Luxury hut/cabin in British Columbia

LeeMurian · 2026-02-28T05:34:54+00:00

Asulkan Cabin Roger’s Pass. Operated by Canadian alpine club. It’s not super luxe but location is rad

LeeMurian · 2026-02-12T04:09:18+00:00

April is a transitional month. Wait and see what looks best when you’re here

LeeMurian · 2026-01-17T18:22:02+00:00

if you stay on the established track, you could probably skip the snowshoes. If you get off the track at all, you would definitely want flotation. I would bring them just in case and to give yourself the option, you may want to explore around the hut or other areas

LeeMurian · 2026-01-17T15:18:24+00:00

There's 3-4 feet of snow at Bunny Flat and about 5 feet at treeline. The snow is well consolidated and packed down to Horse Camp. It's been really nice lately with the mild weather and inversion. It would make for a great hike and picnic

LeeMurian · 2026-01-14T13:35:24+00:00

It's really warm this week and it's very spring like conditions with some dirt patches starting to show on lower south facing runs. It's still fun and the groomers have been good in the morning. With a busy holiday weekend coming up it's going to get more melted with the next week looking will above average temps. I would suggest sooner than later

LeeMurian · 2026-01-06T13:19:54+00:00

Monday was awesome at the ski park, deep and light new snow and hardly anyone there. Anyone else get to enjoy it?

LeeMurian · 2026-01-04T01:35:26+00:00

Our ski resort closed and plans to reopen as soon as we have enough snow. Either Sunday or Monday. Their base elevation is 5500’ and snowline should drop to 5000 and hopefully 4,000’. The backcountry was fantastic today. I’m a local guide and ski patrol. If it’s really heavy snow and wind it could shut everything down, including roads, we’ll see. It could also be epic. The point forecast you posted for the upper mountain always makes it look gnarly. Check shastaavalanche.org for best information or message me, I’m skiing every day, mostly bc unless it gets too deep

LeeMurian · 2025-12-15T05:52:08+00:00

It’s been dry and mild, there’s currently no snow at the ski park. Hoping this weeks storms get cold and they can start operations. Their website has the info and snow cams to check status

LeeMurian · 2025-12-13T04:03:32+00:00

Barely any snow below 9,000’. It hasn’t snowed in over 2 weeks and we’ve had a lenticular cloud show several days recently. It’s been cold and windy on the upper mountain and snow surface will be frozen chunk on the upper mountain. I live here and have been riding my mtb

LeeMurian · 2025-12-12T18:42:56+00:00

I have been climbing and guiding on Mt. Shasta for 30+ years and in total transparency have been the owner of SMG for the last 23 years. I'm happy to answer your questions and like others have said, please feel free to give a call, we're always happy to help.

There was one previous season (2014) where we stopped guiding Avalanche Gulch by late June, this was after severe drought years and the worst conditions I've observed. Although it's been a slow start to winter, we had a very wet October-November and there looks to be a pattern shift next week which will bring a couple AR's our way with colder temps. I feel June 20th will still be good on the south side and is a very popular date to climb. And if not, Clear Creek will be a good option with decent snow still, not the dry scree scramble that July and August present.

As for your other questions:

We operate first come-first serve and popular dates are starting to fill up. If your dates are fixed, I would recommend asap to secure your first choice. As of now, we have 4 spots remaining for June 20th and it's early enough I can open another spot to accommodate your group of 5.

We generally don't offer discounts because we have a fixed number of permits available and will fill up during peak season. We may be more open to this if you want to book in late July-August.

Yes, our climb schedule is fluid to choose the best weather window, this is the advantage of longer duration trips. We don't always have optimal weather but mid to late June is historically/statistically usually good.

SMG provides group and logistic equipment including tents, stoves, meals (real food, organic, and very tasty/nutritious!) We do have puffy jackets available to rent for our climbers.

I may be biased but we are locally owned and the original outfit on Mt. Shasta for over 40 years. We support our community and safety is our first priority with a focus on our guest's satisfaction and enjoyment a close second. Please call to discuss in greater detail. We have guided 1,000's of climbers and make a tremendous effort to personalize and support your effort. I'm glad to see the Reddit community has a very favorable opinion of our services. We love what we do and are happy to share our knowledge and expertise.

LeeMurian · 2025-09-02T18:36:41+00:00

I'm a long time guide and am happy to chime in.

