Skiing and snowboarding near Mount Shasta and Ashland: your 2026 to 2027 winter base
Mt. Shasta Ski Park and Mt. Ashland are each about an hour and a half from Blossom Sanctuary in Etna. Our guide to the 2026 to 2027 ski season, Nordic trails, sledding and a ski and spa weekend.
Mt. Shasta Ski Park 2026 to 2027: passes, tickets, lessons, tubing and the drive from Etna
Everything for the 2026 to 2027 season at Mt. Shasta Ski Park: terrain, five day passes, lessons, rentals, tubing, twilight skiing and the drive from Etna.
Mt. Ashland Ski Area 2026 to 2027: passes, lessons, night skiing and the drive from Etna
Everything for the 2026 to 2027 season at Mt. Ashland: terrain, season and twilight passes, lessons, rentals, night skiing, the access road and a ski and soak day in Ashland.
Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding near Mount Shasta and Ashland
The Mt. Shasta Nordic Center, Bunny Flat, Castle Lake, Snowman's Hill, Bull Gap and Grouse Gap: snow days without a lift ticket, plus Sno-Park permits and gear rentals.
Winter driving between Etna, Mount Shasta and Ashland: chains, closures and safety
How to check roads, what California and Oregon chain controls mean, and our winter rules for guests driving to Mt. Shasta Ski Park and Mt. Ashland from Etna.
Pickleball in Etna: the courts, the apps, the cost, and how to plan a pickle and sip weekend in Siskiyou
Eight outdoor courts at Etna High School, free apps to find a game, $5 drop-ins, and our recipe for a pickle and sip weekend in Siskiyou County.
Snow days near Mount Shasta from Etna
Skate, sled and snowshoe around Mount Shasta by day, then drive home in daylight to the wood stove in Etna. Drive times, safety tips and what is confirmed.
Winter night skies from the garden in Scott Valley
The Geminids peak on a near-moonless night this December. Here is our guide to the winter's best sky nights, and how we watch them from the garden.
Winter eagles in the Klamath Basin: a day trip from Etna
From December to March, the Klamath Basin refuges host wintering bald eagles. Here is how to make a daylight day trip of it from Etna, with an honest word on numbers.
Northern Taurids 2026: Watching for Fireballs over Scott Valley
The Northern Taurids peak the night of November 11 to 12 under a thin, 7 percent moon. Few meteors, but the slow, bright fireballs are worth the wait.
Geminids 2026: The Year's Best Meteor Shower over Scott Valley
The Geminids, usually the strongest shower of the year, peak the night of December 13 to 14. Good activity starts around 10 PM, just as a thin moon sets.
Fish the Klamath with Wyatt Finley of Fins Guide Service
Meet Wyatt Finley, the licensed, USCG-certified captain behind Fins Guide Service, and plan a salmon and steelhead trip on the Klamath with Scott Valley as your base.
Three dark-sky weekends: a romantic stargazing escape from San Francisco
A new moon, the first snow and the best meteor shower of the year. Three weekends left in 2026 when the sky over Scott Valley goes truly dark, and how to make each one count.
Escape the LA rain: three dark-sky weekends for two in Scott Valley
When the storms settle over Los Angeles, fly north. A wood stove, a private house for two and three weekends this fall and winter when the sky over Scott Valley goes truly dark.
Fall color in Scott Valley: a slow week in Etna, California
Fall comes to Scott Valley in two waves. When to come, one dreamy day in Etna, where to eat and drink this season, and the drives worth taking.