The 4 Best Ski Descents on Mt Shasta
Mount Shasta is a ski Mountaineer's Dream. A perfect conical stratovolcano, Mt Shasta offers 360 degrees of ski descents, including one the 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America. Shasta's deep snowpack and reliable high pressure spring weather makes it a perfect peak to bag thousands of feet of the West Coast's best corn skiing.
With trailheads from 6400' (Clear Creek) to 7300' (Brewer Creek), Mt Shasta offers ski descents of 7,000+ feet from it's 14,179' summit! Ascending the mountain requires excellent efficiency and endurance, but the incredible descents the mountain offers are worth the effort.
So where are the best places to ski on Mount Shasta? We dive into our favorite ski descents on the largest stratovolcano in the contiguous United States below!
Avalanche Gulch
Trailhead/Elevation: Bunny Flat, 6950'
Avalanche Gulch is Mount Shasta's 50 Classic Ski Descent of North America and it's certainly a line worthy of prestige. Avy Gulch frequently boasts primo corn skiing from 13,200' to the car 6,000' below. From the top of the Red Banks, Avalanche Gulch provides skier with a range of options from the classic drop in Left of Heart to steeper, spicier options through the Trinity Chutes.
Once Avalanche Gulch has stabilized for the season, it's rare to see the monster avalanches it's named for. Typically wind slabs, storm slabs and persistent slabs yield to the pressures of the spring climate and skiers can limit their avalanche concerns to diurnal loose wet avalanche cycles. But occasionally, storms drop enough snow for our wind storm problems to become an issue even in spring - so don't turn off your avalanche eyeballs!
With steady cold nights and clear, warm days Avalanche Gulch is an absolute gem of a run. Despite more traffic than other lines on the mountain, it's a superb descent from the highest shoulder of the Red Banks to the Bunny Flat trailhead. Gullies, bulges and creek beds add to the fun of this massive run.
The Hotlum-Wintun
Trailhead/Elevation: Brewer Creek, 7,300'
No need to beat around the bush - the Hotlum Wintun route on Mt Shasta is our favorite ski descent on Mt Shasta. The start of the Hotlum Wintun defines the route - its fall line begins nearly from the true summit and kicks off with an exhilarating steep roll. From there the Hotlum Wintun becomes a consistent, perfect volcano run - perfect panels of fall line snow that can be linked together to suite the skier's desires.
The Hotlum-Wintun can be more challenging to find good snow on due to its Northeast to East aspect. This can also be a huge advantage when there is new snow tat has wreaked havoc on the sunnier sides of the mountain, and we've sometimes found incredibly chalky snow on the Hotlum Wintun when the south side of the mountain was nearly impenetrable, blue rime ice.
The West Face
Trailhead/Elevation: Bunny Flat, 6950'
Any fans of the West Face of KT-22 out there? Like the West Face of KT-22 in the spring, skiers and riders love the West Face of Mt Shasta for spring skiing. A little less trafficked than its neighbor to the east, Avalanche Gulch, the West Face often sees fewer visits and can last longer into the season before succumbing to the sun cups and rough surfaces.
Mt Shasta's West Face relies on intense California sun to soften it up in the springtime and often comes into shape later on in the afternoon. The shape and westerly aspect of the face lends itself to long, perfect corn runs and riders can often enjoy perfect corn from the top of the West Face at 13,300' to the camp in Hidden Valley at 9,200' - that's a 4,000'+ run!
The Hotlum Glacier
Trailhead/Elevation: Northgate Trailhead, 6950'
The Hotlum Glacier is skied much less than the rest of the mountain as its trailhead is typically one of the last to open and its north facing terrain isn't prime for spring skiing until late in the season. That said, the Hotlum Glacier offers some exhilarating skiing and a chance to ski some real glaciated terrain in California.
Glacier travel does increase the hazard and skills needed to successfully and safely accomplish this descent. That said, the Hotlum Glacier is a perfect place to build glaciated ski mountaineering skills like crevasse rescue skills, cramponing, self arrest, anchor building and the likes before you get into peaks with higher levels of crevasse hazard, like Mt Rainier, Mont Blanc and Denali.
Beyond the glaciated aspects of this route, the descent is trickier to time due to its northerly aspect so can be a little tougher to get perfect conditions on. That said, if you're watching with a close eye, this can be an incredible descent to add to your Mount Shasta tick list.
Want to Ski Mount Shasta with a Guide?
Join Blackbird Mountain Guides on an open-enrollment trip of Private ski trip on Mt Shasta! We offer lessons on ski mountaineering efficiency and safety as part of our summit and ski programs. Our guides know Mt Shasta well and will find the best snow for the descent and manage the hazards of the mountain. From single day pushes to multi-day ski mountaineering seminars, we've got programs for all ability levels.
Here are our Guided Ski Offerings on Mt Shasta
- Mt Shasta Summit & Ski Descent
- Mt Shasta Summit & Ski Descent - Private
- Mt Shasta Ski Mountaineering 5 Day Skills Expedition
- Mt Shasta + Lassen Summit & Ski
Not sure if you're ready for a 14,179' mountain, but still want to get into ski mountaineering? We got you! Lassen Peak is right next door and is an incredible way to learn the skills you need to summit and ski big mountains across the world. Lassen Peak is 10,457' tall and skiing from the summit to the Devasted Area Trailhead is a solid 4,000' descent!
About the Author
Zeb Blais is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and AIARE Avalanche Course Leader based in Truckee California. He loves all the disciplines of mountain guiding - ski, rock and alpine climbing - but skiing is his first love. In the winter he enjoys backcountry skiing, guiding local and international ski trips, and teaching avalanche courses across the west coast, from Bishop, California to Mt Baker, Washington.