History of Mt. Shasta, California

The history of lift-serviced downhill skiing on Mt. Shasta began in 1959 with the creation of the old Mt. Shasta Ski Bowl, located at the end of Everitt Memorial Highway. It was situated above treeline and was routinely plagued with white-outs, avalanches and road closures.

In 1978, the Ski Bowl was struck by a huge avalanche that destroyed it’s main chairlift. From 1978 to 1985 there was no downhill skiing on Mt. Shasta.

In 1985, a group of local businessmen formed Wintun Development Company with the express purpose of re-establishing skiing on Mt. Shasta.

In the summer of 1985 construction began. The Mt. Shasta Ski Park opened on December 14, 1985. The Park has operated 13 seasons and has entertained over 1 million skiers and snowboarders.

Although there are 69 mountains over the14,000 foot mark in the United States, Mt. Shasta is the most massive of all of the mountains boasting 100 cubic miles of mass. Because there is a sulfur steam vent near the summit of Mt. Shasta, the mountain is considered a dormant as opposed to a dead volcano.

A Shasta Trinity Forest wilderness ranger and Ski Park employee, Dan Towner, has the record for the most ascents of Mt. Shasta -- he has climbed the mountain well over 120 times! The youngest person to successfully climb Mt. Shasta was a 5 year old girl in the 1960s and an 86 year old man in the 1980s.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Mount Shasta received the most snowfall ever in a single snowstorm -- 189 inches (15 3/4 feet) from February 13 to 19, 1959.

Built in 1985, Mt. Shasta Ski Park is the newest winter resort in California and one of the newest in the entire United States. The Mt. Shasta Ski Park has continually added improvements to the resort over the past 13 seasons. Below is a list of the major upgrades, additions and improvements since 1985.