The Turbulent History of Mt. Shasta’s Old Ski Bowl

The the 1950's, ambitious developers opened a two-person chairlift on Mt. Shasta that reached 9,200 feet and accessed nearly 1,400 vertical feet from the top to the base lodge

It was in 1959 when ambitious developers leased land from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and opened a two-person chairlift on the southern flank of Mount Shasta. The lift began at a lodge at 7,800 feet and topped out above the timberline at 9,200 feet.

The Mount Shasta Ski bowl became the first form of developed skiing on the mountain and was one of the world’s more impressive skiing areas during it’s nearly 20 years of operation.




When the Ski Bowl opened, advertisements bragged of the largest ski bowl in the United States. Although the area was popular, boasting that 6,000 people visited the lodge in one weekend in it’s first month of business, the resort had financial issues throughout its existence. Its only recorded profitable year was 1962-1963, when it recorded over 40,000 visitors.

New ownership took control of the mountain in the early 1970’s, with goals of making the resort profitable. Unfortunately for the owners and visitors of the Mt. Shasta Ski Bowl, money was the least of their worries.




In 1971, a fire destroyed the impressive lodge at the base of the resort. Desperate to keep the fledging business afloat, the new ownership built a much smaller lodge at the base. Even under financial hardships, the resort stayed open for nearly seven more years. Until mother nature delivered its final blow.

In January of 1978, a massive avalanche destroyed the Green Butte Chair Lift, ending all developed skiing in the area.



The Mt. Shasta Ski Park opened in 1985, in a location down the mountain in order to avoid catastrophes like the 1978 avalanche. The ski park has been run successfully for nearly three decades since, switching to local ownership in the summer of 2017.

Today, the Mount Shasta Ski Bowl can be accessed by hikers in the summer and mountaineers/backcountry skiers in the winter. The old Mount Shasta Ski Bowl represents a simpler time, when ski resorts were small chairlifts up a raw mountain, compared to the over-developed resorts of today.

With increases in snow technology and resort development, could a ski lift go there today? One can dream…

Active NorCal

Telling the Stories of Northern California

32 Comments

  1. I skied there for two years on season passes earned during summer break from College of the Siskiyous 76 and 77. It was amazing. I never realized that I had been some of the last to experience it. Did ski patrol there. We could take the lift up hike over the ridge then ski down to Bunny flats, definitely some peak experiences. Our Psych teacher would ski with us, really liked him he would be in his 80’s now, forgot his name. Showed me the art of graceful skiing on long boards.

  2. Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post! It’s the little changes that will make the most significant changes.
    Many thanks for sharing!

  3. You could definitely see your enthusiasm in the article you
    write. The arena hopes for even more passionate writers like you who aren’t afraid to say how they believe.
    All the time go after your heart.

  4. Thank you, I’ve just been looking for info approximately this topic for a while and yours is the greatest I’ve found out
    till now. However, what in regards to the bottom line?
    Are you positive concerning the source?

  5. I must thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this blog.

    I’m hoping to view the same high-grade content by you in the future
    as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has motivated me to get my very own site now 😉

  6. Migration and invasion assays were performed using a Transwell system, and the efficacy of the synergistic use of fatostatin and tamoxifen in vivo was evaluated using an MCF 7 xenograft model in BALB c nu nu female mice pharmacie levitra Did you use a carrier oil

  7. Wow, fantastic weblog layout! How lengthy have you ever
    been running a blog for? you made running a blog look easy.

    The overall look of your site is wonderful, as neatly as the
    content material! You can see similar: Velorian.top and here Velorian.top

  8. Wow, awesome weblog layout! How long have you been running a blog for?
    you made running a blog look easy. The full glance of your site is magnificent,
    let alone the content material! You can see similar: e-commerce and here najlepszy sklep

  9. Wow, fantastic weblog layout! How lengthy have you been blogging for?
    you made running a blog look easy. The full glance of your website is magnificent, let
    alone the content! You can see similar: e-commerce
    and here ecommerce

  10. Wow that was odd. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I
    clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted
    to say great blog!

  11. This is the perfect site for anybody who really wants to understand this topic.
    You realize so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that I actually will need to…HaHa).
    You definitely put a fresh spin on a topic that has
    been written about for a long time. Excellent stuff, just great!

  12. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who has been doing a little research on this.
    And he actually ordered me breakfast due to the fact that I found it for him…
    lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks
    for the meal!! But yeah, thanx for spending
    the time to discuss this issue here on your blog.

  13. Hey, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
    When I look at your blog in Safari, it looks fine but when opening
    in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
    Other then that, wonderful blog!

  14. Hey There. I found your blog the usage of msn. This is a
    very well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and
    come back to read extra of your helpful information. Thank you for the post.
    I’ll certainly comeback.

  15. I got this website from my friend who shared with me about this site and now this time I
    am visiting this site and reading very informative posts here.

  16. Having read this I believed it was extremely enlightening.
    I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put
    this short article together. I once again find myself personally spending
    a significant amount of time both reading and commenting.
    But so what, it was still worth it!

  17. Hello! I know this is kinda off topic nevertheless I’d figured I’d ask.
    Would you be interested in exchanging links or maybe guest
    writing a blog post or vice-versa? My website covers a lot of the same subjects as yours and I believe
    we could greatly benefit from each other. If you’re interested feel free to shoot me an email.
    I look forward to hearing from you! Great blog by the way!

  18. Hello to every body, it’s my first go to see of this webpage; this
    web site contains amazing and really good stuff in favor of readers.

  19. Wonderful beat ! I wish to apprentice even as you amend
    your website, how could i subscribe for a blog web site?
    The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had
    been tiny bit familiar of this your broadcast offered vibrant
    transparent concept

  20. I absolutely love your website.. Pleasant colors & theme.
    Did you develop this web site yourself? Please reply back as I’m trying to create my own website and would love to find out where
    you got this from or just what the theme is called.
    Thank you!

  21. Hi would you mind stating which blog platform you’re working with?

    I’m looking to start my own blog in the near future
    but I’m having a tough time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
    The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and
    I’m looking for something completely unique.
    P.S Apologies for being off-topic but I had to ask!

  22. Hi, I do think this is a great website. I stumbledupon it
    😉 I may revisit once again since i have book marked it.
    Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be
    rich and continue to guide others.

  23. Link exchange is nothing else however it is just placing the other person’s blog link on your page at appropriate place and other person will also do same in favor of you.

  24. Heya i am for the primary time here. I came across this board and
    I in finding It really useful & it helped me out a
    lot. I am hoping to give one thing again and aid others like you aided me.

  25. Hi there! This is my first visit to your blog!
    We are a collection of volunteers and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche.
    Your blog provided us useful information to work on. You have done a marvellous job!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top button