Collaboration, Exploration, Learning: An Experience as a Trailhead Host
By Shanti Cliff
As a Friend of HOME, I wanted to gain deeper knowledge about its various projects. When I learned that being a Trailhead Host involves trainings that are only 30 minutes, volunteering for a minimum of one 3 hour shift and choosing the trailhead to host, I was all in!I also wanted to sign up due to the increase in visitors to the Mountain since Covid and the resulting impact on wilderness areas.
I signed up at https://mountshastaecology.org/volunteer-opportunities/ and chose to host the South Gate Meadow Trailhead. Kyme, MSBEC’s Volunteer Coordinator, contacted me and we met for a training session that included details and protocols. Trailhead Hosting is a well coordinated inter-agency program between MSBEC and the US Forest Service.Volunteers are to greet visitors in a friendly manner and offer information regarding staying on the trails, safety, and “leave no trace” ethics. Hosts also record the number of people who use the trails.
Equipped with my Trailhead Host training, a kit consisting of a binder with pertinent information, a banner, and a green volunteer vest, I headed to the South Gate trailhead at the end of Everitt Memorial Highway. A steady stream of visitors —local, out of state, and international—showed up eager to explore this mountain trail. An elderly 5th generation Mount Shastan identified all of the wildflowers at the trailhead. Some people had dogs which are not allowed on the South Gate trail, so I suggested dog-friendly trails nearby. Overall, I felt very well received and enjoyed conversing with various people.
When my 3 hour shift ended, I stopped at the US Forest Service’s Visitor Booth at the Upper Panther Meadow Trailhead and sensed instant camaraderie with their volunteer. I also met Haley, an Interpretive Ranger, who answered questions posed by visitors, revealing a wealth of knowledge about the mountain. She shared that there are five different volcanic cones that make up Mt. Shasta, and that most of the mountain’s jutting buttes and ridges formed from flank vents of the various main cones. A flank vent occurs when a crack in the side of a main volcanic cone deepens and accesses the cone’s main pipe and then channels a smaller eruption.
Green Butte, the red and green rock mass north of South Gate trailhead, is a flank vent, and part of the Sargent Ridge’s volcanic cone that was active between 285,000-100,000 years ago.Thumb Rock is the youngest flank vent from the Sargent Ridge’s cone. Black Butte, which looks separate from Mt. Shasta, is a flank vent from the Shastina cone, active around 10,690 years ago.
Haley shared another interesting fact about why the mainly red-colored mass of rock came to be called Green Butte. The rock mass was originally all red, but certain kinds of weathering continually turn it green. Each time a thunderstorm rolls over, the rock mass becomes a little more green. This happens when minerals in the red rock chemically react to being struck by lightning. If you hike to Green Butte and look closely, you might be able to find a green rock that clearly highlights the entrance and exit points of a lightning bolt.
Overall, my experience as a Trailhead Host was full of rich and interesting discoveries! I felt a deeper sense of participation in Mount Shasta’s stewardship and connection with the mountain’s ecology and fellow adventurers. I now intend to be a volunteer host at all the trailheads participating in this project! I look forward to learning what each site offers and taking part in preserving the mountain’s beauty for generations to come.
Here are ways to support HOME and to engage in the Trailhead Host project:
Donate to HOME at https://www.gofundme.com/f/friends-of-home
Become a volunteer! at https://mountshastaecology.org/volunteer-opportunities/
or contact Kyme at Kyme@mountshastaecology.org.