Shasta Snow Trip #9 29-Jan-2009 Friday Route
Note: *** indicates Delorme Gazetteer page.  Page coordinates given if applicable, to the max resolution of ½ number or letter (i.e. A-4.5 or A.5-4)

Starting Location:  The Rampaging Spot/Cache Creek (*** 76, C-1)
*Leave Rampaging Spot headed east on Bartlett Springs Road
*Continue east on Brim Road, turn left (north) at Bear Valley Rd.
*DO NOT turn left onto Leesville-Lodoga Rd!  DO NOT!  Instead, continue due east

as Bear Valley Rd. becomes Leesville Rd. (stay to the right)
*Continue on Leesville Rd, it will turn south, and IMMEDIATELY after it does so, there

will be a little road on the left that may or may not have a sign. This road is

Huffmeister Canyon Rd, and winds northeasterly in a most fun-looking manner.

*Turn left onto Huffmeister Canyon Rd.  Follow it for a while, through the squigglies,

and around a sweeping corner that takes the road from a northerly direction to a more

easterly direction.  Here is a choice, and it depends on conditions, and whether the

road is private…we’ll make this decision when we get there:
*Choice 1:  Take the little no-name dotted line road that goes due north
along Grapevine Creek until it intersects with Sites Lodoga Road
*Choice 2:  Stay on Huffmeister Rd until just after Sites, turn left onto
Sites Lodoga Rd.
*Either choice 1 or 2:  Once on Sites-Lodoga Rd, head west until you come to Rail

Canyon Rd (right turn to the north) and, well, take that right turn onto Rail Canyon Rd.
*When Rail Canyon Rd ends, it will be at a T.  Turn right (east) winding through the hills

on this unnamed road towards Fruto on Hwy 162 (*** 66, D-2) turn left on Hwy 162

and travel until you reach the major north-south road just north of Elk Creek

( *** 66, C.5)
-Note: The aforementioned north-south road has no name according to the Gazetteer,

but may well be something like Newville-Elk Creek Rd, since that’s where it goes to/fro.

*Continue north on whatever this road is, and you will then finally come to Newville Rd.

Turn left (west) on Newville Rd. and follow it until Round Valley Rd.

*Turn right (northeast) onto Round Valley Rd and go to Paskenta. Turn right (east) onto

Paskenta Rd., and go a little ways until you come to a road on the left (north) called

Lowry Road. 

*Turn onto Lowry Rd. and follow it north until you drive off the page. (oh sheeeiiiit!~)

*Follow Lowry Rd as it starts to wiggle and veer a bit to the east (*** 56, D-1).

*Continue continuing on this northeast jog until you get to Red Bank, and turn left (north)

onto Red Bank Rd.  Here we are faced with another choice: 

Choice #1 is the way we went in 2007, and Choice #2 is likely to get us all shot.

*Choice #1:  When Red Bank Rd. comes to a T, turn right (east) onto Ridge Rd.

Drive a short distance to Hesse Rd., and turn left onto Hesse (north).

Continue north to Johnson Rd. (left turn, west), and take Johnson Rd. until you get

to Masten Rd. and turn right (north).

*Choice #2:  Half of us do Choice#1, up until we get to the north end of Joint Rd.,

and turn left (south) onto Joint Rd., and continue south until we get back to Red

Bank Rd., then we retrace our steps (see Choice #1) until we get back to the north

end of Joint Rd., where we meet up with the other half of us, who, instead of

turning right at Ridge Rd, we turn left (west - stay on Red Bank Rd.) and go a short

distance until we get to Joint Rd. Then we take Joint Rd. north, passing the previous

other buses who are coming south on Joint Rd, with the interval timed so that the

intersection of two-way buses occurs at the Ranting Man’s property, which is near

the southern end of Joint Rd.  Remember to duck, and if you do get stopped, and

don’t get shot, make sure to get the Ranting Man on video.  Then go east on Red

Bank Rd, and then follow Choice #1 until Masten Rd.
-Note:  I hate to be a wimp, but I think we shouldn’t do this Choice #2....it might make someone madder

than they can tolerate, and it might cause real problems, despite how much fun it would be.  We don’t

want any heart attacks or mass shootings on our conscience, do we?

*Right.  Continuing on.  We are all together now heading north on Masten Rd. Now turn

left (west) on Reeds Creek Rd. past Cannon Rd.  Make a note of Cannon Rd in case the

next road is impassible.  If it is, then we will take Cannon Road northeast to Hwy 36,

and turn left (west) on Hwy 36. Since we want to drive on cool roads, we take Vestal

Road (that’s what Reeds Creek Road turns into, heading west) and continue on Vestal

Rd. until we get to Hwy 36. ( *** 55 B-7 )*Turn left (west) on Hwy 36, and stop in

Platina for a break and fuel.

-Note:  When we did this route in 2007, not including Huffmeister Rd., or the new route after, we did it

in approximately 7.5 hours.  We spent 45 minutes in Platina, and had a great day, and got to Shasta

pretty early. This current route will not be quite so easy, but if we leave Platina by 12:45, we should be

OK, even considering a couple other new roads.
*Back to the route—go west on Hwy 36.  Enjoy it, as our turn is further than it was in

2007. We are looking for Wildwood Rd., (right turn, north) which is (*** 55 A-4.5)

mostly situated on the cusp of the two pages 54/55.  Here is another choice.  Take

Choice #1 if you want adventure.  Take Choice #2 if you are scared witless by the

prospect of ice and cliffs.  Both choices will get you there, and have one sub-choice.

