2025 Mount Shasta Climbing & Backcountry Skiing & Splitboaridng Dates Posted!

Our 2025 Mount Shasta trips are posted and ready to book! To support our community, we’ve decided to follow suite with all private programming we offer and used a tiered scale for Mount Shasta trips as well. We hope this helps offset some of the economic/financial constraints our community is facing and look forward to another great season on Shasta with all of our guests!

Standing tall and proud at a height of 14,179’ feet, Mount Shasta is the 5th tallest peak in California, and one of twelve coveted 14er’s with a prominence over 300’ feet. Residing at the southern tip of the volcanic Cascade Range, Mount Shasta is in a league all on her own and plays host to some of the finest mountaineering objectives our state has to offer including classic routes such as Avalanche Gulch (one of the 50 classic ski descents), the West Face and Casaval Ridge. Mount Shasta will challenge your physical and mental capabilities and is the perfect objective for aspiring mountaineers looking to up their game and learn from our professionally trained, AMGA Mount Shasta Guides.

We offer 2 and 3 day mountaineering programs as listed below to accommodate everyone’s abilities and desires. Whether you’re looking for a summit bid via our classic 3 Day Mountaineering Program or looking to go alpine style via our 2 Day Light and Fast Mountaineering Program, we’ve got something for everyone. Click the button below to learn more about our 2 and 3 day options as well as the equipment needed for your climb and what’s included in the cost of your trip.

Sierra Splitboard Program Wrap Up!

Well we did it! We just wrapped up another round of our Sierra Splitboard Program, sponsored by our good friends over at Weston Backcountry, Volcom, Electric, and Ridge Merino. While the tide is still relatively low in the backcountry, that didn’t deter from our guests having an epic weekend of split education and avalanche training. Big thanks to everyone who attended our Sierra Splitboard Program this year and as always, a big thanks is owed to GSG Guides Trevor Husted and Michael Cariello for facilitating another great course for our guests. Couldn’t do it without our GSG fam. And a large shoutout to our awesome friends and partners over at Weston, Volcom, Electric, and Ridge for supplying us with the goods and the support to make this happen. Photos courtesy of the talented Finn Kirkpatrick @finnkirks

Sierra Splitboard Program

With the support of Volcom and Weston Backcountry, Golden State Guiding will be rolling out our highly anticipated Sierra Splitboard Program in the Mammoth Lakes area for the 2023/2024 snow season! The programming will be multifaceted and will cover a wide variety of topics including familiarizing yourself with your splitboard setup and how to properly transition from tour to ride mode, learning how to set an efficient skin track, kick turn techniques, hands on use of avalanche equipment and how to properly use it, trip planning software reviews, basic backcountry etiquette, and much more. The overall goal of our Sierra Splitboard Program will be to introduce snowboarders to a new medium in their activity, to familiarize them with the current equipment in the market, give them entry level tools to access the backcountry, and most importantly, lay a foundation for good practices in the future to make the best decisions possible when traveling in avalanche terrain. Click the button below for more info and to register for our Sierra Splitboard Program in Mammoth Lakes today!

Weston Backcountry // Sierra Splitboarding Program

Golden State Guiding and our good friends over at Weston Backcountry are excited to announce that registration is officially open for our 2022/23 Sierra Splitboard Program in the Mammoth Lakes area!

With the support of Weston Backcountry, Golden State Guiding will be rolling out our highly anticipated Sierra Splitboard Program in the Mammoth Lakes area for the 2022/2023 snow season! The programming will be multifaceted and will cover a wide variety of topics including familiarizing yourself with your splitboard setup and how to properly transition from tour to ride mode, learning how to set an efficient skin track, kick turn techniques, hands on use of avalanche equipment and how to properly use it, trip planning software reviews, basic backcountry etiquette, and much more. The overall goal of our Sierra Splitboard Program will be to introduce snowboarders to a new medium in their sport, to familiarize them with the current equipment in the market, give them entry level tools to access the backcountry, and most importantly, lay a foundation for good practices in the future to make the best decisions possible when traveling in avalanche terrain. Click the button below to learn more and to register for our Weston Sierra Splitboard Program this winter in Mammoth Lakes!

