Category: Uncategorized

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Trail Challenge 2024 – Check Out Dunsmuir River Trail

Here’s an easy trail along the Upper Sacramento River that connects two unique and beautiful parks. This trail is a little narrow and has just a bit of elevation but it’s short and pretty easy. You can park at either end but the Botanical Garden has more spaces and a restroom. As this trail runs right along the river please be extra careful if it has storm damage or erosion.

The Dunsmuir Botanical Garden is in a beautiful setting along the river and hosts many weddings. It is very popular for fishing with easy river access. There is a large lawn and many tables for a picnic. Sometimes you can hear a big freight train rumble by just across the river. Check out more info on the gardens here.

Tauhindauli Park celebrates the long and varied history of Dunsmuir. Much of the trail in this area is ADA accessible including river and fishing access. At least through 2024, there is a HUGE construction crane here that the kids will love. Make sure to check out the self guided tour sign boards.

If you’re feeling extra adventurous continue downstream another half mile along the river and River Avenue to the charming old railroad town of Dunsmuir. There are markets in town with ice cream for hot days and coffee shops for cold days.

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City Cleanup on Sat., April 20 at 10 am

This Saturday, April 20, Belinda Higuera and Clean and Safe Mt. Shasta will be hosting a cleanup behind the US Forest Service property for a transient encampment. In the past, we’ve had record numbers of people show for these events to keep our city looking great. Meet in front of the USFS Office (204 W. Alma St.) at 10 am and stay as long as you want, but it won’t go beyond 2 pm. Bring trucks, gloves, water, trash picker-uppers, rakes, and protection from blackberries (long sleeves, etc.). Photo is from a cleanup at that site in 2017.

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Elsa Rupp Nature Trail and Mount Shasta Trail Challenge

The Elsa Rupp Nature Trail is a local favorite making its debut in the Mount Shasta Trail Challenge this year.   The trail takes you quickly into a peaceful forest complete with babbling brook.  An easy trail with almost no elevation gain but it is not quite ADA accessible due to some narrow bridges.Big Springs Creek is crystal clear and passes right through this park on the way to the Mount Shasta Fishery.   When you’re done with the trail, walk across the road and see where all this water is headed.   The hatchery is very unique and kids love it!

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Hatcheries/Mount-Shastahttps://www.mtshastamuseum.com

Dogs are welcome on leash.Please use caution on the bridges and the roots which can trip you.The trail and parking lot can be a little waterlogged coming out of the winter so be careful to stay on dry ground.“

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!!

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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.

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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.