The first time I laid eyes on Mt. Shasta I almost swerved right off interstate I-5 and crashed. I had heard about the mountain, but had no idea of its history, mythical status, or that it was really that big. In the moment, my instincts quickly brought me back to the reality that I was driving on a major highway. I took a breath, safely moved over to the right lane slowing down a bit, and then tried to balance my focus between driving and this surreal looking peak. New to the Cascade Range, I was unfamiliar with the vertical relief of volcanoes and the experience was blowing my young-adult mind. With all the snow I saw up there, even though I had zero beta or past information about alpine pursuits on the peak, I was certain people must ski up there.
That’s the intro to my recent piece on the great Mt. Shasta, published in the Late Winter Edition of Ascent Backcountry Snow Journal. Read the rest here or get a print copy at your favorite local mountain shop. For more stoke check out Episode 21 of the Fifty w/Cody Townsend and friends as our crew enjoys a fine day of classic spring skiing on Shasta:
