Shasta
So far we skied Mt. Shasta twice during this season. On the first attempt we had to quickly bail after an hour of skinning up – heavy fog and rain/snow with 10 meters visibility forced us. We knew about the chance of bad weather but still wanted to give it a try hoping for the best. Poor decision considering that drive from our place to the trailhead is about 5 hours one-way.
Amazing Mt. Shasta
Two weeks later we returned for another round. We left from Palo Alto on Friday around 7 p.m. and arrived to Bunny Flat trailhead at 12 a.m. The main parking lot was nearly overflown – tents and cars everywhere (obviously good weather forecast). Though we found a small spot to fit our car and set up the tent.
The weather was foggy, rainy and snowy during our first trip to Mt. Shasta
We woke up around 9 a.m. and found tons of people around us – putting on their skins, taking snowshoes on, setting up snowmobiles, newcomers looking for a parking spot. Quick breakfast, chat with a couple from Santa Cruz and we’re skinning up under the sun to the Lake Helen (which is not really a lake anymore – just a large circus under the most popular and the easiest route to the summit – Avalanche Gulch). Hike up is fairly easy – just following the hundreds of ski tracks towards the obvious circus between two ridges – Green Butte on the right and Casaval Ridge on the left.
Telemark skiing in the fog on Mt. Shasta
It took us about 5 hours to get to the point (~3300 meters above sea level, ~1200 elevation gain from parking lot) a bit above Lake Helen which we dropped from. Mixed snow conditions: mostly good Californian spring corn with slushy areas – we dropped a bit too late for the weather. Not much to complain though. We enjoyed the descent and somehow managed to ski way too right from the trailhead and end up with some cross-country hiking and forest hills scrambling to get back to our car.
Rain, snow and fog – out first trip to Mt. Shasta
That night we let our boots and skins dry out in the cheap motel in the town of Weed – 30 minutes of driving from trailhead parking lot.
Parking place and usual beginning of ascend to Mt. Shasta
Next day we had to drive back home, so the shorter skiing option was chosen — Sun Bowl. Skinning up was much more enjoyable that the previous day. You start in the forest on the right side of the parking lot – the gentle terrain which quickly steepens up brings you to the wide slope above treeline – «broadway».
Tents at 3200 meters on Mt. Shasta
You skin it for another hour or so to the beginning of the Green Butte summit route and from there you have more than few options: continue climbing the ridge (carrying skis on the backpack) and then drop to Avalanche Gulch or Old Ski Bowl (on the right), right away drop to the Sun Bowl, Powder Bowl, lower part of Old Ski Bowl or Avalanche Gulch approach, ski down the broadway and find your way through the trees etc. We dropped around 1 p.m., skied the broadway for couple hundred meters and turned into Sun Bowl.
Right Green Butte and left Casaval ridge
Corn was incredible – just as it should be until we reached the bottom of the Sun Bowl where some soft wet snow was found. Another 20 minutes and we reached the unplowed part of Everett Highway, and then some «cross-country» skiing on the highway brought us back to the parking lot.
Climbing above Lake Helen
Lake Helen
Length: 11km round trip
High Point: 3200 meters above sea level
Elevation Gain: 1100 meters
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Broadway to Sun Bowl
Length: 8km round trip
High Point: 2800 meters above sea level
Elevation Gain: 700 meters
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Climbing above Lake Helen
Telemark skiing on the slopes of Mt. Shasta
The weather was similar to summer next day – on the way to Sun Bowl
Is it still spring or summer?
On the way to Sun Bowl
Views were excellent
The amount of snow in California was significantly below the averag amount this year
Telemark skiing on the slopes of Mt. Shasta
Telemark skiing on the slopes of Mt. Shasta
Czech version of this article: S telemarkovými lyžemi na svazích Mt. Shasta (4317 m) v Kalifornii
