Hike Mt. Shasta

True to the pattern, life has been pretty busy lately, and as always, I am finding it hard to get a few moments scrapped together to write anything. Here and there I have been chipping away at some bigger posts, some gestating since last fall. Hopefully they may see the light of day soon. This is fitting, as the sun has finally reemerged from behind the storms and spring weather is at last starting to make itself felt. I feel a new burst of energy and creativity mounting, slowly drowning the demon of winter sloth.

Momentarily shaken from my hiemal slumber, I headed out early Wednesday morning on the intuition that there might be a lenticular. Much to my satisfaction, there was indeed a nice cloud on the mountain…and nothing else. No hazy clouds to catch the morning light or any other interesting conditions. I must be getting greedy or apathetic when a nice lenticular on Mount Shasta is not filling me with awe. I am not sure which I am guilty of but neither gives me comfort in introspection.

In spite of my shortcomings, I captured some images of the cloud and then headed home. Throughout the day, I kept an eye on the cloud. It had expanded, folded out and overwhelmed Mount Shasta, covering the mountain in a vast white sheet. The possibility of the cloud failing altogether around sunset seemed real. Fortunately, it finally seemed to recoalesce into something interesting as the afternoon progressed.

I headed out to Echo Point, which I had not been to for a couple of months. It had been a combination of business, weather and mud that had prevented me from visiting this most favorite of spots. I was glad to get back and greet an old friend. The lake in Echo Basin was full and the grass just barely beginning to green up. It is a spectacular vista…

The lenticular itself had nearly collapsed, but a slim version of its morning self still clung to the summit of the mountain. It was enough and with the grandeur of the entire scene, I was glad I had come.

Sunset came and alpenglow washed over Mount Shasta. The little lenticular hung on long enough to add a slight nuance to the beautiful image before me. It was great to be outside, to watch the waning light on the grandest of alpine canvases, great to feel the not warm but definitely not cold air and to hear the wind blowing through the trees and rocks. Spring is coming.

I think I have been apathetic, not greedy. I am committed to shaking that rat loose and sending him packing. There is too much blessing in this world to waste time with that.