Backcountry Skiing at Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

The Trip

Lassen Volcanic National Park is at the intersection of two volcanic regions: The Cascade Range and the Basin and Range Province. It has a great diversity of geological features and is one of the few places in the world where all four types of volcanoes can be found. Learn more about the intriguing geology while enjoying thrilling backcountry skiing in this popular destination for adventuresome skiers.

We will access the Park and the trailheads at the southwest entrance and the northwest entrance (Manzanita Lake). The highway through the Park connecting the two entrances will be closed during our trip because of snow. In six days of skiing you will cover almost all of the featured routes in the Park’s Guide.

The trip is designed for a small group. Each day you will ski intermediate level routes. There are no groomed trails and the Park highway will not be plowed. Some popular routes may have tracks from previous skiers, but mostly we will break new trails. In the evenings, we will relax and enjoy our cozy mountain home outside the Park.

We will be on lands used seasonally by at least four native tribes: Atsugewi, Yana, Yahi, and Maidu. In warmer months, these tribes followed the deer herds up to the Lassen area, and camped here to hunt and gather.

Note: This trip has specific backcountry ski equipment and skills requirement, in addition to relevant experience. Please review this brochure fully and carefully, especially the Trip Difficulty and Equipment and Clothing sections.

Day 1: Check into our lodging at Mineral, CA. We will properly introduce ourselves when the whole group has arrived and unpacked. Trip leaders and volunteers will prepare dinner for the group -- this will be the first included meal on the trip. After dinner, trip leaders will answer more questions about the planned routes, learn more about participants' individual ski experiences, conduct an equipment check, and finalize the plan for the next day. Then we can relax and mentally get ready for the adventures to come.

Days 2-6: Five intermediate routes are planned for the trip (see descriptions below). The order they will be skied depends on weather, snow conditions, and the physical conditions and skills of the participants. We may alternate between short and long days, or easier and harder routes. You may also choose to take a day off and relax in the house, but trip leaders will not be providing a car for the non-skiers to go elsewhere.

Trailheads are either in the southwest area (SW) or in the Manzanita Lake aea (ML) at the northwest corner of the Park. SW is 10 miles from Mineral, and ML is 26 miles away.

• Forest Lake: 3 miles round trip. 750 feet elevation change. SW area trailhead.
• South Approach to Brokeoff Mountain: 6 miles round trip. 1,500 feet elevation change. Trailhead is 2 miles before the SW entrance of the Park. (We will not be going to the peak. We will turn back when we reach the ridge below the peak.)
• Ridge Lakes: 4 miles round trip. 1,250 feet elevation change. SW area trailhead.
• Lake Helen: 10 miles round trip. 1,750 feet elevation change. SW area trailhead.
• Chaos Crags: 5 miles round trip. 1400 feet elevation change. ML trailhead.

Day 7: After breakfast, we will check out of our lodging.

Note: Trip leaders will make every reasonable effort to meet the goals outlined in the itinerary. Please keep in mind that weather or other conditions beyond trip leaders’ control may cause the itinerary to be modified in order to ensure the safety and well-being of the group.

Getting There

Trip leaders can pick up participants at the airport in Redding CA between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on the first day. Transportation to Redding will be the responsibility of the participant. You may have to wait at the airport for others to arrive since there will be only 2 SUVs and only one trip each will be made. If you are arriving the day before, pick up from a motel in Redding on Day 1 is also possible within the same timeframe, after you check out in the morning. It is 60 miles from the airport to the lodging and it is prudent to arrive before sunset (around 6 p.m.). You may choose to drive or rent your own car. If so, car shuttles to trailheads would still be available.

After breakfast on the last day, trip leaders will take riders back to Redding (airport or motel) for your journey home.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

The trip includes 6 nights’ lodging in a home in Mineral, CA. We will have the entire home. The house has 4 bedrooms with 8 beds, so participants and leaders will need to share rooms. Please check regularly the Sierra Club Outings COVID-19 travel update.

Group meals start with dinner on Day 1 and end with breakfast on Day 7. There will be one restaurant dinner at Chester or Lake Almanor Peninsula -- to be our final trip dinner before the departure day.

You will be asked to help with kitchen duty (prepping, cooking with instructions, and cleaning). Those with dietary restrictions should contact trip leader before signing up for the trip. In a single-pot group meal situation, not all dietary requirements or preferences may be met.

