Tag: bike

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Trail Challenge – Cool Hike and Walk with a Doc

The seasonal bridges just went up and the Lake Siskiyou Loop is a perfect trail for these hot temperatures. The 2025 Mount Shasta Trail Challenge once again features one of our favorite trails and it’s easy to see why. Stunning views of Lake Siskiyou and Mount Shasta. The iconic Wagon Creek bridge and Box Canyon Dam. Nearly a perfect 10k, 6.5 miles, around the lake. Several access points with plenty of parking. Dogs on leash are ok. Plenty of restrooms. Kids love this trail and can even pick up an ice cream at the Lake Siskiyou Resort. The trail is fairly flat and has many paved sections making it a great one for strollers and mobility devices.

If you’re waiting to dip your toe into the Trail Challenge, then we have an excellent opportunity for you next week. Dignity Health has recently started a “Walk with a Doc” series and the featured trail on July 16 is a 2 mile walk on the Lake Siskiyou Trail to the Wagon Creek Bridge. Here is a perfect opportunity to get your Trail Challenge off to a safe start. Yes, completing this shortened version of the Lake Siskiyou Loop checks this trail off your Trail Challenge Passport.

The Mount Shasta Trail Challenge is always FREE and you can get your passport and all the information you need right here.

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Trail Challenge 2025 – Check Out Girard Ridge!

Girard Ridge provides spectacular vistas for those who can make the bumpy drive up and it’s featured this year on the Mount Shasta Trail Challenge!

Follow Girard Ridge Rd up until it intersects the ridge and find a place to park out of the path of possible logging trucks. The road is unpaved and fairly rough. 4wd is not necessary but some ground clearance would help. Takes about 30 minutes.

There has been quite a bit of logging up here that has opened up some views but can also be unsightly. Compare the older clear cuts and slash piles with the newer selective thinning and mastication.

This trail is a shady forest road that rolls along the ridge with nice views to the East. Easy wide path appropriate for bike or hike. Where the world-famous Pacific Crest Trail crosses over the ridge is a good place to turn around. If you’re lucky you may even meet a thru hiker that has come from another country to enjoy what we have in our own backyard.

Dogs are ok. Cell phone service is a little sketchy. Tough access makes this a quiet trail if you want some solitude. AllTrails may help for this out of the way trail: click

Whatever you do, don’t miss the incredible views from the old Girard Lookout Tower. Look directly across at the imposing Castle Crags or North to Mount Shasta and you can quickly see why a fire lookout tower was placed here. If you brought a lunch with you this is the place to enjoy it!

Check out the great Girard Ridge sticker and get all the info you need for the always free Mount Shasta Trail Challenge at this link.

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Trail Challenge Stickers Are Here!

The 2025 Mount Shasta Trail Challenge sticker sheets are here and once again our local partners and sponsors at Dragon Graphics have hit it out of the park!

These custom stickers are chock full of local specificity but the only way you can get them are by completing 6 of the 12 trails on this year’s challenge. Show your accomplishment and local pride by displaying these on your water bottle, laptop, or wherever. As always, the Trail Challenge and these stickers are totally FREE!!

Which sticker is your favorite? Is it the historic Gerard Lookout or the Ranger on Sisson’s Trail? Maybe you like one of the bike themed stickers? Castle Crags Vista Point has a great shape but so does Miners Humbug. They are even several for our younger trail challengers! Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Get your Trail Challenge passport and more information here.

FYI- Everitt Memorial Highway has just reopened to Bunny Flat if you want to check out Strawberry Valley and Lemurian Delirium.

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Trail Challenge Update and Swag!

The 2025 Mount Shasta Trail Challenge kicked off a few weeks ago so we better start telling you about the cool finisher swag!

This year we are giving away FREE “Alert Bells” to the first 100 finishers.  These bells are custom made for us by Bevin Bells in East Hampton, Connecticut.    They have our popular Trail Challenge logo on them and a very nice sound.   They work on bikes, backpacks, dog collars, you name it.   Bells work remarkably well to alert others when you are just around the bend.   It’s also a good idea to keep an ear bud out so you can hear the bell:)   

The Gateway Trail System has been a multi user trail network for more than a decade and the recent trail expansion was paid for with grant funds that mandate multi use.   Some historic trails are “Hike Only” while others are “Downhill Bike Preferred”.   Responsible trail users practice “Share the Trail” principles and should always stay under control.   With a little courtesy we can all use these beautiful trails together safely.

But that’s not all Trail Challengers…   Stay tuned for another finisher swag announcement in the coming weeks!

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The 2025 Trail Challenge Goes Live

Looking for something great to do in the gorgeous weather this weekend? The 2025 Mount Shasta Trail Challenge just went LIVE and is calling you!

Check out the Trail Challenge passport posted here.

This year’s theme is bike friendly trails and the expansion of the Gateway Trail Network. There are several new trails and trails new to the Trail Challenge to check out. There is something here for folks of all abilities, all sports and all seasons.  All this snow might make biking a challenge so whip out those skis or snowshoes! There are lots of options if you like hiking with your kids, or parents, or dog:) Maybe find a lower altitude trail like Lollipop if your favorite is still snowed in. 

Lots more information to come in future posts on finisher swag, highlighted trails, etc! For now, just get out there and enjoy this incredible weather!

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Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day is celebrated around the planet every year on April 22 and is a great opportunity for us to “Think Globally and Act Locally”.   For more information from earthday.org, click here.

You can support Earth Day every day by helping keep our incredible trails free of trash.   Get a trash picker at one of our local hardware stores and bring it on your hike.  Maybe there’s a little room in your bike hydration pack to pick up some trash on your ride.    Some trailheads don’t have trash cans so just clean up that area before heading home.

The FREE Mount Shasta Trail Challenge is another great way to participate in Earth Day every day.  Complete just 6 trails on the challenge and get an awesome stainless steel water bottle.  No more wasteful plastic bottles!   

Picking up trash is a good thing to do
Reduce single-use plastics
Complete the Trail Challenge and get a great reusable bottle
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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.