The Fifth Season

What The Fifth Season does

The Fifth Season is a privately held specialty outdoor retail and rental shop headquartered in Mount Shasta, California, operating from a single flagship location at 300 N. Mount Shasta Blvd. Founded in 1998 (incorporated as The Fifth Season, Inc. under California jurisdiction in 2019), the business serves outdoor recreation enthusiasts — mountaineers, backcountry and alpine skiers, splitboarders, mountain bikers, Pacific Crest Trail through-hikers, and Nordic skiers — who visit or live near Mount Shasta. The company combines equipment rentals (alpine touring packages, splitboards, ski/snowboard packages, mountaineering gear, and Giant mountain bikes including e-bikes), professional services (Master Fit University-trained boot fitting, multi-tier ski/snowboard tuning with infrared wax, full bicycle maintenance), and retail of premium outdoor brands (Arc'teryx, Patagonia, Mammut, Black Diamond, La Sportiva, Dynafit, Osprey, Darn Tough) with branded merchandise.

The underlying operating platform is a WordPress-based website (thefifthseason.com) integrating a WooCommerce-style e-commerce storefront for branded merchandise and Gravity Forms-based online reservation intake for all rental categories, complemented by phone-based reservations. The Outdoor Recreation Hub — a content library covering Mount Shasta winter sports, trail guides, conditions reporting, and local destination information — functions as the company's primary top-of-funnel marketing and SEO asset. The technology is conventional SMB retail tooling; no proprietary software, app, or AI capabilities are described. Specialized equipment is maintained in-house, with mountaineering boots washed and sanitized after each rental, rental fleet bikes replaced yearly, and ski/board service performed using infrared wax technology.

The business model is a hybrid of usage-based rentals (daily and multi-day, with reservation minimums of 72 hours), unit-priced professional services (boot fitting $65-$125+, ski tuning $5-$160, bike service à la carte), and one-time retail sales (premium brand apparel/equipment and own-brand merchandise priced $15-$32). Distribution is single-channel physical retail plus an e-commerce extension, with no third-party resellers or franchise operations. The Fifth Season also operates as an authorized Forest Service Summit Permit vendor for climbs above 10,000 feet on Mount Shasta ($25 three-day, $30 annual) and as an official Pacific Crest Trail Outpost, both of which reinforce its role as the central commercial node for the Mount Shasta outdoor recreation ecosystem. Customer base is exclusively SMB/individual consumers; no enterprise accounts or B2B contracts are disclosed, and the customer count is effectively an undifferentiated long tail of regional visitors and locals.

Name

The Fifth Season

Legal name

The Fifth Season, Inc.

Website

https://thefifthseason.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Fifth Season is a privately held specialty outdoor retail and rental shop in Mount Shasta, California, serving mountaineers, skiers, cyclists, and Pacific Crest Trail hikers with equipment rentals, professional boot fitting and tuning services, premium-brand retail, and Forest Service summit permits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Recreation Retail & Equipment Rental

NAICS

Recreational Goods Rental (532284), Consumer Goods Rental (5322)

akta.pro primary industry

Climbing & Mountaineering Gear Retail (CRAMAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nordic / Cross-Country Ski Retail (Skis, Boots, Bindings, Poles, Wax) (CRAMAJAG), Climbing & Mountaineering Gear Retail (CRAMAAAB)

Keywords

• Outdoor gear retail
• Mountaineering equipment rental
• Ski snowboard rental
• Professional boot fitting
• Bicycle rental service

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Shasta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rentals: Daily and multi-day rentals of outdoor equipment including alpine touring packages, splitboards, ski/snowboard packages, mountaineering gear, and bicycles. Reservations accepted online and by phone. Gear is professionally maintained between rentals.
2. Outdoor Gear & Apparel Retail: Sale of outdoor clothing, footwear, equipment, and accessories from premium brands. Sells merchandise including branded apparel (hats, beanies, buffs, water bottles) through both physical store and e-commerce.
3. Boot Fitting Services: Professional boot fitting services at three tiers (Sport, Performance, Race) plus custom enhancements including custom footbeds, shell modifications, and alignment adjustments.
4. Ski & Snowboard Service: Equipment tuning, waxing, and binding installation services for alpine, cross-country, and skate skis and snowboards.
5. Bicycle Services: Full-service bike maintenance from basic adjustments to complete overhauls, including tubeless tire installation, brake bleeding, and drivetrain cleaning.
6. Mountain Permits: Sale of Forest Service Summit Permits for climbing Mount Shasta above 10,000 feet. Offers 3-day permits ($25) and annual permits ($30).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Fifth Season is a specialty outdoor recreation retailer and equipment rental shop in Mount Shasta, California. It rents alpine touring, splitboard, alpine ski/snowboard, mountaineering, and bicycle equipment; sells premium outdoor gear, apparel, and branded merchandise; provides professional boot fitting, ski/snowboard tuning and waxing, and bicycle maintenance services; and acts as the official vendor for Mount Shasta Forest Service Summit Permits above 10,000 feet. The company also serves as an official Pacific Crest Trail Outpost for through-hikers and maintains a free Outdoor Recreation Hub content resource.

