A Van Life Ski and Mountaineering Trip Through Northern California
as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words
Some trips start with a destination in mind. This one started with a question. What would it look like to chase two of Northern California's most iconic volcanoes, Lassen Peak and Mount Shasta, while living entirely out of my van for seven straight days? No hotel rooms. No rental cars. Just me, my gear, and a van that had to function as my home, my office, and my basecamp for an entire week of skiing and mountaineering.
The trip kicked off with the long drive north from Lake Tahoe. Hours of highway, podcasts, and open road stretched in front of me. I did not make it all the way to Lassen Peak that first day, so I pulled off onto some public land and slept in my actual bed in the back of the van. That surprises people every time I mention it. Van life does not mean roughing it in a sleeping bag on a hard floor. I have a full sized bed back there, and after a long driving day, having real comfort waiting for you matters more than people realize.
Arriving in Lassen and exploring Manzanita Lake. Follow Dalton on your favorite platform: @storiesbydalton
Once I reached Lassen Peak, the van became my mission control for scouting and skiing. When the south entrance turned out to be closed, I simply drove around to the north entrance instead, no rebooking, no scrambling, just point the van in a new direction and keep moving. That kind of flexibility is the entire appeal of van life on a project like this. The mountain does not care about your plans, but your van lets you adjust to whatever the mountain throws at you.
After a sunrise scouting session at Manzanita Lake and a preliminary ski check, I finally went for the real attempt on Lassen Peak. Five in the morning, cold boots, a long approach, and brutal heat once the sun came up. About three quarters of the way up, the snow turned unstable beneath my boots. I made the call to turn back, and on my way down I triggered a small slough, a clear reminder of why caution matters more than ego in the mountains. I skied down, packed up, and was back at the van by noon. Since I had so much daylight left, I drove straight to Mount Shasta that same afternoon, stopping at a lake along the way to rinse off and mentally shift gears toward the next mountain.
Bootpacking to the summit of Lassen Peak just before skiing down. Follow Dalton on your favorite platform: @storiesbydalton
Here’s What Lives In My Gear Bag:
Sony a7r4; my work horse
Sony a7s3; mostly for video work like solo-filmmaking documentary
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
Gearing up for a summit push on Mount Shasta with a 3am wake up call. Follow Dalton on your favorite platform: @storiesbydalton
Mount Shasta brought a different kind of challenge. This was a two day mountaineering push, not a ski descent, and it demanded a slower, more deliberate pace. I spent a quiet rest day in the van prepping gear, picking up supplies in town, and securing my summit permit. The van again became my office, letting me edit photos and handle commercial work while waiting for the right window to head up the mountain.
The approach into horse camp did not go smoothly. I packed my skis thinking they would speed up the hike, then accidentally stayed on the hiking trail for over three miles with skis strapped to my back. Once camp was set up, I realized I needed a second load of gear, so I skied back down to the van, grabbed everything I had left behind, and hiked back up using the actual ski route this time. It was exhausting, but it is the kind of unglamorous work that never makes it into a highlight reel.
Walking the long field towards the summit of Mount Shasta. Follow Dalton on your favorite platform: @storiesbydalton
Summit day started at three in the morning. I climbed Avalanche Gulch in the dark, lost an hour and a half after forgetting my helmet back at camp, and spent two hours helping coordinate a helicopter rescue for another climber in trouble. By the time I reached the summit, the mountain had tested me in nearly every way possible. Coming down, I glissaded on my backside using my ice axe to control my speed, a method that felt like the world's largest natural slip and slide. Back at camp, I packed everything up that same evening, skied and hiked out under darkness, and finally collapsed into my van, exhausted but proud.
Seven days, two mountains, and one van that carried me through all of it. This is what a van life ski and mountaineering trip through Northern California actually looks like. Not polished. Not easy. But real, and worth every mile.
Thank you for reading this journal entry. If you have enjoyed it and have something to add, send me an email: dj@dalton-johnson.com
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The Day’s Gallery
About Dalton:
Dalton Johnson is a photographer, direcot, and writer (award-winning at all three) based in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
Over the last 10 years, Dalton’s creative work has taken him to every continent, above the arctic circle, and below the antarctic circle.
