The Castle Dome Triathlon starts at the common gathering point of the The Fifth Season (Mt. Shasta's local outdoor equipment and gear store) and involves the mixed discipline of a multi-sport effort, biking to Castle Crags St. Park, moving on foot up the technical Dome Trail from the Vista Point Lookout, and then scrambling the low 5th class Castle Dome before reversing the route and finishing at the Fifth Season back in Mt. Shasta, CA.
This route takes you on a seldom trafficked but scenic mix of paved road and some dirt/gravel out of the city of Shasta, and through historic Dunsmuir and Castella before spitting you into a short but steep climb from the entry gate of Castle Crags St. Park to the Vista Point parking lot. Leave the Fifth Season on bikes and head south on Mt. Shasta Boulevard to Old Stage Rd. Follow Old Stage Rd until it meets Mott Rd and continue south towards Dunsmuir. Mott Rd becomes Dunsmuir Ave and continues through the Historic town of Dunsmuir, CA. Take in the brief sights before taking a left on Banstetter St, crossing the train tracks and continuing onto Bridge St, crossing the Sacramento River and then turning right onto S 1st St towards Castella. Hang a left on Crag View Drive and bump a short (less than .5 Mile) section of freeway before ending up on the Soda Creek Exit. After the short freeway section stay on Frontage Road for a few miles before turning right onto Castle Creek Road. Follow Castle Creek under I-5 and to the park. Follow signs up the heartbreaking final climb to the Vista Point Parking area and the Dome TH.
Stash the bikes and head up the Dome Trail towards the Castle Dome above. Follow the trail from the parking lot keeping left at the Root Creek junction, 1.5 miles past the Indian Springs junction, and towards the Castle Dome. Around the 2.5 mile mark the trail will become sandy and split into what look like a system of water washed gullies. Follow the predominant wash towards the large granite dome and up a system of low angle slabs looking for the route of least resistance up to the top of the dome. Easiest route is identifiable via the ledge systems and chimneys that lead to a final higher angle but features scramble to the summit. See top photo for details, as well as references obtained via the Mountain Project page for this route.
The route consists approximately 38 miles of biking split up by roughly 6 miles of well groomed to technical trails with an average elevation gain of 800 feet per mile, before entering the low 5th class scramble segment on the dome taking you up the final 800 feet to the top in less than a half a mile. Descend the route the same way you came up, get back on the bike and finish the final leg of biking as you climb back up to the city of Mt. Shasta and finish at The Fifth Season.
For information about Castle Crags State Park, visit https://www.mountainproject.com/area/106053028/castle-crags , https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=454 , or see https://fastestknowntime.com/route/cosmic-wall-mt-hubris-ca and https://fastestknowntime.com/route/castle-dome-castle-crags-state-park-ca for information on other Fastest Known Times at the park.
