Summer’s here for the weekend with 80 degree temps in town.
Avalanche Gulch
Great climbing conditions!
http://www.shastaavalanche.org/advisories/advisories/climbing-advisory
Have a great weekend!
Memorial Weekend…Lots of Fun!
May 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Memorial Weekend is one of the busiest climbing weekends and the kickoff to summer!
Clouds are Smiling or Laughing!
Here’s the weather for the next few days…http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=41.38814294931545&lon=-122.21809387207031&site=mfr&unit=0&lg=en&FcstType=text
Snow from Bunny Flat…manky down low and scrumptious up high!
As always be prepared~
http://www.shastaavalanche.org/advisories/advisories/climbing-advisory
Other happening events in our area…
The Living Memorial Sculpture Garden located north of Weed on Highway 97 was created by a man named Dennis Smith in honor of all the men and women who have sacrificed their life in war. A beautiful site~
Dunsmuir’s Dogwood Daze begins at 10am on May 26th. Prepare yourself for a weekend of events: Grower’s Market, Pie Social at the Train Depot, Dogwood Tree Drive & Celebration, Food, Soapbox Derby, Artist’s Open Studios and Art Galleries, Doggie Parade, Strolling Ministrel, Garden Club, and City-Wide Yard Sale. (530) 235-2177
McCloud Mushroom, Music & Wine Faire~May 26, 2012 – May 27, 2012
Begins at 10 A.M. on Main Street McCloud. Mushroom Vendors, Wine Tasting, Special Mushroom Delicacies, Cooking Demonstrations, seminars and educational booths on Mushroom harvesting. Games and prizes. Live musical entertainment begins at 11:30 A.M. and lasts all day. Blues, Acoustic and Country Rock bands. Live Band & BBQ in the evening.
Wanna go for a hike?
Lots of trails snow free and wildflowers are blooming. Check out my book, “Mount Shasta Guide to Fun” for the best hikes in the area or wanna hire a guide~give me a call at 530-926-3250.
Last weekend I headed over to Lassen. Great conditions over there too!
S.E. Slope of Lassen Peak
Good skiing and with the cooler temps, it’s holding. Road is plowed to the Summit parking lot from the south end.
Lake Helen-Lassen Volcanic National Park
Ed!
Lassen Sunset
Mt. Shasta in the Distance
Have a fun and safe Memorial Weekend Everyone!
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!