Trip Difficulty

Participants must come prepared for the epic annual snowfalls at Lassen. An average annual 55 feet of snow buries Lake Helen each winter. This trip is for experienced backcountry skiers at the intermediate level. Please read the following carefully to assess your skiing skills and equipment competencies to decide if this trip is a good match for you:

Beginner: (not sufficient for the trip)

• Reasonable skill in the basic techniques: diagonal stride, sidestep, kick turn, step turn, snowplow, and snowplow turn, including the proper pole placements for these moves
• Can control speed on gradual downhills and sidestep steeper pitches
• Physical fitness: Able to ski 2-5 miles on rolling terrain, and 2-4 hours of skiing

Intermediate:

• Proficiency in all the basic requirements above, plus the traverse and herringbone on moderately steep terrain
• Physical fitness:
• Able to climb and descend (a) long, moderately steep slopes and (b) short but steep pitches
• Good stamina: ability to ski 8-10 miles, make 1,000 feet climbs, and 4-6 hours of skiing
• Proficiency in putting on, skiing with, and taking off climbing skins
• Proficiency in applying glide wax
• Proficiency in edging and travelling over icy steep slopes (e.g., side slipping)
• Awareness of avalanche dangers and how to minimize risks
• Comfortable skiing with a 10-pound pack

Equipment and Clothing

You will need backcountry skis, boots, poles, and climbing skins. To keep the group skiing together with the same pace, in the same tracks going uphill and on the same slopes going downhill, we need to be using similar ski setups.

Cross-country (XC) touring skis with Nordic (NNN or SNS) bindings will not be accepted. We require wide metal-edged skis with Alpine Touring (AT) or 75 mm telemark boots/bindings for better control, icy conditions, deep snow, and breaking trails. Wide waxless backcountry skis with patterned bottom are allowed, but you will still need to bring climbing skins for better traction on steeper terrain or in special snow conditions. Poles should be adjustable, with baskets suitable for powder snow. Backcountry skiing is very equipment intensive. Participants are expected to be totally familiar with the operations of the ski equipment they bring.

Each day trip leaders will select a route that minimizes avalanche risk. However, avalanche risk is never zero in the backcountry. When traveling outside of established routes, the Park advises: Backcountry users should carry avalanche gear and know how to use it. We recommend bringing beacon, probe, shovel, and helmet if you have them and know how to use them.

Backcountry ski packages and safety equipment are available to rent in Redding (Redding Sports), but bringing your own ensures proper selection, fit, and familiarity. Please call the shop to reserve if you must rent. There are no ski rentals near the Park.

Bring a large day pack to carry water (bring bottles because hydration tubes will freeze), lunch, energy snacks, personal first aid kit, extra pair of gloves, climbing skins and avalanche safety gear (if you have them). Your pack should have enough room to hold shed layers when you feel overheated on a climb.

Wear layers (base, mid-weight, insulation, waterproof/windproof shells)! You will want to shed layers when working hard going uphill, and putting on layers when you stop or when charging downhill. A complete recommended equipment and clothing list will be sent to participants well before the trip.

References

• The classic guide to backcountry skiing at Lassen: Marcus Libkind (1989). Ski Tours in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Bittersweet Publishing Company. (Book is out of print, but pricey used copies are available on Amazon)
• Park’s descriptions of winter routes at the Southwest (SW) and (Manzanita Lake) ML areas:
• https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/winter-routes-sw.htm
• https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/winter-routes-ml.htm
• Read about avalanche safety: https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/avalanche_safety.htm
• A good resource for geological information on Lassen: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/lassen-volcanic-center

Conservation

Learn about the Winter Wildlands Alliance, a national nonprofit organization working to inspire and empower people to protect America’s wild snowscapes. One of the grassroots groups it works with is Snowlands Network, which covers the Lassen area in its advocacy.

From the Winter Wildlands Alliance website: “More than 80% of fresh water in the American West comes from snow. And yet our upper watersheds are facing increasing threats from climate change, biodiversity loss, unmanaged recreation and other resource pressures. We are an alliance of grassroots organizations, conservationists, outdoor industry partners, backcountry skiers and snowboarders, Nordic skiers, snowshoers, winter mountaineers, snow scientists, educators and many others who are devoted to protecting one of America’s most important resources: our wild snowscapes.”

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.