It is a longstanding tradition in the Troop to ski at Mount Shasta each February, over president’s day weekend. We stay at a Senior Center, camping on the floor. It is a great trip for the whole family and also an opportunity to invite friends to come along too. Both downhill and cross country skiing is available and options for Saturday evening include ice skating and night skiing.
Reminders:
- Bring your mess kit.
- Bring clothing appropriate for skiing and hanging out inside the hall.
- Bring a sleeping bag and mat to sleep on the floor.
- All skiers are required to wear a helmet. Helmet Rentals are available at the resort but often run out on Saturday, so if you have one bring it.
- To be prepared for winter weather, all drivers must carry chains (know how to install them on before you leave).
- Drivers should also carry a shovel, blankets, water & extra food.
- Any scout renting or taking a lesson must complete the white upper section on the front of the waiver form and have a parent sign and date the back. If your parents won’t be there, make sure your parents sign it. Scouts need to have an adult driver’s license number on their form in order to rent.
- Money for renting and lift tickets
Shasta Ski Resort
See website skipark.com for prices. A multi day ticket is usually cheapest and enables night skiing.
Location of Senior Center (Lodge):
Map: 1315 Nixon Rd, No 2M011, Mt. Shasta, CA 96067-8900
Directions:
- Take I80E to I505 (Vacaville)
- Take I505 N to I5 (~20 miles)
- Follow I5 North (~3 hours) past Redding to the City of Mt Shasta
- Take Exit 738 (Central Mt. Shasta exit)
- On the off ramp stay to the right. Go east on Lake St, passed the gas station.
- At the traffic lights, turn left onto Mt Shasta Blvd.
- Follow Mt Shasta Bl north, out of town.
- Go passed first turn onto Nixon Rd. (Nixon Rd is a small loop)
- You will pass the well lit sign for the Animal Hospital on your right.
- Turn Left on Nixon Rd (A small turnoff.)
- Go over the railroad tracks
- Make the immediate right onto Rd 2M010 (not sure if it’s marked)
- You will see a sign for City of Mt Shasta City park
- The Senior Center (Lodge) is the first large building on your left about 100 yds from Nixon Rd.
Background
2013 will be the Troop’s eighteenth trip to Mount Shasta, believed by the former residents of the area to be the center of the world. We have been the guests of the City of Mount Shasta all these years, staying in the Senior Nutrition and Recreation
Center. Some years there has been lots of snow in town, other years, we had to
climb high on the mountain to find snow. We’ve even been in the local paper at least once.
In the early years of our going to Mount Shasta, we developed a strong program of teaching cross country skiing to our Scouts, even to beginners. For a long time, Skiing Merit Badge was the most frequently earned in the troop. This led to the beginnings of our high adventure program for the older Scouts, taking the skills they learned in day skiing and applying them to backcountry survival in winter.
With the opening of the Ski Park, there is also the opportunity for downhill skiing and snowboarding. And the cross-country skiers typically go to the groomed tracks on Sunday (after skiing up the side of the mountain on Saturday).
If you have never been on skis before, we recommend that you try cross-country skiing. Within one weekend, you can learn to ski well enough to qualify for the Snow Sports Merit Badge (the successor to Skiing Merit Badge). And the lessons are free and there are no lift tickets or lines!
On the other hand, you may also take lessons for downhill skiing and snowboarding (for additional cost), but the merit badge requirements require you to be fairly proficient already.
