I look forward to sharing my knowledge, instruction, and experience for safe and fun travel in the Mt. Shasta area.
Let me help take care of planning the perfect trip for your family, group or company. Contact me, and let the adventure begin!
This book will guide many to outdoor fun and excitement and will show you how to get there. What are you waiting for? Order the book today! 4th Printing Available.
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Wanna Climb Mount Shasta?
Let me help plan and book your climb on Mt. Shasta with the best guide and route that fits your climbing abilitiesRead more
Back Country Ski Trips
Half or full day outings designed to introduce you to cross-country or Telemark skiing.Read more
Winter Awareness Clinic
An all-day training in which you will learn how to appropriately prepare for a winter trip.Read more
Scenic Vehicle Tours
For those who aren't up for much hiking but still want to see as many places as they can.Read more
Exploratory Hikes
Pack a lunch, bring your day pack and come explore the wonders of the second highest mountain in the Cascade Range.Read more
Perfect Around the Mountain Driving Tour
A driving tour with a minimal amount of hiking to each site - customized to your needs.Read more
Rippin Snow…Melting Fast!
May 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Warm temperatures all week.
Bunny Flat 5-16-2012
Snow at lower elevations is melting fast!
This week’s ski choice~
Janet Shredding It!
The Telemark Turn Lives On~Giddy, Giddy Gulch!
and the Gulch…
Above Helen Lake, Avalanche Gulch
Excellent Climbing Conditions!
Crampons & Ice-Axe skills are required~
I had a chance to check out the north side of Mt. Shasta…
North Gate Trail Head
It is now passable all the way to the trail head. The last 4 miles slower going.
We booted it for a 1/4 mile before skinning. Snow is melting fast down low.
Hotlum/Bolam 9,750 ft.
Skiing and climbing are good high. Jigsaw puzzle and connect the snow dots coming down!
South Fork of the Upper Sacramento River
Another beautiful weekend ahead!
Solar Eclipse~Sunday at 6:27(reaches maximum).
Pick up special sunglasses at the Mt. Shasta Chamber for viewing. Check out events at~
Happy Week and Weekend!
Current Conditions…Smooth & Creamy!!!
May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Come on up and get the goods!
11,000 ft, Avalanche Gulch
It doesn’t get any better!
Red Banks, 12,800 ft.
Sweet!
Getting Ready for the Decent!
Timing is Everything!
Temperatures reaching a balmy 60 degrees above 8,000 ft.
Shastina and West Face
The mountain is RIPPiN!
Want to climb the mountain and need the basic skills~Crampon technique, Ice-Ax skills, Self-Arresting…
or wanna a ski or snowshoe tour~Give me a call~530-926-3250.
Have a GREAT weekend!
The West Side…Mt. Eddy Descent!
May 3, 2012 By 1 Comment
This week we did our annual Mt. Eddy descent. Mt. Eddy is part of the Klamath Mountain Range and is the highest peak at 9,025 ft. Timing is everything for this ski descent and having friends that live in the area help too!
Getting Closer to the Top!
I get a lot of inquiries about access to this area. It’s difficult with all the property owner issues and no public easement. Either waiting for the Parks Creek trail head to open up or starting from Morgan Meadows-that’s usually a 2+ days trip, is the most accessible way to Mt. Eddy.
Dubkin Lake
High alpine lakes are still frozen.
Getting ready for the descent!
It was a bit icy at the top but as we skied, the corn ripened.
The View~Shasta Valley
In the distance is Lake Shastina and Shasta Valley~the remnants from Ancestral Mt. Shasta.
Find out more in my book, “Mount Shasta Guide to Fun”.
Durney Lake
On our way down, we stopped for lunch.
Looks like it’s going to be a beautiful SUNNY weekend!
Come up and ENJOY Mt. Shasta!
Spring Climbing and Sliding are Here!!!
April 28, 2012 By Leave a Comment
We received a little bit of snow this past week smoothing out the surface from the rain runnels last week.
Avalanche Gulch 4-28-2012
This week my nephew and friends came from the east coast to climb the mountain.
