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All posts for the month April, 2013

Off Season Trails: Winter Hiking In The Shasta Valley

Posted by bubbasuess on April 30, 2013
Posted in: Desert, Hiking, Mount Shasta, Off Season Trails, Winter Trails. 11 Comments
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Mount Shasta, Yellow Butte and Pluto Cave.

As noted here, winter is often a maddening time of the year for hikers. The high country, so close in proximity yet exasperatingly inaccessible beneath its mantle of snow, is not a viable option for hitting the trail. Still, the Mount Shasta area is blessed with numerous winter alternatives for off season hiking. The best of these options lies to the north of Mount Shasta, in the Shasta Valley. The valley is a wide gap between the Klamath Mountains on the west and the Cascade Range on the east. Mount Shasta, which is actually an outlier on the west side of the Cascade’s crest, bottles up the southern end. The Shasta River, with its headwaters on the flanks of Mount Eddy, drains the valley. The key feature of the Shasta Valley is that it falls within Mount Shasta’s rainshadow, making the valley a pocket of high desert terrain surrounded on all sides by higher alpine and forest clad mountains. Consequently, even when most places are being pounded by winter storms, the valley receives very little precipitation and the trails are wide open for great hiking. Of course, the high desert environment, characterized by the ubiquitous juniper and sage, may not be to everyone’s liking but for those who relish this change of pace from the dark forests just a few miles to the north, the Shasta Valley offers a winter oasis with seldom hiked trails and spectacular views.

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Yellow Butte

What is possibly the best day of off season hiking can be constructed out of two of the trails in the southeast corner of the Shasta Valley. The Pluto Cave Trail and the Yellow Butte Trail are only two miles apart but offer very different hiking experiences. Neither is long enough to occupy a full day but when strung together, one in the morning, the second after lunch, a fantastic and magnificently scenic day on the trail. The two trails are the Pluto Cave Trail and the Yellow Butte Trail. As noted previously, these two trails are found in the southeast corner of Shasta Valley, near where the eastern base of Mount Shasta and the Cascades crest meet. While most of the valley is privately owned, there is a small knot of national forest and BLM land here. This is fortuitous for hikers, as it provides a great day of winter hiking. The trails include one of the most unusual attractions in the Mount Shasta region as well as nearly constant, spectacular views of Mount Shasta. Views of the Cascade Crest, Trinity Divide, Siskiyou Mountains and even the Marble Mountains compliment these trails as well.

In between the two trails, there is a small picnic area at the Pluto Cave Trailhead. This is a great spot to have a lunch in between the two hikes.

Pluto Cave Trail:

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Trinity Divide from the Pluto Cave Trail.

The best day of winter hiking in the Mount Shasta area begins at the Pluto Cave. This trail has something of a split personality. It consists of a short, 1 mile loop through classic, high desert terrain. The trail passes through great stands of juniper. Views of Mount Shasta at the beginning of the trail and remain consistent for most of the route. After passing the entrance to the Pluto Cave, the path parallels a few sinkholes that provide an opportunity to peer down into collapsed sections of the cave. Beyond the final hole in the cave, the trail passes through more high desert with views toward the Siskiyou Mountains, some of which lie in Oregon. Eventually the route comes upon a large uplifted fracture in the lava that covers the area. The trail climbs to the top of the fracture and runs eastward along its rim. This section has some of the best views of the trail. On the far end of the fracture the trail drops back down to ground level and the proceeds back to the trailhead.

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Collapsed ceiling inside Pluto Cave.

As nice a trail as the loop is, the real attraction is the Pluto Cave itself. The entrance is a collapsed section of the cave’s ceiling. One drops down into the collapsed ruins, passes under an uncollapsed section that forms a natural arch and walks through more ruined ceiling sections before finally coming to the actual entrance to the Pluto Cave. Once inside the trail drops down as the cave descends a bit. There is a large section of exposed lava but the route is easy to negotiate. As one delves deeper into the cave, the light from the entrance begins to fade. Just as it does, a light appears ahead from another collapse in the cave roof. This one is only 10 feet or so in diameter and is just enough to illuminate the cave’s walls and allow a thick beam of light to come down from the world above. Pushing still further into the cave leads to another section where the roof has completely caved in and tree are growing on the cavern floor. On the far side of this opening, the ultimate entrance to the cave is found. From here the light fades quickly and the Pluto Cave extends for another mile underground.

The temperatures in the cave are fairly constant in the upper 40’s, no matter whether it is hot or cold on the surface. If one is set to explore Pluto Cave, be sure to bring a couple of lights per person. This can be a lengthy endeavor and a picnic lunch at the trailhead will be a great break before hiking to the summit of Yellow Butte.

Yellow Butte Trail:

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Mount Shasta from the summit of Yellow Butte.

Of all the color-themed buttes that surround Mount Shasta, Yellow Butte is the lowest in elevation and the only one found on Mount Shasta’s north side. The trail up to the summit is 3 miles round trip, which makes for a leisurely afternoon stroll. Even though the butte is a classic high desert peak, the landscape is markedly different from that encountered along the Pluto Cave Trail. While juniper is present it appears infrequently. The butte is covered in an expansive layer of gold grass, the genesis of the butte’s appellation. The trail winds around small drainages and peaks en route to the summit. Slung on the peak’s flanks and high above the surrounding forest of juniper, the views from the trail are as excellent as they are relentless. One is never out of eyeshot of Mount Shasta and all the mountains that ring the Shasta Valley. Still, the best views are from the summit, where there is a 360 degree unobstructed view of the surrounding region. Hiking this trail in the afternoon means the light on Mount Shasta and the Cascade crest to the east is optimal. Staying up on Yellow Butte for sunset is an experience not soon forgotten.

Honorable Mention – Haystack Trail:

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The Haystack from the beginning of the Yellow Butte Trail.

Immediately to the west of Yellow Butte is another small peak, appropriately named the Haystack. There is a great trail up to the summit of this butte as well and its proximity to Yellow Butte means it can easily be included to lengthen a day of hike. It was not included in the suggested day of winter hiking in the Shasta Valley only because its views are similar to those on Yellow Butte. Rather than having a single 360 degree view from a pointed summit, the Haystack has a broad, round summit with a trail circling the rim. The Haystack is certainly a worthy trail and can easily supplement the suggested Pluto Cave Trail – Yellow Butte Combination.

Off Season Trails: Three Winter Hikes Near Mount Shasta City

Posted by bubbasuess on April 22, 2013
Posted in: Hiking, Mount Shasta, Mount Shasta History, Off Season Trails, Winter Trails. 12 Comments
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Box Canyon of the Sacramento River.

Winter is usually a frustrating season when it comes to finding good trails. The alpine country we often seek out as good hiking territory is smothered under a thick blanket of snow. Even if we were prepared to snowshoe or hike on the snow, just accessing the high country can be impossible. For those still intent on hiking one must maximize the options at hand. The Mount Shasta area is blessed with several excellent winter hiking options. This is, in part, due to the fact that most of the populated areas are in lower elevation settings while still being surrounded with fantastic mountains. This means that during the winter there are several good trails that will usually be snow free for the duration of the season. Of course, immediately after a large storm these options will also be snowbound but they generally melt out quickly are accessible fairly soon after the storm.

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Faery Falls.

There are three good, short trails immediately around town that provide a variety of scenery: the Ney Springs Canyon Trail, the Box Canyon Trail and the Spring Hill Trail. When strung together throughout a day they make up a solid day of hiking with a variety of interesting scenery including historical ruins, a swift and rocky creek, a turbulent river in a narrow chasm, waterfalls, and epic views of Mount Shasta and the Trinity Divide. In short, this is for more scenery than one generally expects to find on snow-free trails in the winter. With a total distance of nearly six miles, the combination of these trails makes for a pleasant day of hiking (note: there are short drives between each trailhead). However, they also make pleasant morning or afternoon hikes and can generally be fit into small chunks of time on different days if one desires to meter out the scenery.

The following is a proposed order for the three trails and brief description of what to expect to see:

Ney Springs Canyon Trail:

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Ruins along Ney Springs Creek.

Set in the shadow depths of Ney Springs Canyon, this trail follows a rough road built in the 19th century to access the now lost Ney Springs Resort. Below the trail the boisterous creek flows through a boulder filled channel. Ruins of the old resort are scattered throughout the mid-section of the trail. Particularly noteworthy is an old retaining wall with an ornate stone basin which once held spring water and a large landing along the creek with another retaining wall, concrete stairs leading down into the creek a pair of cisterns built into the landing. Beyond the ruins the trail continues along the creek before ending at attractive Faery Falls, a 40 foot waterfall that falls in two tiers. For those interested in rock climbing, the trail continues up the north side of the canyon to a use trail that leads to a series of crags. South facing, these crags are generally snow free year round and are popular with climbers in the winter.

If making a full day of hiking, this trail is best done in the morning. It is in shadow much of the day no matter when one hikes it and there are compelling reasons to hike the other trails later in the day. It can be especially cold in the canyon so dress appropriately. This is the only trail of the three that is not accessed via a plowed road. After a storm it can be more difficult to reach. However, if one is willing, the dirt road can easily be hiked from where it is plowed, adding an extra 3 miles round trip.

Box Canyon Trail:

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Inside the Box Canyon of the Sacramento River.

Just minutes away from the trailhead for the Ney Springs Canyon Trail, the Box Canyon Trail follows the rim of the Box Canyon of the Sacramento River, just below the dam that impounds Lake Siskiyou. This is the most unusual of the three trails. It follows the rim of the Box Canyon for just shy of a mile. Along the way, the trail crosses a couple of streams flowing through interesting gullies before reaching one of the highlights of the trail. The route passes through a large car and appliance dump that was made in the 1940’s and 50’s. Folks used to push their old cars and appliances off of a treeless hill when they were finished using them. Since the practice came to a halt, the once treeless slope has been covered with young fir, cedar and pine trees, some of which are growing out of the old cars that are ensconced forever on the rim of the canyon. Beyond the vehicular graveyard, the trail continues past good views down into the canyon before culminating at the opportunity to climb out onto a rocky precipice hanging dramatically over the river and the canyon. A bonus to this trail is the opportunity to use a rope and via ferrata system to climb down into the canyon and observe the river and a small waterfall up close. The route for the river access is at an obvious trail junction about 100 yards from the trailhead.

