2020 Trail Challenge — Get Your Passport Now

The Mount Shasta Trail Association invites you to participate in the 2020 Trail Challenge. This year’s challenge features 10 trails that highlight the beauty and uniqueness of our area.

It is an excellent opportunity to participate in an event that naturally socially distances participants while being part of a larger group event.  This is a great opportunity for families to have many outdoor experiences together.

You have until Aug. 31st to complete 8 of the hikes listed on the passport. The first 70 people to complete their will receive a Hydro Flask tumbler!   For more details and links to individual trail guides visit our 2020 Trail Challenge page, or download and print out your passport here.

Take the Challenge!

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.

Mount Shasta Library Cleanup – Sept. 14 at 9 AM

I’ve been avoiding this for some time, but recently forced myself to walk behind the MS Library to check out the growth of weeds, bushes, trees, etc. It looks like a jungle, and a huge fire hazard (see photos). It’s been chosen as one of the top priorities by our “crazy old men” group of MSTA workers for a cleanup.

Please consider showing up on Saturday morning, Sept. 14, at 9 am to weed whack, cut, trim, rake, and generally thrash the area behind the library, extending toward Sisson Meadow.

This will be mostly light work. We’ll need weed whackers, hedge trimmers, clippers, loppers, and lots of people to rake up the slash into piles that can be burned when the cool, moist weather arrives.

To do this right, we’re gonna need about 20 volunteers, so start beating the bushes (no pun intended) for helpers. As usual, you don’t need to commit to any amount of time. Come and go as you wish; we’ll be grateful.

Thanks,
JH

PS: If you agree to come, I’ll bring whatever refreshments/snacks you want (just contact me with requests)! When I bring donuts, no one eats them, and then I have to snarf them all.

Hiking the Sisson Callahan Trail

One of the underrated gems of the Mt Shasta region is the Sisson Callahan Trail or SCT. Originally a series of prospector trails in the mid-1800s, in 1911 the Forest Service established a permanent trail along today’s route. The full length of the SCT runs from the Lake Siskiyou area into the Trinity Divide, cresting the shoulder of Mt Eddy and dropping into Deadfall Lakes basin, eventually meeting the famous PCT.

Partially owing to its remoteness and partially due to its consistent uphill grade, the SCT is quiet. This author took a hike there today and saw exactly 0 people along 8 miles of lower trail.

The trail follows the North Fork Sacramento river for its entire length, climbing to the very headwaters on the slopes of Mt Eddy. In total the climb is over 3,000′ elevation gain (or loss, depending on your perspective!) The latter makes this particularly popular with downhill MTB riders – try Shasta Gravity Adventures for a shuttle ride to the top!

Access is challenging, out a high-clearance forest road. But if you’re up for an adventure, the SCT is waiting for you! Check out our trail guide.

Lynda Hardy Joins MSTA Board of Directors

Trails Challenge completed!

The Mount Shasta Trail Association is happy to announce that Lynda Hardy has joined its Board of Directors.

Lynda is a long time community leader and has lived and worked in Siskiyou County for 42 years.  Now happily retired, Lynda worked for 32 of those years teaching Elementary School in Mount Shasta and Dunsmuir. She was selected and worked as an Educational Science Consultant for the prestigious Lawrence Hall of Science based out of Berkeley, CA.

Lynda was one of the founding members of the Mountain Runners non-profit organization.  During her years volunteering for Mountain Runners, she worked as the co-director of many Fourth of July Races and Winter Triathlons.  She co-coordinated and grew the Fun Runs successfully and was active in its fundraising campaigns.

An avid skate and backcountry skier, Lynda also continues to hike and mountain bike our local trails.  Some of her other interests are sailing and painting.

Hike to the Deadfall Lakes and Mount Eddy — Saturday August 3, 2019

photo courtesy of wikipedia.org

For the most amazing views, join the Mt. Shasta Trail Association on a day hike to pristine Deadfall Lakes and to the top of Mt. Eddy slated for August 3rd.  This 10-mile round-trip hike starts out gently on the Pacific Crest Trail at the Parks Creek Trailhead to the multiple lakes and then becomes challenging as we gain 2,250 feet to the summit at 9,025 feet.

Mt. Eddy was formed between some 400 million years ago from peridotite, a volcanic form of serpentine.  This type of rock, ultramafic, is high in magnesium and low in calcium, and as such the soils derived from this material constitute a harsh growing medium for most plants.  Like with other serpentine areas, the result is that some plants adapt to the harsh conditions, taking advantage of the relative lack of competition, and evolve to become endemic to the site.  The iron contained in the rock rusts, giving it its reddish tint.  It is the highest mountain in the Trinity Divide — a sub-range of the Klamath Mountains — the highest point in Trinity County, and the highest mountain west of Interstate 5.  The mountain was named after Olive Paddock Eddy, the first woman to climb Mt. Shasta.  From this majestic peak we will be able to see Lassen Peak, Mt. McLoughlin, the Scott Mountains, the Eddy Range, Black Butte, Castle Crags Spire and of course Mt. Shasta towering over everything in sight.

Participants will meet 8 AM at 111 Morgan Way Mt Shasta, in front of the Best Western Tree House Motor Inn.  OR participants can meet the group at 8:30 at the I 5 Edgewood Rd exit on the west side of I-5.  Bring lunch, sun protection, a snack and water — and if interested — a bathing suit for a refreshing swim.  Hiking poles are recommended.  Expect to return by 6 PM.  For further questions call John Thomson at 530 926 4430.

MSTA MAKES BIRDHOUSES FOR RAVEN TREE GIVEAWAY

On Friday, July 12, we cut, drilled, and collated 100 birdhouses for the giveaway to be handled by Raven Tree store in Mt. Shasta. Thanks to all who participated, esp. Tom Ravizza for creating the model and templates and buying wood, and Kendra Bainbridge (of Raven Tree) for buying hardware and lunch.

Hike to Gray Rock Lakes — Saturday July 20, 2019

Timber Lake — One of the Gray Rock Lakes

On Saturday, July 20th, the Mount Shasta Trail Association invites the public on a moderate 2.5 mile hike with a 600 foot elevation gain to Gray Rock Lakes above the south fork of the Sacramento River. While the trail is a bit of a scramble at times, the spectacular views and the pristine lakes make it well worth the effort. Four-wheel drive vehicles with high clearance are needed to get to the trailhead. We will be carpooling as there is limited parking.

The meeting time and place is 8:00 am at 111 Morgan Way in Mt Shasta, in front of the Best Western Tree House Motor Inn. Bring water, lunch, sun protection and if interested, a bathing suit for a refreshing swim. A hiking pole is recommended. We will return by 4 pm. For further questions call John Thomson at 530-926-4430.