Mount Shasta Trail Association
Inspire • Create • Conserve
We cut 660 ft of trail with saws, loppers, and muscles Thur morning. Ted D, who lives in Oakland, was visiting friends in Redding and drove up to help us with the chainsawing (that’s the spirit!!). Thanks, Ted, Sarah, Steve, Rick, Paula, Keith, Jim, Renee, and Bryson. We’ll have Trail Labs dig out the tread sometime in the future to create a higher, drier trail.
Don’t forget: we’re meeting in the Nordic Center parking lot at 8:30 am tomorrow, Aug. 28. We’ll take a short walk (6-8 minutes) up Huckleberry Loop to create a 300-400 foot bypass trail to avoid a marshy section of trail. There will be some chainsaw work, clearing of brush, lopping, and arguing over the best way to accomplish the task. We’ll quit before it gets hot. You can leave anytime you want; I suggest it’s just after you argue the loudest and finish up your shoving match.
Just come and join the fun, OK? We’re not accepting excuses.
The mission yesterday, and we chose to accept it, was to finish blocking many of the alternate user trails to Heart Lake. So Bryson cut dead trees and the rest of us carried branches and logs to obstruct the many little pathways that hikers deviate into as they ascend or descend on this very popular trail. Thanks to new volunteers Marianne and Sarah, and repeaters Mark, Christine, Keith, David, Hank, Isaiah, and John T.
Props to Bryson for carrying his chainsaw and protective gear up the hill (and doing all the sweaty chainsaw work) so yours truly could have an easy day (a geezer day). And thanks to USFS staff Taylor and Cory for directing this little orchestra and doing more than their share of the grunt work.
What’s the best way to finish up this year’s Trail Challenge? By having an adventure on the Strawberry Valley Trail and getting a piece of pie at the Annual Labor Day Mt Shasta Rotary Blackberry Festival of course! Conveniently located in Shastice Park at the base of the Gateway Trail Network. Your Mount Shasta Trail Association will have a booth so come on by and find out about local trails, get some free stickers, and find out how to get involved.
Strawberry Valley trail is only two years old but already one of the favorites on the network of trails on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. It starts at Muir’s Ascension trail at the top and the Gateway trail at the bottom. Access to this trail is a little remote for hikers so consider a shuttle hike from the 10 Gallon Trailhead to the Gateway Trailhead. The trail has some great flowing bike features but nothing technical.
Sightlines are good on this trail. but always remember these are multi-use trails which include hikers, runners, and uphill cyclists. Keep an earbud out so you can hear folks coming and consider an alert bell so you can make your presence known. Did you know a custom Mount Shasta Trail Challenge alert bell is waiting for you upon completion of the always FREE Mount Shasta Trail Challenge? Hang it from your handlebars, backpack or even from your four-legged hiking buddy’s collar! Get information on the alert bell and everything else at this link.
Note: For the last couple months the Forest Service has been clearing hazard trees near Strawberry Valley trail and they may not quite be done yet. Please abide by Trail Closed signs for your safety and the safety of these hard working crews.
This Saturday, Aug. 23, we’re gathering at the Castle Lake parking lot at 8:30 to continue our work on the Heart Lake Trail. We’re trying to close off all the user-created, braided trails that confuse hikers. If you love this trail, don’t leave the work to the rest of us—join in and meet some new people who share your love of this stunning area. We’ll get a nice hike in and quit before it gets too hot. When you finish…go jump in a lake.
The Learning Zone trails are really beautiful, but on Huckleberry Loop just north of the Nordic Trailhead, chronic seepage has caused the trail to become muddy and rutted. Therefore, we’re gonna reroute the trail to a higher, drier location. On Thur., August 28, we’re meeting at the Nordic Trailhead at 8:30 am to brush out the new route. That means we mainly need a couple sawyers to cut small trees, logs, and brush in preparation for the actual creation of the new trail. But we also need a few people to help drag the slash away. Yes, you can be part of constructing a new trail!! The hike is about 6-8 minutes to the work site. Friendship and esprit de corps will abound!! You’ll be so fulfilled.
Certified MSTA sawyers: let me know if you can be there. Thanks.
Four volunteers joined Bryson Schreder and Renee Casterline (SORA) along with staff from the Forest Service’s Fuels Crew and a bunch from Americorps to brush out narrow segments on the Gateway Trails (between Moon Doggie and Sisson). We got an amazing amount of work done in 3 or 4 hours. There were beasts on this crew! Yeah, MSTA didn’t have to wield any chainsaws (all Americorps).
Thanks to Keith McKinley, Davis Bowden, and Chris Carr. And thank you, USFS and Americorps.
Meet tomorrow at 8 am at the Gateway Trailhead on Everitt Mem Hwy. We’ll drive through the green gate and up about a half mile, park, and walk about 5-10 minutes for brushing of partially overgrown trails. Leave anytime you want. The weather will be much cooler and the work will be mainly lopping and dragging branches—so what’s your excuse? Come and help us, for dog’s sake.
Let’s keep these often-used trails open for all.
The Mount Shasta area has so many great parks and trails it’s easy to forget how lucky we are! See this link for an article comparing the Castle Crags to the Italian Dolomites!!
As luck would have it, we feature the Vista Point Trail at Castle Crags on this year’s Mount Shasta Trail Challenge. The Vista Point Trail features gorgeous views of both Castle Crags and Mount Shasta. Castle Crags is at a lower elevation which helps during the winter or maybe if wildfire smoke is higher up. The Vista Point Trail is a short, easy, and extremely accessible paved trail. This might be perfect for folks with a new baby stroller or maybe a friend who has difficulty walking. Root Creek Trail is directly connected and another easy trail if you want to extend your hike.
Some logistics on Castle Crags State Park: link. There is a fee to enter the park but you can get a free pass at your local library. The Soda Creek Trailhead off I-5 is currently closed for fire protection work. Kids will love this easy hike but dogs are not allowed on hiking trails. Restroom facilities and cel phone coverage are pretty good.
All the information you need for the Mount Shasta Trail Challenge can be found here.
Seventeen of us who love the Heart Lake Trail pitched in Saturday morning to cut back brush, obliterate excess user trails, and define the true trail. Bryson Schreder was a monster with his chainsaw, cutting down dead trees to block the wayward routes and removing several trees that fell across the main trail. Some new volunteers showed up, three of whom are new to town within the past year. The group had fun getting to know one another. Sorry the rest of you missed this perfect day at the lake and in the forest (don’t miss the next one!).
Check out the fantastic photos taken by Bryson Adams at this link:
https://indecreative.pixieset.com/castlelaketrailwork
And here are two more:
