Old Ski Bowl on Mt Shasta

Near: Mt. Shasta
Trip Type: Day Hike
Distance: 4.5 miles
Elevation: 7,800 to 9,500 feet
Vegetation: Moonscape
Last visit: 8/12/17

On our way to Oregon for the Great American Eclipse of 2017, we took a short hike up the Old Ski Bowl on Mt Shasta.  This turned out to be surprisingly fun and relatively easy hike.  One main trail (an old road really) and a few alternative routes wind up the now abandoned ski slope on the southwest flank of Mt. Shasta.  It's the only place on the mountain proper that isn't in the Mt Shasta Wilderness, and thus the only place open to dogs.  Right out of the gate you ascend into a barren alpine landscape with great views of Mt Shasta towering above your, and the Trinity Alps below to the southwest.  On this trip we meandered up to western ridge above Green Butte.

Rules and Regulations

The old ski bowl is in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.  Below 10,000 feet it seems that standard national forest rules apply.  No need for permits for day hiking or dispersed camping.  Check for fire restrictions before planning any trip.  Dogs can be off leash if under voice control.  Please pick up after your dog and control them if they go charging after other hikers and/or their dog.

Above 10,000 feet. dog rules seem pretty ambiguous.  Theoretically, Shastarama point is outside the wilderness and would make a fun objective, but rules posted at trailheads online say you need a summit pass to hike above 10,000 feet and there is no recognition in these rules that Shastarama point is both above 10,000 feet and outside the wilderness. Also, I haven't read anything that says explicitly parties with a summit pass can't have dogs, only that dogs aren't allowed in the wilderness...  It looks pretty steep getting up to Shastarama point taxing the mountaineering skills of most dogs, so perhaps the question is academic.

Trailhead

The Mount Shasta Old Ski Bowl Trailhead.  Just get on forest road A10 (Everitt Memorial Highway) and keep driving up till the end of the road.  It's got one of the best views of any trailhead I've been to, and consequently you'll have plenty of company, though not too many folks will join you hiking up into the Old Ski Bowl.  

Mt. Shasta from the trailhead.  The near sub-peak to the left is Green Butte.  Behind the main peak of Mt. Shasta (14,180 ft)  towers above the Old Ski Bowl.  Sargent's ridge stretches toward us to the right leading down to Thumb Rock (12, 923 ft) and Shastarama Point (11,135 ft) 

Route

Caltopo Map: https://caltopo.com/m/6FE3

There really isn't too much need for a trail here, you can pretty much just walk where you want, but an old road winds up through the bowl to the top of the old ski lifts around 9,300 ft, identifiable by the bit's of old building foundations on a low hump in the middle of the bowl.  From there we rambled over to the Mt. Shasta Wilderness boundary on the western ridge delineating the ski bowl, which afforded nice views of Green Butte, the town of Mt. Shasta and the Trinity Alps.  If we hadn't started so late in the day, we would have continued down this inviting ridge to Green Butte.

We listened, but we couldn't hear any whos.

Walking up the old road under Green Butte.

The trail dissapears under a snow field

A nice view of Thumb Rock and Shastarama point from near the top of the old ski runs.

Looking south along Green Butte Ridge

Light filtering onto the town of Mt. Shasta.  It was a bit hazy as the summer fire season really got going in August, limiting views somewhat, but it made for some interesting light.

Looking back up to the peak on the walk down.