The smoke has cleared, leaves are falling from the trees, a fresh breeze is in the air, rain and snow in the forecast...you know what this means! Indeed, Winter is just around the corner. Climbing Mt. Shasta right now is not recommended. The only way to make a 14,179-foot pile of loose rock any more dangerous is to add a little bit of snow and make it a slippery and freezing cold pile of loose rock. Wait until Mother Nature has laid her thick, cozy, white blanket upon the beloved Shasta slopes, then rejoice with your recreational endeavor of choice.

The gate at Bunny Flat will close for the season on Thursday, October 21st. Wilderness trailheads are also being battened up and closed for the season. One can still access trailheads, but all permits and passes must be acquired at the Mt. Shasta or McCloud ranger stations. Expect snow to limit access to most trailheads from here on out. Snow levels with this week of inclement weather will fall as low as 5,000 feet. Precipitation wise, expect a wintery mix of rain and snow with several inches of snow possible above 6,500 feet.  Strong southwesterly wind will dominate above treeline. The Everitt Memorial Highway is plowed to Bunny Flat, but not always the first priority during big storms.

It's time to start thinking about your winter game. Click HERE for a list of regional avalanche workshops or visit avalanche.org's education section for continued snow, weather and avalanche knowledge.