Author: Trail Association

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Thank You Giving Tuesday Donors!

Thank you, to our Mount Shasta Trail Association community, and all those that included us in your Giving Tuesday plans. We are eternally grateful for your generous show of support.

The results are in and you were incredibly generous — we met our $30,000 goal! We saw 144 donors participate in Giving Tuesday. We will invest these funds in on-the-ground multi-use trail projects. Thank you again and may you have a wonderful holiday season!

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Support Trails This Giving Tuesday

It has been an extraordinary year for the Trail Association as we expand the Gateway Trail system. We still need your help to get all 46 miles of new trail and 5 trailheads across the finish line!

Please consider donating to MSTA on Giving Tuesday this November 28th. As an all-volunteer organization, 98% of donations are invested in on-the-ground projects.

The Community Foundation of the North State will be awarding different non-profits monetary prizes throughout the day on Tuesday, so donations made between 6:00 AM and 8:00 PM increase MSTA’s chances of getting an additional $1,000 or more!

Here’s the link for donations: click

Your support is what makes our work possible!

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Rick Cory Joins MSTA Board of Directors

Life is Good

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

Rick grew up in Burlingame in the San Francisco Bay Area and graduated from San Jose State in 1989 with a degree in Fire Protection Engineering.   He was backpacking across Europe when the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred and brought him home.

He worked for 30 years for the Fremont Fire Department, retiring in 2021 as a Division Chief.  He worked extensively on wildland mutual aid as a Strike Team Leader and Safety Officer and responded several times to the Mount Shasta area.  Rick is very proud of his  work with FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 4 and especially their 3-week response to Hurricane Katrina with nearly 1000 rescues.

His first introduction to this incredible area was in 1998 when (girlfriend at the time) Luce and Rick took one of their first trips together visiting Mossbrae Falls.  In 2010 they purchased a home across the street from his cousin in Dunsmuir.   They taught all of their 4 children to ski at the Mt Shasta Ski Park and how to fish in the Sacramento River.   One of his very favorite things to do is a long bike ride ending at the Dunsmuir brewpub.

Rick has watched with anticipation since 2015 as the new Gateway II trail network developed and has loved every minute working with the volunteer crews building trail.  Rick is also proud to have completed every Mount Shasta Trail Challenge since its inception in 2018 and is excited to now help continue this great program.

Luce and Rick look forward to many years mountain biking, snow shoeing, skiing, and hiking with their dogs in this beautiful area.

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Let the Trail Challenge Be Your Fall Color Guide

Autumn colors are exploding in the Mount Shasta area and it’s a perfect time to finish your 2023 Mount Shasta Trail Challenge passport! Hedge Creek Falls trail is a short easy trail that passes UNDER and BEHIND Hedge Creek Falls! Get a great view of the Sacramento River from the scenic lookout or continue all the way down to the rivers edge. Easy access and parking right off I-5 in Dunsmuir. Dogs and kids will love it. Bonus Karma for picking up trash left by others.