Save the Date — March 12, 2020 Joint Forest Service & SLT Open House
Trail Challenge Appreciation at MSTA Annual Meeting
Congratulations go out to those that completed all of the trails included in the 2019 Trail Challenge!
The Mount Shasta Trail Association wants to celebrate these accomplishments during our annual meeting on April 2, from 6:00-8:30. The evening will begin with a social hour of appetizers and drinks. It’s a great opportunity to meet other trail enthusiasts and find out more about current and future projects. Then, near the beginning of our meeting we will have a drawing to determine the special prize winner. The location will be announced soon.
DON’T FORGET MSTA ON GIVING TUESDAY
There’s lots going on with the Mount Shasta Trail Association right now. Help us move forward on several big trail projects like the Gateway II and Mossbrae Falls Trails. Go to https://www.northstategives.org
Thanks!
Giving Tuesday — December 3, 2019
There are many ways to enjoy the trails. If you love our trails, please support the Mount Shasta Trail Association by donating during Giving Tuesday on December 3rd .
Click here to pre-schedule your donation. Thank you!
Giving Tuesday — Pre-Schedule Your Donation Now!
Are you gathering with your friends and family for a traditional Thanksgiving feast and music? Just like you can pre-order your turkey, you can pre-schedule your Giving Tuesday donation to the Trail Association beginning November 19th.
You can do that here: https://www.northstategives.org/mountshastatrailassociation
Hike to Castle Crags — Sunday May 19, 2019
The Siskiyou Science Festival and the Mount Shasta Trail Association invite the public on a strenuous and sometimes steep, 5.5 mile round-trip hike to the sky scraping granite spires called Castle Crags on Sunday, May 19th.
The elevation gain is 2,200 feet. Participants will first walk through the forest to Indian Springs and then hike out in the open, amid the granite slabs and pinnacles where the postcard views of Mt Shasta and the Crags become more and more spectacular.
Castle Crags are actually part of the Klamath Mountains, not the Cascade Range, and are much older. They were formed by granite magma slowly cooling underground ( as a “pluton”) and subsequently becoming exposed at the surface through uplifting and erosion.
This is the same way that the granites of Yosemite formed. In fact, the Klamath Mountains broke off from the Sierra Nevada about 60 million years ago. Mt Shasta, in contrast, was formed by relatively recent surface eruptions (within the last several million years) and its rock is andesite (a type of basalt).
Meeting place is 111 Morgan Way in front of The Best Western Tree House in Mt Shasta at 9:00 am. We will carpool to Castle Crags State Park. Bring lunch, water, and sun protection and expect to return about 4:30 pm. For further questions call Joan Roemer 530-926-0647.
GATEWAY II TRAIL EXPANSION
The Mount Shasta Trail Association and the US Forest Service are currently engaged in a 45-mile expansion of the beloved Gateway Trail system adjacent to the city of Mt. Shasta. The existing trail network consists of 11 miles of non-motorized, multi-use trails (hiking, trail running, biking, and equestrian). This new and ambitious project will add routes extending higher up the slopes of Mount Shasta and will include a connection to the Ski Park and south end of the city. The system will have many incredible vistas and a wide variety of terrain for every type of trail enthusiast. The availability of these new trails will benefit locals who love the outdoors, and will attract numerous visitors to support the economy of Siskiyou County.
The work so far has included project conception, flagging of the proposed trail, and extensive environmental analysis. There is strong community support and enthusiasm for this venture. It is hoped that actual construction can begin in the next 12-18 months.
Cost estimates for this development are nearly a million dollars. While a significant portion of the funds will come from grants (e.g. $420,000 from The McConnell Foundation), we need individual, grassroots support to reach completion. If you can see value in this endeavor, please help by donating to the Mt. Shasta Trail Association on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018. Go online to www.northstategives.org/mountshastatrailassociation
The photos (above) show an aerial view of the Gateway II Expansion area, beauty on Gateway I, and a geezer enjoying a vista area which will be included in Gateway II.
Siskiyou Science Festival Sacramento River Trail Hike — Sunday May 20, 2018
The Siskiyou Science Festival along with the Mount Shasta Trail Association invite the public including families on a hike set for Sunday, May 20th along the Sacramento River Trail.
This gentle 4.5-mile round-trip hike will start outside of the Castle Crags Park in Castella, go through a tunnel under the railroad tracks, cross over a suspension foot bridge and follow along the east side of the Sacramento River. The hike can be modified to 2.5 miles round-trip for those wanting a shorter hike. From this scenic path hikers will see whitewater, bedrock and rocky beaches. Several creeks flow into the river along the trail; crossed with bridges of different designs. The area is moist and green.
At the end of the trail is the site of the historical Castle Rock Mineral Spring Bottling Works. In the late 1800’s this famous water was shipped all over the country and abroad. The Venezuelan Consul in Panama City had a standing order of 50 cases per month! Eventually financial ruin from the 1906 earthquake ended plans to develop and subdivide the area. The company ultimately went bankrupt after the 1929 stock market crash. In 1934 the State of California purchased 925 acres of the Castle Rock Springs property, creating the beginnings of Castle Crags State Park. In 1895 George Washington Bailey operated a resort and hotel across the river from this site, known as Bailey’s Castle Rock Springs Hotel. A foot bridge provided easy access from the hotel to the spring. people traveled great distances, mostly by train, to visit the resort and try their famous mineral water, said to contain healing properties.
Meeting place is 111 Morgan Way in front of the Best Western Tree House at 9 am. Participants will carpool. Bring lunch and water. Expect to return at 2 pm. For questions, call Joan Roemer at 926-0647.