Sunshine and Stoked at the Inaugural Ladies Weekend Out Splitboard Event in Mammoth Lakes, CA

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Words AND PHOTOS by Rachel Lightner (@rachellightner)

To view the entire Ladies Weekend Out Splitboard Event in Mammoth Lakes, click here

Golden State Guides ran their first Ladies Weekend Out splitboard event in Mammoth Lakes, CA on March 12th and 13th. Six participants, along with myself and GSG guides Tailer Grey and Jessica Olsen, took to the backcountry to dial in splitboard skills and hangout with a group of awesome ladies. I had the pleasure of tagging along for the event and capturing some of the moments over the two-day course, from the high vibes to the parking lot apres beers.

 Day one began at the Visitor Center in Mammoth Lakes, where the ladies were introduced to their gear provided by GSG. This included all of their avalanche safety gear: beacon, shovel, probe, as well as touring gear, including bindings, skins and Weston Backcountry splitboards. Several of the ladies were really excited about the partnership with Weston Splitboards and were looking forward to giving them a try, including participant Carman Cheung. “I was already looking into demoing a Weston board and then my friend sent me the class and was like well you could demo a board, take a class, have a guide and learn to splitboard. And there’s beer!”, said Cheung. “So it was the whole package. I signed up as soon as I saw it.”

 After some binding adjustments and demonstrating how to pack all of the new gear into packs, we did a round of introductions. We learned everyone’s favorite snack and the fact that every participant had come up from somewhere in southern California for the event, so the comradery was instant. The ladies were stoked to get onto snow, so we headed to the Mammoth Rock trailhead and began our day.

 We started off with our first transition, learning how to turn our complete board into touring mode, which can be one of the hardest parts of learning how to splitboard. Tailer walked everyone through her methodical steps on how to take the board apart and keep your gear organized, ensuring that all the ladies felt confident with each step along the way.

After everyone transitioned to split mode, we went over the basic functions of our beacons and how to do a beacon check. Once we were all checked and beeping, we were ready to begin walking. Tailer gave some pointers on how to best walk with skins on and we hit the trail. Some slips and falls happened, always followed by laughter and words of encouragement. It was all of the ladies' first time split boarding, so it was a comfortable and supportive space to learn in. “Being in an all women's group is awesome.” said participant Lindsey Walkemeyer. “It takes away so much of the intimidation or trying to prove anything, it was super supportive and the women in this group were down to encourage each other and ask good questions and pick up the slack where we needed it and just work together. I don't know if that would've been exactly the same if it wasn’t an all women's group.”

 We walked to an open knoll and Tailer talked through kick turns and downhill travel with skins on, which we put into practice by skiing down the hill, then climbing back up and working on kick turns. After taking a few cycles through these motions, we began our ascent to Mammoth Rock.

The sun was glistening through the pines, conversations were flowing, and the ladies were beginning to piece together the details of touring. When we arrived at the top of our run, Tailer walked through transitions again then the ladies put it into practice, this time nailing it down even faster than the first time around. Everyone was getting more familiar and comfortable with their gear. We posed for pictures in front of Mammoth Rock, gave high fives, and got stoked for our first downhill riding.

 We took it in sections, weaving through some low angle trees and gullies, until we arrived back at our trailhead. We then practiced more transitions by cruising up to a small knoll and riding down twice. This was a valuable decision on Tailer’s part, because dialing in your transition can be one of the hardest parts to learn, so doing this multiple times on the first day is really helpful for your progression. We finished off the day in the parking lot with some ice cold beers provided by Pure Brewing and shared some highlights and thoughts on what we were looking forward to the next day.

 The following morning, we met at the trailhead for the Sherwins and we had an unexpected visitor, Miss Gale force winds. We were nearly blowing over huddled behind our vehicles, as Tailer shouted over the sound of the wind to give the ladies a few options for the day. As a group, we decided to shelter inside and wait out the wind a little bit. There was still a lot of meaningful information that could be taught indoors, so we headed to Black Velvet Coffee and got cozied up with a hot beverage in their upstairs nook.

 Tailer went over her online resources she uses when planning a trip to the backcountry, including maps, avalanche information, and weather reports. The ladies got familiar with Gaia and Caltopo on their phones, learning how to plan out their routes and how to look over the avalanche center’s online resources. Tailer then exploded her backpack and showed everyone what she typically brings on a tour, along with helpful tips for packing everyone efficiently. The skies had cleared a bit and the wind died down, so we decided to go out for a short tour to put all of our new skills into practice.

 Although the wind was still blustering, the ladies were excited to get out for a walk. We found some protection in the trees and walked up the base of the Sherwins, practicing skinning, kicksteps, and even boot packing on the way up. Upon reaching the top of our tour, we transitioned and celebrated with smiles, cheers, and clanking our poles together.

We rode through some trees and gullies, hooting and hollering the whole way down, until we arrived back at our cars. We wrapped up the weekend by sharing some takeaways from the course, and Lindsey commented that, “it's really important to find women who enjoy doing similar things and to partner with them. It's also important to learn how to do things the right way from the beginning and finding the right people to teach you to do that is huge. Having a fantastic attitude and having a good time no matter what circumstances come up, because it's all about being outside in the first place and having a good adventure.”

 All the ladies left stoked to continue their pursuits as split boarders, complete with confidence in their abilities and a new group of awesome lady friends. We look forward to seeing how all these ladies take their skills and adventure in the future, and we hope to see you at the next Ladies Weekend Out splitboard event!

1% for the Planet member // 3 Year Anniversary!

We can’t believe that this October marks our 3 year anniversary as a 1% for the Planet member!

3 years ago we took a pledge to support the places we recreate in by becoming a 1% for the Planet member and donating 1% of our annual gross profit to the organizations of our choice underneath the 1% umbrella. It was a decision we made at the inception of Golden State Guiding and one we felt we needed to do to not only support these organizations and our environment, but to raise the standards in our industry. Through this commitment organizations such as the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, Yosemite Conservancy, Protect Our Winters, and Friends of Joshua Tree have been the beneficiaries of our 1% contribution. These organizations play vital roles in supporting the areas we recreate in and help to keep us safe while enjoying what we all love to do! Big thanks to our community for your continued support towards our guide service. It’s because of you we’re able to support these awesome organizations!

Weston Sierra Splitboard Program // Mammoth Lakes

With the support of Weston Backcountry, Golden State Guiding will be rolling out our highly anticipated Sierra Splitboard Program in the Mammoth Lakes area for the 2021/2022 snow season! The programming will be multifaceted and will cover a wide variety of topics in the field and also in a classroom setting. The overall goal of our Sierra Splitboard Program will be to introduce snowboarders and splitboarders to a new medium in their sport, to familiarize them with the current equipment in the market, to give them entry level tools to access the backcountry, and most importantly, lay a foundation for good practices in the future to make the best decisions possible when traveling in avalanche terrain. Click the button below to learn more about Weston Sierra Splitboard Program and register today!

Intro to Backcountry Splitboarding Course Recap

Another great weekend in the high country for our Intro to Splitboarding Course in the Eastern Sierra! Nothing more satisfying than watching our guests grow throughout the season after attending multiple programs. Nearly all of our guests for this outing attend our Split 101, Intro to Splitboarding, an AIARE Level 1 and then topped it off with an overnight backcountry trip where they got to experience some big terrain! Big thanks to all those who attended our IBC course and special thanks to GSG Ski Guide @janczyzewski for facilitating another awesome weekend and to GSG Ambassador @jamesonschultz.studio for capturing all the special moments. We’re already working on our 2022 winter programming so stay tuned for some exciting courses coming your way soon! Click the button below to view the full IBC photo gallery!

Yosemite Toad Research Project

Great day in the backcountry with our guest Connor as we helped facilitate a research project that incorporated the recording of the Yosemite Toad! Not a bad place to do some research while getting in a few turns. Thanks for coming out Connor and big thanks to GSG Split Guide @sierranevadasplitboarding for the day in the field.

Weston Backcountry Intro to Splitboarding Program x Part Deux

Well that wraps up another Splitboarding 101 course with our partner Weston Backcountry up in Mammoth Lakes! Such an incredible weekend with a solid group of riders that were ready to get after it! Big thanks to everyone who came out and attended our Split 101, we had a great time with all of you. And special shout-out to GSG Split Guide @themountainsareglowing_imustgo for facilitating another awesome weekend! Didn’t hurt that the snow was as good as it gets! 📷 @jamesonschultz.studio

@westonbackcountry @themountainsareglowing_imustgo @visitmammoth @mammothlakeschamber @mammothlakesrecreation @exploreinyocounty @monocountytourism @karakorambc @sparkrandd @g3gear

