SummitPost.org

I, along with a few friends are planning to attempt the Hotlum-Wintun Ridge in late May. With all the snow this year, it's likely that the Forest Service roads to the Brewer Creek Trailhead won't be cleared and open by then.

If anyone knows, could you please help with information so we can anticipate how much cross country snow travel will be necessary to get from the point where the road is closed to the Brewer Creek Trailhead?

Is it reasonable to assume that US-97 will be open? How about Forest Service Road 19?

Would you be willing to put that trip off until the 11th of June?

You can check the status of US97 on the Caltrans website (dot.ca.gov). It's paved, so it will probably be open. FS19 aka Military Pass Road is mostly unpaved though.

But if like me you are coming up from the south, you would want to take 89 to McCloud and then hang a left at the 'Mt. Shasta Wilderness Trailheads' sign. 89 is paved & generally no problem in May. See directions on the SP route page for HWR -

http://www.summitpost.org/route/165904/ ... ridge.html

There is also a USFS ranger station in McCloud. The climbing advisory usually lists how much snow travel is required before getting to the trailhead (19 miles right now) -

http://shastaavalanche.org/advisories/a ... g-advisory

Probably best to call up the ranger station in Mt. Shasta city and ask just before your trip though -- sometimes the website doesn't get updated as quickly.

Last year, the road to the trailhead opened around the week of June 22. We drove in on June 26 and had to pass over a couple of patches of snow.

Thank-you all, for the very useful information!

Timd, I'd accomodate your request to move the trip until June 11 if I could, but there are 5 others in my group. We all had to work hard to synchronize the time off from work and families, so we're locked in on the May 25 departure from So Cal.

Rhyang, Your info confrims what I had suspected. Since I posted I've been looking at road maps and Google and I thought it might be shorter to go through McCloud. The directions on the SP Shasta page route us through Weed onto Hwy 97. Your tip on checking the Caltrans hwy conditions is excellent. Over the next few weeks I'll start monitoring the road conditions and the Shasta climbing advisory site.

Dynamokiev98, We are driving up on Tuesday, May 25. We will be taking our time. We are allowing a day to drive up, a day to travel cross-country to the trailhead, and two days to summit. Our group consists of 4 skiers and 2 booters.

Telewoman, Great advice, we will definitely use a GPS to navigate through the lower wooded area from our parking spot to/from the trailhead. Do you think we will be able to find a place off of Military Pass Road to leave 2 vehicles for 3 or 4 days?

Baddog,

I heard that its still snowing this week there. It looks like the FS roads might be closed well into June this year.

- RickF

RickF wrote:The directions on the SP Shasta page route us through Weed onto Hwy 97.

Check out at the "Approach" section of the HWR route page and read starting from the words "From the South". I see that Bubba's info on the main Shasta page only includes directions from the north. Will send him a PM.

rhyang wrote:There is also a USFS ranger station in McCloud. The climbing advisory usually lists how much snow travel is required before getting to the trailhead (19 miles right now) -

http://shastaavalanche.org/advisories/a ... g-advisory

Probably best to call up the ranger station in Mt. Shasta city and ask just before your trip though -- sometimes the website doesn't get updated as quickly.

Like rhyang I'd also recommend calling the number on the website above and talking to the rangers when the timing gets closer. I've always found them to be incredibly helpful. Unlike rangers in other NF and NP, they don't sit behind a desk all day, there are out there every day, and do a good job too.

I stopped asking rangers in the other CA NF about conditions- except for a yes/no as to if a road is gated shut, having gotten bad or useless information too many times (either they don't know or they give an unrealistic worst case scenerio for someone w/ no experience). The Shasta folks seem to be straightforward.

1. Coming from Truckee, is it quicker to take 89N out of town all the way to McCloud? Or via I5 way?
2. I don't know the snowmobile regulations in that area. Is it possible/legal to use a snowmo to access the Brewer Creek Trailhead this time of year?
Thanks.

tahoemnts wrote:1. Coming from Truckee, is it quicker to take 89N out of town all the way to McCloud? Or via I5 way?
2. I don't know the snowmobile regulations in that area. Is it possible/legal to use a snowmo to access the Brewer Creek Trailhead this time of year?
Thanks.

I80 > I5 is definitely faster but if you have a fast little car and like twisty roads, CA89N is the ticket. If you have time, you get to climb in the Mt. Lassen area if you choose.

tahoemnts wrote:1. Coming from Truckee, is it quicker to take 89N out of town all the way to McCloud? Or via I5 way?
2. I don't know the snowmobile regulations in that area. Is it possible/legal to use a snowmo to access the Brewer Creek Trailhead this time of year?
Thanks.

If I understand the rules correctly, motorized/mechanical equipment is allowed for travel within National Forests on unpaved roads and trails. Vehicles i.e. cars, snowmobiles, motorcycles and bicycles are not allowed off of designated paved or access roads in National Parks. So as far as I know, snowmobiles should be O.K. for accessing the trailheads that are still snowed in.

Last May I could see snowmobile tracks on several areas of the lower slopes of Shasta, but I don't know if those tracks were made legally.

Part of the problem with getting to Brewer Creek Trailhead in late spring and early summer this year is that it might not be melted out enough for the roads to be clear for wheeled vehicles but on the other hand there might enough or continuous snow coverage to make conditions good for snowmobiles either.

If you find out that snowmobiles are a viable solution, me and six of my buddies are looking for a shuttle to Brewer Creek on May 23.

Does anyone know what the snow coverage is like on the access Rd to BCreek? I'd like to knock out the approach via snowmobile. Where can i get info on this topic and the current snow coverage. I'd like to know if there is good coverage..enough for snowmo. Thanks! Don't worry...i'll have my BC skis too

Hi - does anyone know how long it takes now from the where it's impossible to get further by car to the brewer creek trailhead? we're coming from south. thanks for the info,

Tom

good amount of snow starts just after the 19/42N02 junct. Still a decent ways out.