Here are some pics~
My nephew Corey
Corey, JP, Anthony and Chuck came to climb Casaval Ridge, Mt. Shasta. They had an epic trip. No summit this time with over 100 m.p.h. winds but got some awesome pics~
Sunset on Casaval Ridge, photo by Corey Swartz
Climbing! Photo by JP
Here’s my favorite~
Anthony on Casaval, photo by Corey Swartz
I had a great time visiting with my nephew and his friends. Thanks for all the great BEER!
Looks like a high pressure throughout the week setting up the mountain for great conditions.
Have a great weekend!
SUNSHINE!!!
April 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment
We are in summer mode this weekend!
Avalanche Gulch April 21, 2012
Can you say…rain runnels! The mountain got rained on pretty high elevation this week. Makes for interesting skiing. Good corn conditions today. Skied from 10,000 ft. at 11:00a.m. Timing is everything! Looks like another corn day tomorrow. Temps reaching over 50 degrees on the mountain.
Happy Earth Day!
More Rain and Snow This Week!
April 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
This past week has been…here are the pictures~
She's Fully Covered~Nice!
Above Lake Helen~Looking Good!
Looks like it’s going to be a great climbing season!
Let me help plan your trip~http://mountshastaguide.com/trip-planner/
Wondering what’s happening at Castle Lake~
Still Good Skiing!
and the waterfalls…
Fairy Falls
Watersheds are filling up!
Lake Siskiyou, Mt. Shasta
Looks like another 2+ feet of snow on Mt. Shasta by the end of the week-
Have a great week!
WINTER STORM WATCH THIS WEEK!!!
March 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Everitt Memorial Highway Plowed.
April 1, 2012 Avalanche Gulch
This past week has been all about Spring Snow Showers. A little bit here, a little bit there. Here are some pics~
Sun Peaking on Casaval Ridge
Snowing Sunshine on the Ridge
Green Butte Ridge, Broadway
What’s the weather bringing for this week~
Gray Butte, Mt. Shasta
Looks like we are in for LOTS of SNOW !
CHECK IT OUT~
oh yeah…
Talk about being stuck in a hole!
With all the snow we’ve been getting, it’s good to have a ski buddy.
Don’t forget to carry the essentials~Shovel, Probe and Tranceiver.
Gerald Spini and Nita
This past week Nita the dog passed away. She was well known on Mt. Shasta. RIP… Nita.
Check out Mt. Shasta Fun Guide Spring Newsletter~
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=94deaceadd9423f5ecc47d5e3&id=da68abd15f
As always, have a great week and hope to see ya up on the mountain!
Winter’s Finally Here…and Spring is next WEEK!
March 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
We finally have a real snowpack!
Over 2 feet of freshies on a nice base and more to come.
New Snow!!!
Thursday morning we headed up Green Butte Ridge. Visibility good through the trees and not so good…
Above 8,000 ft.
It really warmed up from the day before. In this picture it’s raining making the snow conditions soft and heavy. Looks like this weekend temps should drop again bringing powdery conditions and lots of SNOW~
Mikie Shredding the First Turn!
Interesting but skiable!
BE ON ALERT- We are in Moderate to Increasing Avalanche Danger Advisory!!!
http://www.shastaavalanche.org/advisories/advisories/avalanche-advisory
Don’t forget the avalanche essentials~Avalanche Transceiver, Shovel, Probe and most important, “Your Brain”.
Bunny Flat 6,950 ft.
As always, I would like to thank the County for doing a great job keeping the road plowed!
With these series of storms coming in, it’s always a good idea to a have a snow-vehicle and/or carry chains, have a shovel, extra food, water, clothing and be prepared for SNOW!
Have a safe and fun weekend!
Mt. Shasta…Before, During & After the WINDS!!!
March 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
With last weeks snow, we we’re starting to feel like winter.
Before the Winds...
The mountain starting to look good. That was until…
Blown In The Wind!
This week has brought very high winds on Mt. Shasta. The word for this day, “treacherous”!
After the Winds! 3-08-2012
This picture resembles more like what it usually looks like in May!
Hopefully a few inches of snow this weekend~
Keep doing the “SNOW DANCE” and have a great weekend!
Lower Klamath Basin Tour
February 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
FEB. 29 2012-SNOW ALERT~OVER TWO FEET SO FAR…
http://www.shastaavalanche.org/advisories/advisories/avalanche-advisory
Saturday, the River Exchange put on a wonderful Bird outing through Butte Valley and the Lower Klamath Basin located in the Northeastern part of California.
Beginning of Auto Tour
The River Exchange is a non-profit organization located in Dunsmuir, California that promotes healthy watersheds in Siskiyou County through community involvement in stewardship, restoration and education. http://riverexchange.org/
Northern Harrier
The Great Pacific Flyway is home to the many migratory birds as well as native birds. We saw a variety of hawks, Northern Harriers, many ducks and geese, Prairie Falcon and the Golden and …
Bald Eagle
The best viewing for the eagles are the months of January and February where numbers may peak over 500. For more information check out the Lower Klamath Basin Tour in my book~http://mountshastaguide.com/about-the-book
View south from Sheepy Ridge Lookout
We stopped for lunch at the Lower Klamath Visitor Center. Lots of good information and displays of the different birds and wildlife that are in the area.
Pronghorn Antelope
This was a special treat. I’ve never seen these beautiful creatures up close.
Thanks again to the River Exchange for putting on an awesome trip!
Looks like we may finally be getting some significant weather on Mt. Shasta this week~
I’ll post updates as the snow accumulates!
Have a great week!
Happy President’s Day Week!
February 15, 2012 By 1 Comment
President’s Day is on third Monday in February and was established by Congress in 1880s. It honors George Washington, the first president of the United States and Abraham Lincoln. It also honors the legacies of the U.S. Presidents.
George Washington, Mt. Rushmore
My first park ranger job was at Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota in 1989. I volunteered through a program Student Conservation Association (SCA). It was the beginnings…
Yep...me in action!
Mt. Rushmore’s history is very interesting~
Seeking to attract tourism to the area in the early twenties, Doane Robinson, who was the South Dakota’s State Historian, came up with the idea to sculpt historic heroes of the west in the natural granite pillars.
Up Close and Personal
Gutzon Borglum, the sculpture artist hired for the project came up with the idea of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to be the carved as that would attract more national interest. He later added Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt to the list in recognition of their contributions to the birth of democracy and the growth of the United States.
On George Washington's Head!!!
Back in the 1950′s, visitors were allowed to go up to the top of the monument. Due to safely and vandalism concerns, it only lasted for a short time. Fortunately, the crew I worked with had the opportunity to hike to the top.
Oh yeah…and what’s happening here in Mt. Shasta~
President's Week SNOW!
This last storm we got powder~7-10+ inches!
Come on up and enjoy the Mt. Shasta Backcountry!
Looks like wintery weather this week into the weekend on Mt. Shasta.
President’s Week Specials this week and weekend on backcountry ski and snowshoe tours.
Give me a call for more information~530-926-3250
Snow is BACK…1 inch so for!
February 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
It’s better than none!
Avalanche Gulch Feb. 10, 2012
Good skiing from treeline down. Pretty firm and icy above treeline with an inch of new snow.
Looks like some more snow on the way…
Looking at Casaval Ridge from Avalanche Gulch
Sun breaking through on and off.
Bunny Flat Trailhead Feb. 10, 2012
This one’s for you Demitri!
Winter’s been coming on slowly~You Never Know what Spring will BRING!
Have a great weekend!
Corn on Mt. Shasta…Well Kinda!~Snow Conditions
February 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
After getting our first significant snowfall, powder turns into February Corn Skiing!
Avalanche Gulch at 9,400 ft.
This past weekend offered superb corn skiing or what my good friend Ed says, “Baby Corn”!
Skier Climbing up to Casaval Ridge
Coverage is good to ski from Giddy Giddy Saddle down into the Gulch.
Above Giddy Giddy Gulch 10,000 ft.
Lots of wind blown snow above 10,000 ft.
Nice ICE Slide off Casaval Ridge
Climbers Beware!!!
Looks like a little weather is moving in over the next day HOPEFULLY bringing snow!
Have a great week!