Stay focused!  USE CAUTION ON ICY NORTHSIDE CLIFFS! (***54, A-3-ish)

*Choice #1:  Head north (right turn) on Wildwood Road.  Continue on Wildwood

Rd. until you get to Hwy 3 at Hayfork.  Turn left (west) to go to Hayfork and get

gas.  Choice #1a, Kok-Chee-Shup-Chee:  Natural bridge, possible photo op

ice cave (but not with buses)/sacred tribal spot. Following are Logan’s detailed

notes for navigating Choice #1 Subchoice #1:

Note: All intersections that are not obvious ( i.e. bad looking road/ dead end sign/ closed road.) are

marked with blue flagging. DO NOT TRAVEL DOWN ROADS WITHOUT BLUE FLAGGING!

*Right on Wildwood Road. from Hwy. 36. Take Wildwood road North approx. 12.5

miles (stations)or miles in feet are painted along the center)

(Example: Paint saying 52+260 is approx. 10 miles.)

*Turn Left at Marking 674 Bridge Gulch Rd. (across from big ranch house with green

roof & white roofed barn) and go 1 mile west to Natural. Bridge access rd. Turn left on

access rd. (marked by 3 sets of blue flagging). There is a dirt parking lot and bathroom

Natural. Bridge….parking may be limited to 5 buses

*Leaving Nat. bridge turn left (west) on original rd. (requires 5 point turn)

*Go west 2.6 miles to Road 3n18 marked with blue flag marking correct route.

(failure to follow blue flag could result in death)

*Go north 2.1 miles to 3 way intersection with blue flag marking correct route.

*Go northwest 3.0 miles, following blue flagging at intersections

*Right on 3n14 3.9 miles to end  of dirt road. Left at Kingsbury/Pine intersection.

*Go 0.5 miles to Morgan Hill Rd. then 0.4 miles east on Morgan Hill to Oak Rd. and

0.5 miles north on Oak to Hwy. 3/ Hayfork gas station.

*Choice #2 Continue west on 36 until you get to Hwy 3, and go north (right turn)

until you get to Hayfork to get gas.  Choice #2a:  If you feel lonely, and up for a bit

of adventure, reverse the directions of Choice #1 above, and see if you can find the

rest of the group in the hills south of Hayfork. Otherwise, sit tight—seeya soon!

Note:  By best reckoning based on past data, our route from Hayfork to Mt. Shasta will take

approximately 5 hours.  If we get through Hayfork by 4:00, we can consider ourselves on time.  If we

are earlier, we should definitely press on towards Scarface (an option you will see later) or other

similar roads, but if it is near 4:00, we should do the standard route to Shasta.
Here it is:

*Leaving Hayfork northeast on Hwy 3, go 5.1 miles to Summit Creek Rd.

*Take Summit Creek Rd. 5.5 miles to Hayfork Summit/ Hwy. 3. Continue on 3 to 299/

Weaverville. North on Hwy.3 once through Weaverville (watch for the signs!) we will

pass Trinity Center (unless the Bigfoot Bar/Restaurant is open, in which case we have

dinner), and then head toward Scott Mountain Pass, and then the aforementioned

choice.  We can either do:

Choice #1 which is to turn right (east) at the wonky intersection, take Gazelle-

Callahan Rd, and follow it until it ( *** 36, A-1) through ( *** 26, D.5-1) at

Gazelle, where we turn right (south) onto Old Hwy 99, whereupon we follow Old

Hwy 99 (Here’s where Choice #2 needs to listen) until we get ALMOST

to Interstate 5, but instead of going I5, go right onto Old Stage Road (*** 36, A-2)
*Choice #2: Go to Callahan, ( *** 35, B-6) staying on Hwy 3 and getting off onto
East Callahan Rd, to meet up with Eastside Rd and then, on page *** 25, D-6.5,

following Eastside Rd until it becomes South Hamlin Gulch Rd, and then Scarface

Rd., which we follow up and over the mountain into the Shasta Valley, ( *** 26, D-1)

where Scarface hits Old Hwy 99, (just north of Gazelle) which we turn right (south)

onto, this being the final leg of our journey

(see ending of Choice #1 where it meets Old Hwy 99 at Gazelle).

*Both Choices, final leg, now on Old Stage Road, heading south to Mt. Shasta: 

N. Old Stage Road will take you into Mt. Shasta, but there is a trick.  Actually, both

ways get you there, so don’t worry.  One way is to make sure you don’t leave Old Stage

Road.  If you suddenly see a cross street called Upton Rd., you’ve gone too far. 

However, it is OK.  Just follow the route you are on over the freeway until a T at Spring

Hill Rd., and take a right.  Keep going.  It doesn’t look it, but this will dump you out at

N. Mt. Shasta Blvd.  You’re OK, and you’re on your own from here, depending on your

lodging plans and location.  The other route, should you want to stay on Old Stage, is to

take the right turn BEFORE Upton Rd., follow that south (it’s still Old Stage Rd.) until

you come to a 4-way intersection—turn left onto W. Lake St., and follow the road over

the freeway (east) into town.  You’re here.  You did it.  Now go find your lodging and

chill......do try to get some rest, as yes, you can stay up most of the night, but you will

oversleep and blow your chances for a full day on Saturday, so have fun, but save some

for the rest of the Trip!

You can sleep when you’re dead ...