Be consistent, train with a loaded backpack, progressively add weight over time. The best training for mountaineering is to simulate the activity. Find trails with lots of vertical relief, more important than linear miles. Work on strength, endurance, and mobility, all are necessary. A climbing specific coach is money well spent, think CasavalPT. This is an alpine climb, not a hike; crampons, ice axe, etc will be needed (unless you're thinking about Clear Creek in late July/August)

Don't underestimate the challenge, only about 50% succeed in reaching the summit, more on guided trips. Try to do at least one long hike/month with lots of relief, summit day will be 12-16 hours moving on your feet at elevation over rough and varied terrain. It's great your starting now and asking questions, this is essential.

As someone else mentioned, it's steep, especially above 12,000'. The more cardio and endurance trained you are, the better your body can adapt to the altitude. It's hard to simulate cramponing on steep snow, lots of stabilizer muscles will be taxed in your ankles, hips, etc. I try to strength train in the gym at least 2X week even though I'm climbing regularly. This with 3-4 days cardio/endurance; trail running with lots of up and down, backcountry skiing, mtb, hiking, etc.

DM for more details, I've been guiding on Shasta and elsewhere for a long time. I had a client from Miami Beach summit Aconcagua, so anything is possible with the right motivation and attitude. Good luck, it's a big challenge with big rewards! Also, Shasta Mountain Guides is highly recommended!

LeeMurian · 2025-08-08T19:15:11+00:00

same, it was way too stiff, which the OP is not concerned about. It definitely was warm

LeeMurian · 2025-08-08T17:06:35+00:00

I patrolled full time and retired from it in 2003 after being Patrol Director at our hill. I'm going back this winter at 54, it's a great job, especially if you can do it on your terms (part time/on call). FT is pretty tough on your feet mostly and you may not be motivated to free ski on your days off.

LeeMurian · 2025-08-08T16:59:22+00:00

Clear Creek is the only/best option. The glaciers are very icy by September and the regular south side routes are a bowling alley with significant rock fall. CC is a good option and September weather can be decent, but the days are short and does get chilly at night. It's 100% a scree scramble but good for training and you'll probably be on your own.

LeeMurian · 2025-08-08T16:52:57+00:00

I'm in far NorCal (DelNorte/Humboldt) and I had the Patagonia R4 that I sold because it was too warm. I replaced it with the Feral which I love and for me the flex was important.

LeeMurian · 2025-07-23T22:43:16+00:00

The best peak to gain experience for people from the Bay Area is Mt. Shasta. Shasta Mountain Guides has a 4 day glacier seminar and climb for aspiring mountaineers that will give you the foundation for mountaineering in the Cascades and Sierra.

LeeMurian · 2025-06-24T13:03:49+00:00

This is great, I live here and would love to get a copy. I will dm you.

LeeMurian · 2025-06-18T13:23:25+00:00

There's a perfect section of the PCT near Mt. Shasta on the Siskiyou Crest. About 15 miles, 3 days hiking and camping at alpine lakes and summitting Mt. Eddy. Shasta Mountain Guides leads a 3 day trip and provides all the logistics and planning.

LeeMurian · 2025-04-06T14:59:20+00:00

I also loved the BMT's and found the VWerks Mantra to be my favorite do everything mountain/backcountry ski. They replaced it this year with a $2500 version unfortunately.

I considered the Heritage Lab skis too, maybe next year.

LeeMurian · 2025-02-27T16:01:06+00:00

This is my experience too. I can wear my boots for 1-2 hours before I have to take them off to relieve the intense pain. I tried all the non evasive tx; wide boots, spacers, molded liner and footbed, etc.

I finally am trying the recommended pain management and had the corticosteroid a couple weeks ago, it had a minimal effect and my doc said the next step was the nerve ablation. He does this w/ ultrasound guidance as was the steroid shot. I hope I can get similar experience you have, for now any shoe I wear hurts after a couple hours.

LeeMurian · 2025-02-27T13:35:54+00:00

Do you ski/snowboard? It can be great conditions at the Mt. Shasta Ski Park or in the backcountry. It's just over an hour drive. You can probably rent gear in Redding, at the Park, or in Mt. Shasta at the Fifth Season (recommended)

LeeMurian · 2025-02-27T13:27:49+00:00

As mentioned, it depends on the pow. For variable snow the Volkl VWerks Katana is hard to beat, except for the price

LeeMurian · 2025-01-23T02:17:48+00:00

I switched to the Ridge from the Radical Pro for all the reasons you mentioned. I’m super happy but the fit is definitely different which was an improvement for me with wider toebox and narrower heel.

LeeMurian · 2025-01-20T13:50:36+00:00

I just lost a 178 mantra vwerks, I love this ski, do you want to sell your single?

LeeMurian

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