Product overview

The Fifth Season is a specialty outdoor retail and rental shop in Mount Shasta, California, offering a unified portfolio of equipment rentals, professional services, and retail merchandise. The rental division provides equipment for four primary activity categories: winter sports (alpine touring, splitboarding, skiing, snowboarding), cycling (mountain bikes, e-bikes), and mountaineering (boots, crampons, tents, sleeping bags). Services include boot fitting, ski/snowboard tuning and repair, and bicycle maintenance. The retail arm sells outdoor gear from premium brands and branded merchandise. A Pacific Crest Trail Outpost section serves through-hikers, and a free Outdoor Recreation Hub provides local area guides. The company also facilitates climbing access by selling Forest Service Summit Permits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Alpine Touring & Splitboard Rentals Equipment rental packages for alpine touring and splitboarding on Mount Shasta, including demo skis with tech bindings, splitboard packages, and safety gear such as transceivers, probes, and shovels. Reserved online or by phone.
• Ski & Snowboard Rentals
• Bicycle Rentals
• Mountaineering Rentals
• Ski & Snowboard Service
• Bicycle Services
• Boot Fitting
• Mountain Permits
• Pacific Crest Trail Outpost
• Quality Outdoor Gear (Retail)
• The Fifth Season Merchandise

Quantifiable outcome

• Rental fees applied to purchase of demo skis from Rossignol, Head, Blizzard, Elan
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Blackbird Mountain GuidesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal mountain guide service featured as a recommended partner resource on The Fifth Season's Local Resources page and outdoor recreation hub. The guide service offers backcountry skiing and riding trips on Mount Shasta, complementing The Fifth Season's rental and equipment services.
• Headwaters Trail RunsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal trail running event organizer. Headwaters Trail Runs (56k, 31k, 10k) are featured on The Fifth Season's website events calendar. The events draw outdoor enthusiasts to the Mount Shasta area, aligning with the store's customer base.
• Shasta Mountain GuidesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecommended guide service on The Fifth Season's Local Resources page. Offers ski and board mountaineering seminars and summit descents on Mount Shasta, complementing equipment rentals.
• Sierra Wilderness SeminarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a recommended guide service for Mount Shasta-area wilderness education and guided trips.
• International Alpine GuidesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a recommended guide service on The Fifth Season's Local Resources page for alpine climbing and mountaineering in the Mount Shasta area.
• Mt. Shasta Tour GuideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal guide offering day ski and board tours with educational components. Half-day (4 hours) and full-day (7 hours) tours recommended for building backcountry skills.
• Shasta Gravity Shuttle ServiceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMountain biking shuttle service listed on The Fifth Season's Local Resources page. Provides shuttle access to downhill biking trails, complementing The Fifth Season's bike rental services.
• Osprey (Official Dealer)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Fifth Season is an official Osprey dealer serving PCT through-hikers who need pack repairs or replacements. Osprey products are featured in the Pacific Trail Outpost section.
• Darn Tough (Official Dealer)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Darn Tough dealer offering sock exchange program for PCT through-hikers. Hikers with worn socks can swap for new Darn Tough pairs (one per customer per day) at the store.
• Mt. Shasta Nordic CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fifth Season cross-promotes Nordic Center rentals and provides cross-country ski equipment rentals that complement the Nordic Center's groomed trail operations. The Nordic Center offers lessons and adaptive equipment.
• Mt. Shasta Avalanche CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured prominently on The Fifth Season's weather conditions and backcountry skiing pages. Provides avalanche forecasts and educational seminars that The Fifth Season directs customers to for safety information.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Backcountry.com: Online specialty outdoor retailer carrying many of the same premium brands (Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Black Diamond). Provides a direct-to-consumer competitive alternative for the same end consumer, with greater selection and shipping reach.
• Patagonia (retail): Brand-owned retail and DTC channel for Patagonia apparel and outdoor gear. Represents a structural threat via brand-direct disintermediation of premium outerwear that The Fifth Season also retails.
• Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI): Largest U.S. outdoor co-op retailer operating national stores plus rental and used-gear programs. Competes in the same premium-brand outdoor category but at vastly greater scale and with broader category coverage than The Fifth Season.
• Sports Basement: Bay Area-based outdoor and sporting goods retailer with deep ski, bike, and apparel categories. Competes for the Northern California outdoor enthusiast and serves many of the same brands with a similar value-plus-service positioning.
• Moosejaw: Outdoor specialty retailer (now part of Walmart) competing in the same premium-brand outdoor apparel and gear category. Comparable in product mix, though distribution is online-first rather than destination-retail.

Direct peers

• evo: Specialty outdoor and action sports retailer with a hybrid retail/rental/service model, including ski and bike shops in destination markets. Most directly comparable peer by virtue of combining premium retail, rentals, tuning, and a strong content/education platform.
• Great Outdoor Provision Co. Independent specialty outdoor retailer in Colorado with curated premium-brand assortments and service depth. Comparable as a long-running independent that competes on expertise and service rather than price.
• Mountain Outfitters: Independent climbing and mountaineering outfitter in Bishop, CA, focused on technical alpine and rock climbing gear and local expertise. Comparable as a destination-driven specialty outfitter serving technical outdoor users in a small mountain town.

Others

• Blackbird Mountain Guides: Local mountain guide service featured as a recommended partner on The Fifth Season's resource pages. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor; shares customer flow on Mount Shasta.

Regional players

• Pine Marten: Specialty outdoor and ski shop based in Mount Shasta, CA — a same-town competitor for climbing, skiing, and cycling gear. Closest geographic peer and serves a largely overlapping customer base in the Mount Shasta market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thefifthseasonms
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefifthseason77
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-fifth-season

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Fifth Season