Experienced back country skiers will find Mt. Shasta an exceptional adventure. Lucky are the backcountry adventurers to have a paved road leading directly to a trailhead at 7,000 foot. The trailhead Bunny Flat offers an easy access to the high backcountry. The thrill is not only climbing Mt. Shasta, but skiing or snowboarding steeply down. Alpinists who used to seek first ascents throughout the world are now seeking first descents as well.

Mt. Shasta is not the only backcountry attraction our area has to offer. Many surrounding mountains afford similar solitary adventures. The Mt. Eddys are a popular place to board or ski as well as Scott Mountain and over towards Cecilville. Backcountry gives you a feeling of isolation you can be off by yourselves and think thoughts without being part of a large group.

Methods

There are a multitude of ways to climb into backcountry and ski or snowboard back down.

If you are a snowboarder, you can either put the board on your pack and climb with snowshoes, or you can use a split-board that becomes skis for the climb up, and transforms into a board for the trip down.

Skiers ascend by attaching adhesive climbing skins to the base of their skis, then easily remove them for the ride down.

Typical trip is to arrive at Bunny Flat early in the morning, climb to Lake Helen or Powder Bowl, and dig a pit to check for avalanche danger. If the area is safe then ski or snowboard down. Best time for backcountry skiing and boarding is in the spring, but intrepid adventures manage to access backcountry year-round.