Hike Mt. Shasta

The summer months tend to be the least active when it comes to lenticular clouds over Mount Shasta. However, the most consistently productive has been the month of August. The best summer lenticulars have typically come in this month, including the best I have personally observed in that season. This has once again proven to be the case, as a fantastic array of clouds formed today, covering a variety of lenticular shapes and sizes. It may not have been the best summer formation but it was certainly up there in my ranking and would have rated well even if it had occurred during the peak season.

I have not been heading out early, since the summer is not the best season for sunrises and sunsets. Nonetheless, I just had a feeling things were going to happen today so I went out near sunset. While there was no distinct lenticular formation, the skies did not lack for interest. It certainly seemed to hint that something may happen later.

Later in the morning the skies became overcast and it seemed that nothing would actually manifest. Rather suddenly, a large, well-formed stack appeared over Mount Shasta. I did not manage to capture it at its peak, but it is obvious there was a nice series of layers over the mountain. It was also complimented by some massive satellite clouds to the north. Unfortunately, the light was terrible and the formation was “wasted” on the lack of good conditions. After that, the clouds persisted for a while but lost their distinct shape. By the afternoon there was little cloud left in the sky at all.

Thankfully, my amazing wife encouraged me to head out for the sunset anyway. It turned out to be a spectacular one. When I left there was just a shadow of a disc, but it kept growing as I headed to a good vantage point. By the time the sun had set and the clouds were exploding with color, the cloud had grown significantly. There was also plenty of other cloud in the sky to catch the light from the setting sun.

The last few days have been hot but very beautiful around Mount Shasta. I love summer, but the closer we get to fall (my favorite season), the more I just want to jump ahead to October. This excellent lenticular certainly whet my appetite!