AIARE Level 1 - Splitboard Course // Weston Backcountry Wrap Up

Well that’s a wrap! We just finished up our inaugural Weston Sierra Splitboard program in beautiful Mammoth Lakes with an AIARE Level 1, Splitboard only course. Big thanks to all the participants who came out for the Weston Splitboard Program and to those who only attended our Split AIARE Level 1. It was beyond a pleasure to meet and hang with you all as you up’d your game in backcountry education. Big shout out to GSG AIARE Leader Jan Czyzewski for facilitating another great course for our students and to GSG Instructor and Splitboard guru Jonathan Cahill for assisting with the delivery of the curriculum, you guys slayed it. Also, HUGE thanks to our partner Weston Backcountry for providing the splitboards throughout the program and for your support on the backend, stoked to call those guys not only a partner but friends. And finally, shout out to GSG Ambassador Jameson Schultz for capturing the AIARE course photos and to Miles Weaver for assisting with the Split 101 shoot, couldn’t do it without you guys.

This is just the beginning of our Splitboard programming in the Eastern Sierra. We’ve got another Split 101 launching soon so stay tuned. And we’ll have a full recap of the Weston Sierra Splitboard Program up in the coming week. Until then, stay safe, keep up on the continued backcountry education, and go forth and slay POW🤙🏻📷 @jamesonschultz.studio

@westonbackcountry @aiare_official @janczyzewski @jcizzler @milesweaverphoto @jamesonschultz.studio @karakorambc @sparkrandd @g3gear @visitmammoth @mammothlakeschamber @mammothlakesrecreation @monocountyofficial @monocountytourism @exploreinyocounty

#sierrasplitboarding #westonsierrasplitboardprogram #westonbackcountry #westonbackcountrysplit #splitboarding #mammothlakes #mammothmountain #optoutside #neverstopexploring #goldenstateguiding #gsg #gsguides #gsgambassadors #goforthandslaypow

Weston Sierra Splitboard Program

Besides the low tide conditions in the Sierra we couldn’t have asked for a better weekend to kick off our Sierra Splitboard Program with our partner Weston Backcountry! Following up to our Split Social a few weeks back, participants of the program gathered for our Split 101 where we focused on avalanche awareness and equipment, tour planning and the tools needed to execute a good plan for a day out, and of course, our partner Weston styled out all of our participants with a Splitboard! Big thanks to everyone who attended our inaugural Split 101, it was a real treat getting to spend the day with all of you. Also, big shout out to GSG Split Guide Will Sperry for executing the curriculum for our guests, excellent job out there. Big thanks to Miles Weaver for shooting photos on day 1 and to our friends and partner Ridge Merino for styling out our guests with dual lined buffs and guide tops, you guys rock! And thanks to Karakoram and Spark R&D Bindings for the rad demo fleet! Stay tuned for some epic photos from Miles coming soon. And for all of our participants, we’ll see you in 3 weeks for your final AIARE Avalanche course, looking forward to it!

@westonbackcountry @themountainsareglowing_imustgo @milesweaverphoto @ridge_merino @karakorambc @sparkrandd

#westonbackcountry #weston #gsg #gsguides #goforthandslaypow #karakoram #karakorambc #karakorambindings #sparkrandd #sierra #easternsierra #optoutside #splitboarding #split101 #neverstopexploring #ridgemerino

Slay @ Home Speaker Series

In conjunction with our Weston Backcountry Sierra Splitboard Program happening this winter in Mammoth Lakes, California, we’re pleased to present the Slay @ Home Speaker Series, sponsored by our partner, Weston! Education has always been at the core of our guide service and supporting our community of backcountry travelers through educational courses is a top priority of ours. Weston’s Slay @ Home Speaker Series hosts an array of educational courses focused on topics such as backcountry basics and how to get started, gear recommendations, avalanche education, and trip planning. The panelist’s facilitating this first series consists of some of the most reputable guides and instructors in our industry from all over North America. Big thanks to our partner Weston for providing these webinars to our community of backcountry travelers!

Click on the button below to register for these free backcountry education webinars and be on the lookout for a Golden State Guiding sponsored event early 2021! Cheers to beginning the process of getting educated and to the journey of a lifelong session of slaying pow!