Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Snowshoeing the North State…

Many winter sports, like skiing and snowboarding, require a certain level of skill and disposable income. But snowshoeing offers another, perhaps more accessible way to experience the wintery wonderland of southern Siskiyou County. “For most people, if they can walk, they can snowshoe,” says Robin Kohn, the owner and operator of Mount Shasta Fun Guide, who has led guided outdoor adventure trips in the area for nearly 35 years and has written a book detailing several backcountry routes.

Snowshoeing as a popular winter activity in North America really took hold in the 1840s, when the first Snow Shoe Club in Montreal, Canada, was founded. But the snowshoe’s more humble and murky origins actually go back thousands of years and span multiple continents, revealing the basic human ingenuity that enabled hunters, gatherers, traders and trappers to navigate deep snow. “A snowshoe is basically a lightweight platform that allows a person to walk on snow without sinking in, and typically has crampons on the bottom that work as a traction device. But there are many variations of snowshoes, depending on how they’re being used,” explains Kohn.

No matter the age or skill level, a variety of snowshoe experiences can be had around Mount Shasta. “You can snowshoe on Castle Lake when it’s frozen, and people can snowshoe up at Bunny Flat. I mean, it’s endless. And for people who feel more comfortable and safer knowing they’re on a sanctioned trail or where they know they can’t get lost, we also have just under a mile and a half of marked snowshoe trails at the Mount Shasta Nordic Center where people can also bring their dogs.”

Another cool thing held at the Nordic Center is a winter ecology tour with Rebecca Franco that’s geared to all ages and abilities. “The purpose of that event is to just explore the flora and the fauna of the area,” explains Justi Hansen, the executive director of the Siskiyou Outdoor Alliance that operates the Nordic Center. This year, if all goes to plan, the Nordic Center will expand to include a lodge with a state-of-the-art ramp for easy access for adaptive skiers and walkers. “Accessibility and inclusivity are really important to us as an organization. It will also be nice because the lodge will have a rental center, warm drinks and a cozy seating area for people to hang out and socialize.”

There’s also the freedom of exploring Mount Shasta’s backcountry, with a number of guided tour options. “I get a lot of people calling who want to go up on the mountain snowshoeing, and I typically do a two-hour tour that starts either at Red Fir Flat, which is at 6,400 feet elevation, or Bunny Flat, which is around 7,000 feet. That’s a bit of a steeper climb, so I typically decide depending on the group.”

This year, they are also adding a Sacred Sites Snowshoe Tour which visits three sacred sites on Mount Shasta. “It’s a little longer tour, and I’d say more of an intermediate tour, but people love to have that kind of experience on the mountain,” says Kohn.

Not only does she provide the snowshoe rental with the package, but she also provides valuable insight to improve technical ability, and knowledge of the area itself. “There are different techniques if it’s deep powder, and I do teach people how to walk on the ice. The other thing that’s nice is that I’m the one breaking trail most of the time. I also get a lot of people who come from areas where maybe they’ve never been in the snow or at elevation, so I always also go over things like how to dress properly, and what to be aware of in terms of things like avalanche danger,” notes Kohn.

Kohn is also willing to customize an experience. “If someone called and requested Castle Lake, I’d be more than happy to take people there. Same with McCloud Falls, where you can snowshoe to a waterfall. That, of course, is cool, but it’s also a more strenuous hike and very snow-dependent based on its lower elevation.”

Whatever route someone chooses to explore, it’s one more way to get outdoors and appreciate the natural beauty of the region. And, as Kohn says, it’s as easy as right out the back door. “Even if the roads get closed up the mountain or going to Castle Lake, as long as there’s snow in town, we can still always do a snowshoe tour.”•

Guided tours with Robin Kohn: www.mountshastaguide.com
Mount Shasta Nordic Center: www.mtshastanordic.org