Planned Kayak Ramp at Lake Siskiyou

Tom Hesseldenz, Mt. Shasta Rotary, and (to some degree) MSTA have been trying for some time to construct a “paddle-craft ramp” at Lake Siskiyou to facilitate launching your kayaks and other things. There is a funding shortfall, so Tom has created a gofundme to raise the remaining funds. If you like the idea, consider donating using this link:

https://gofund.me/afea6a07

Donations will go to Rotary and are tax deductible.

Carolyn Napper Joins MSTA Board of Directors

The Mount Shasta Trail Association is pleased to announce that Carolyn Napper has joined its Board of Directors.

Carolyn grew up in Connecticut and Pennsylvania and graduated from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT with a degree in Marketing and a minor in Economics. Her cross-country running coach encouraged her to join the U.S. Peace Corps and off she went to the Philippines for 3 years where work involved helping a large farmer’s cooperative. Upon returning to California, she pursued a Master’s Degree in Agriculture specializing in Soil Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Carolyn returned to the Philippines to instruct incoming Peace Corps volunteers. The last group that Carolyn trained as new Peace Corps Volunteers included a couple who had just retired from the Forest Service in Oregon, and they encouraged Carolyn to pursue a job with the Forest Service.

Carolyn started at the Stanislaus National Forest in 1989 as a soil scientist and spent 8 years working and living in Murphys, California doing soils, range, and hydrology. The range management involved lots of long hikes into the wilderness to evaluate range conditions and use.  Carolyn met her husband Greg, a civil engineer who also worked for the USFS. Carolyn and Greg moved to Chester, CA and raised two boys before moving to the USFS San Dimas Technology and Development Center in Southern California. Carolyn was able to travel to visit other National Forests from Alaska to Florida and helped on wildfire recovery in Greece, Australia, and Israel.

In 2011, Carolyn was selected as the District Ranger on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in Mount Shasta, CA and has worked closely with the MSTA since then. Upon arriving in Mount Shasta, Gateway Phase I was being implemented and was well received by the community. Carolyn retired December 2023 and is delighted to be able to continue to help serve the community on the MSTA board.

Kiosk Installed at Pioneer Trailhead

Two days ago, a burly, beastly group of 13 showed up to wrestle the big steel posts into a trench for the kiosk at Pioneer Trailhead at the south end of town. They attached aluminum templates to get the exact positioning (this required a lot of different opinions, but there was no bloodshed). The trench was filled in and we took a photo. Finally, we installed the two wooden 4×4 posts that will hold the “Pioneer Trailhead” sign near the road, using a bit of concrete.

Thanks to Dana Bennett, Bryson Adams, John Kelly, David Tucker, Steve Diaz, Emma Wilcox, Ray Uhlig, Mark Derby, Christian Birch, Jim Wrona, John Thomson, and our newest volunteer, Jeff Earl.

Yahoo! Hooray! More Money for MSTA!

About two years ago, Becky Cooper, recreation officer for the USFS, submitted a grant application for MSTA to the Federal Highway Administration’s Recreation Trails grant program (RTP) for funding to cover construction of roughly 2 miles of trail in the Gateway Trail System. The program had a 10:1 request/funding ratio, so we didn’t get the grant. BUT…the grant administrators said the application got such high marks on all the elements they require that they strongly urged us to reapply.

Last year, Taylor Cole and Daniel Hewitt (USFS) resubmitted the grant after buffing it up even more. We waited and waited and waited until last week, when we were informed that we were granted $200,000 for construction on the planned Cosmic Connector Trail. You can check the location in the Gateway System here. It’s the blue trail in the upper right of the map connecting Vista Point to the Learning Zone.

And the press release for the grant is here if you want the details.

The board of MSTA is extremely excited about this development because it gets us very close to having all 46 miles of Gateway II financed (but we’re not quite all the way there). Kudos and thanks to our USFS partners!!

HELP US INSTALL A KIOSK THIS FRIDAY, FEB 16 AT 1 PM

Have you been sitting next to the wood stove eating cinnamon rolls the last 2 months? I thought so. Well, it’s time to get off your rear end and help us install a kiosk and posts for the trailhead sign at the south end of town on City property.  Yes, this is the exciting start of the lowermost segment of the Bear Springs Trail which will eventually go from Vista Point all the way to this spot near the radio tower.

Good news: no holes to dig (already done by Andrew Pellkofer with the excavator) and no cement to mix and pour. The only work is attaching posts to panels, leveling, and backfilling. We’ll have fun and you get to see the first part of this new trail. Very exciting. 

No more sitting; come help. Meet us at South Mt. Shasta Blvd. just north of the radio tower and across from the stored white freeway dividers at 1 pm. Below is a photo of what we’ll be installing.

Trail Challenge 2024 – Thank You Rotary!

The 2024 Mount Shasta Trail Challenge has only just started and we already have a huge announcement!!!   The Rotary Club of Mount Shasta has made a significant donation and we are excited to announce that our regular capacity has increased from 100 finishers to 150!   That’s right, we now have 150 RTIC water bottles and 150 Dragon Graphics sticker sheets.

The Rotary Club is specifically hoping to attract the younger trail users of Mount Shasta with this additional capacity.  The Trail Challenge is open to all abilities and that includes trail users of all ages!   Hit the paved portion of the Lake Siskiyou Trail with your baby stroller.  Young kids may love checking out the HUGE crane on the Dunsmuir River Trail.  Try out the brand new Muir’s Ascension trail with your young adult mountain biker.

The Mount Shasta Trail Association is working with the Rotary to reach out to local youth organizations and spread the word about this great program.  Feel free to support this effort by reaching out to your local schools, scout troops, church groups, and sports teams.

 Click here for your passport.

Trail Challenge: Ready. Set. Go!!

The 2024 7th Annual Mount Shasta Trail Challenge is off and running.   Or hiking.  Or biking.  Or XC skiing!!

This year our theme is water and all the waterfalls, lakes, and rivers of the Mount Shasta area.  Timing could not be better as the lakes are filling, the rivers are raging, and the waterfalls are roaring.  Seriously, the rivers really are raging right now so use extra caution and avoid any storm damaged or eroded trails.

There are quite a few trails new to the Challenge and of course discovering new trails is part of the fun.   Check them all out on the brand new 2024 Passport.   Download your own passport at https://mountshastatrailassociation.org/mt-shasta-trail-challenge/  to get started.  All the instructions you need are on the Passport.

This year we feature some incredible swag for at least the first 100 finishers.  An RTIC water bottle and a complete set of awesome 12 trail specific stickers from our partners at Dragon Graphics.

As always, the Mount Shasta Trail Challenge is open to all and FREE of charge thanks to our generous sponsors and thoughtful donors.

Take a Sneak Peek at the 2024 Trail Challenge!

The kickoff of the 2024 Mount Shasta Trail Challenge is imminent, but until then here’s an exciting sneak peek!

Our partners at Dragon Graphics have created a complete set of custom, trail specific stickers for you to show your pride of completion.   Finish just 6 of these 12 trails and get the whole awesome collection.   Not available anywhere else or for sale, these are only for Trail Challenge finishers.  A big THANK YOU to Dragon Graphics of Chico, CA who donated all of their time and design expertise to produce these great stickers.  

Look closely and you’ll recognize at least some of the trails that are part of the 7th annual Trail Challenge.   The Mount Shasta Trail Challenge is all season so feel free to get started!  This rainy weather is an incredible opportunity to see a roaring waterfall or strap on your snowshoes to see a higher elevation trail.  Start slow on an easy trail or be adventurous and check out a trail new to you.   

Feel free to share in the comments which sticker you like best!  Look for the official kickoff announcement and passport to be posted on this site very soon.

Muir’s Ascension from McBride to Moon Doggie now open

Given the recent rain and snow, conditions on Muir’s Ascension from the McBride Trailhead down to Moon Doggie allow us to open the trail. Thanks to those who respected the closure while the tread settled. Entry to the trail is about 50 yards above the McBride Trailhead parking lot where I left some orange tape on either side of the trail, which enters the forest to the left of the thirty-foot dead tree. This now allows a continuous trail route from Ten Gallon to the Gateway Trailhead without traveling on Everitt Memorial Hwy.