Earlier this year we learned about the Shasta Ski park backcountry cabins and were quickly convinced that we should go visit. We rounded up 7 total people to fill up the cabin and booked it for one night on April 15, optimistic about the strong snowpack this winter.
Two early starts from Napa and Bend had us at the resort a bit after 9, and by 10:30 we were on our way. Ozzie, our host, gave us a quick overview in the office before joining us on the 3 chairlift rides and subsequent ski down into the valley that separates the resort from the cabins.
We transitioned and hiked for a short mile and a half on a cat track before arriving at the cabins. Ozzie left us halfway through the hike having gone above and beyond what we expected of him (though I suspect he enjoyed the excuse to get out and do some skiing on his own).
The cabins were completely buried - what an impressive year of snowfall it’s been! Luckily we did not have to dig them out ourselves. We dumped our packs and settled in, then half of us put the skis back on and headed north to explore.
We meandered through the woods for an hour or two before topping out on one of the buttes North of the cabin. We skiied a couple of short shots off the butte with Shasta in the background and worked our way back down to the cabins for some lunch.
We could not have gotten more lucky with the weather. Highs in the 50s and sunny let us relax outside all afternoon, though sunblock was a necessity (never enough!). Some of the more artistic-minded folks in the group had a great time laying out a “charcuteski” for lunch.
We relaxed after lunch and I flew the drone for a bit. In the late afternoon we ventured out for a quick ski right below the cabin. It took a while to find the in the rocks on the ridge but we got some turns in.
As night fell we cooked some dinner, started a fire, played a game, and finally retired to our bunk beds for the night. A cooking cabin and sleeping cabin sure beats a tiny tent!
The next morning we awoke to clouds, fog, and wind. Not sure what to expect for the rest of the day, we started slow and waited to see what the weather would do. Sure enough it began to clear, and a few of us headed east in search of some spring corn skiing. The sun came out and the snow delivered - the 500 foot southeast-facing shot we found was the best skiing of the trip.
We enjoyed a couple laps of corn but soon had to think about our trek back and long drive home. We ventured back to the cabin, packed up, and began the ski/hike back to the resort.
Overall it was a great trip. The cabins are an awesome home base to explore some stunning backcountry in the shadow of Mt. Shasta. I definitely want to return and stay for more than 1 night - so much to explore!
Here’s the video I put together with our drone and gopro footage: