Hike Mt. Shasta

The last light of Easter Sunday fades on Mount Shasta.

Another week of the Great Hunkering here in Mount Shasta and another week of getting my kids out exploring. The weather could not have been better and spring is erupting all around the foot of the mountain and it felt like winter’s shackles were thrown off once and for all so we determined to head out. One nice thing of the new regime of social distancing is that it is driving out activity to areas that we don’t normally go. We have really enjoyed rediscovering forgotten favorites or introducing new places to my wife and kids, thereby making new favorites. Aside from Mount Shasta itself, it seemed the best outings were focused on waterfalls and, it being warm and in spring, they were awesome. A gorgeous day and the roar and mist of a waterfall are among my most favorite things. All in all, it has been a great experience for my kids, for which I am thankful.

Through all of this, I have still managed to get out for a few sunrises and the conditions the last week have been gorgeous. Sunrise and sunset, it has been spectacular. There was even a very nice, very resilient lenticular during Easter that lasted for a couple days. However, after several great days spent outside, the inevitable return to Earth was necessitated and we finally turned our attention to spring cleaning that demands attention. Ho hum.

The waterfalls were a real highlight. I can’t say enough about how edifying it was to enjoy them with great weather after the long winter. Naturally, Burney Falls is famous but the other two are almost entirely unknown, save for a few rock climbers and Castle Crags savants. I think some video might help share the experience!

We call this one “Gerber Falls”. In my mind, nothing beats running water over granite.

This one we dubbed “Grotto Falls. This is only the lower tier. It’s a lot taller than it looks.

Burney Falls needs no introduction. You can see my kids wandering around at the bottom of the screen.

After we went to Burney Falls, we had lunch along nearby Hat Creek. While there, we had the amazing fortune to watch river otters swimming in the water while one of them kept scampering up onto the steep slope above the creek. My kids (and wife) were enthralled!

Finally, Mount Shasta has been magnificent the past week. Excellent sunrises and sunsets and the mountains around the great volcano are snowy but starting to awaken after the winter slumber. It is sublime.