For the full day of hiking, this trail is best done second. The route is on the north side of the box canyon which means it has a southern exposure. Once the sun has risen higher in the sky, the trail gets more direct sunlight, making it much warmer than it would be earlier in the day.

Spring Hill Trail:

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Mount Shasta viewed from Rocky Point on Spring Hill.

After a morning of hiking and a leisurely lunch (preferably at Poncho and Lefkowitz!), the trail climbing to the summit of Spring Hill is a pleasant afternoon endeavor. While the two previous trails are interesting because of the physical features they explore (Ney Springs Creek and the Box Canyon) as well as their historical curiosities, the hike up Spring Hill is a hike with views. Chief among the views is awesome Mount Shasta, finally getting its due after a morning in the canyons. The trail is not just dedicated to the great mountain however, as there are fine views of the Trinity Divide, Black Butte and Mount Shasta City. On a clear day, it is possible to observe distant Crater Peak and even more distant Lassen Peak to the south. Though the trail starts off as single track, it soon follows an old road that is closed to motorized traffic. The route switchbacks up the side of Spring Hill, often under tree cover. There are numerous vistas where the trees break and great views are to be had. Benches often mark these spots. Near the summit, there is a junction for the Rocky Point Loop, which is 0.5 miles of single track and leads to a rock outcropping that has a fantastic view of Mount Shasta.

The views of Crater Peak, Lassen Peak and Mount Shasta are best had in the afternoon. Though it does not put Mount Eddy in the best light (pun intended) these other features are the most interesting. For this reason, this hike should be done last of the three suggested short trails around Mount Shasta City.

A Mysterious Painting Pt. II

Posted by bubbasuess on April 5, 2013
Posted in: Mount Shasta, Mount Shasta History. 8 Comments
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The old painting of Mount Shasta.

In an earlier post I described the search for details on a previously unknown painting of Mount Shasta. The post concluded on the eve of meeting with two experts on the art of Mount Shasta. One of the gentlemen was the recently retired librarian at the College of the Siskiyous. He maintains the Mount Shasta Collection, which contains an extensive gathering of works relating to Mount Shasta. There is a substantial volume of historical works in the collection. The other gentleman I met with was the author of the book Sudden and Solitary, the definitive work on the art of Mount Shasta. He also headed up the exhibit held at the Turtle Bay Museum in Redding that featured numerous works found in the book. He also put on the lenticular cloud gallery and the recently opened Joaquin Miller exhibit at the Sisson Museum in Mount Shasta. Both men were interested in the historic and unusual nature of the painting my mom had found in a Bay Area thrift store and we arranged a meeting at the College of the Siskiyous library.

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The backside of the painting, showing the canvas board.

The meeting took place in one of the rooms that contains the Mount Shasta Collection. Aside from all the books about Mount Shasta and the area’s inhabitants and history, there were also a few very early paintings of the mountain. After brief conversation, I produced the painting and we set about to examining the painting. The most notable thing we established was the composition of the board that the canvas was stretched over. This was composed of a cardboard like material. This was significant because it was not composed of Masonite, which is a denser material. This dated the painting to some time prior to the 20’s, when Masonite became the standard material for canvas boards. This conformed to what had previously been speculated regarding the establishment of Rocky Mountain National Park. Knowing when the park was founded and the lack of any references to it as well as the absence of Masonite made us confident the painting was made at some point prior to the 20’s. As previously noted, a reference to Kodak film set the low end of the date to the late 1880’s.

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The page from the 1920 Census, showing E.S. Evans.

Despite establishing more parameters for the painting’s date, we were still unable to find any information on the artist. After consulting numerous books in the library, the librarian stood up and said he knew where to look and he guaranteed we would find information about the artist there. The other gentleman and I continued to discuss Mount Shasta and its history. Soon the librarian returned triumphantly with a series of photocopied papers. As he predicted, there on the page was the name E.S. Evans, occupation listed as painter. The documents showing the artist was the 1920 U.S. Census. According to the census information, E.S Evans was born in Iowa and was married to his wife Clara in 1893 in Muskatine Iowa. He shows up in Boulder in the 1900, 1910 and 1920 censuses. These dates aligned with what we already knew about the painting. Based on this evidence we concluded the painting was made sometime between 1895 and 1915. Though we had no firm evidence, we figured a more precise guess was sometime between 1900 and 1910. This guess is based on the fact that Evans had to have time to establish his catalogue listed on the label affixed to the back of the painting. Therefore a date prior to 1900 seemed unlikely, since he had only been in Boulder a few years by that point. A date later than 1910 starts to inch closer to the formation of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Pleased with the result of the meeting I headed home with the painting. Even though the painting was not as old as initially estimated, it is still over 100 years old and a worthy artifact of the Mount Shasta area. The fact remains that it is an early depiction of the mountain from on the mountain rather than somewhere in the surrounding area. It will hang proudly on our wall, a pleasant reminder of Mount Shasta’s past.