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MT LASSEN (1) Elevation: 10,457 ft

Lassen Peak is the southernmost volcano in the Cascade range. Referred as the “Largest plug dome in the world.” Lassen Peak gets hammered with snow, attracting skiers to play on its slopes. The southeast face and the northeast face offer the best skiing on Lassen Peak. These ski routes are as good as they come and well worth a backcountry ski trip. Skiers can get runs up to 5000 feet in vertical.

MT SHASTA (2) Elevation: 14,179 ft

Mount Shasta is the second tallest volcano in the Cascade range. Mount Shasta rises more than 10,000 feet above the valley floor, making for some of the longest ski descents in the country. Clear Creek, Hotlum Glacier, Wintum Ridge, Bolam Glacier, West Face Gully, Cascade Gulch, and Avalanche Gulch offer the more popular ski routes, but really all climbing routes on Mount Shasta make for excellent backcountry skiing. Avalanche Gulch offers up over 7,000 feet of skiing with no crevasse danger. If you are looking to get away from the crowds then try the Hotlum-Wintum Ridge which lies on the northeast aspect of the volcano. Many skiers consider this one of the premier ski routes in the Cascades.

Avalanche danger is present but the weather usually poses more of an obstacle and can come in quickly making simple route finding impossible.

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People die skiing in the backcountry every year. Avalanches, crevasses, trees, human error, weather, tree wells, rabid sasquatches, among other things can kill you in an instant. Use this guide at your own risk, we are not responsible for any wanker getting all wanked up in the wankin' backcountry. That being said, even the most experienced backcountry skier can get caught off guard. Take avalanche classes, carry a beacon, probe, shovel and avalung AND KNOW HOW TO USE THEM. Just because you buy them, doesn't mean you get magical powers of invincibility. Many people who own beacons have no clue how to operate them. More importantly than any gear you can buy, you need to know how to safely travel in avalanche terrain, minimize potential hazards, and interpret how weather affects the snowpack. This requires time and experience. Learn from others, be safe and courteous, and when in doubt go home and live to ski another day. The amount of snow needed to be dug up to rescue a buried victim, on average weighs right around an actual ton. In North America 25% of victims die from hitting trees, rocks, and other sharp unforgiving surfaces. It only takes one miscalculation to have the mountains kick your ass. Just because you see tracks or someone else skiing a line, does not mean you should ski it. Remember, individual actions affect all of us. Take care of each other out there, we are all on the same team.