Hike Mt. Shasta

Burned in 2021, the fringe of the Shasta Valley now pops with flowers.

It’s been a lush spring in Mount Shasta. I documented the foxtail superbloom we had at Truchas Ridge in the Shasta Valley. The trend has continued elsewhere in the valley, especially along the southern fringe, where the valley runs against the northern slopes of Mount Shasta. In this area, the wooly sunflower was explosive, with the small gold flowers covering the hillsides and at the foot of Mount Shasta. In the late afternoon light, it made the Mount Shasta and the valley itself seem like it was glowing.

This area was burned in 2021 by the Lava Fire, which torched over 30,000 acres on the slopes of Mount Shasta. Since that fire, the wildflowers through here have been pretty awesome, but typically they have been more diverse, with showy displays of lupine, paintbrush and penstemon. While those were present this time around, the sunflowers were dominant and the yarrow also made a showy display.

Though the scars of the Lava Fire are still very evident it is nice to see the recovery in full swing. There are not too many snags standing in many areas and now the hills are covered in grass in brush. However, in the current conditions, even those denizens are choked out by the golden cheer of the flowers. It gives one hope for the continued recovery of this area.

Off to the east was the low slope of the Graham Lava Flow, the largest such on Mount Shasta. Highway 97 skirts right along the northern edge of this massive pile of black rock. Except this time it was not so black, as even there, the wooly sunflower was quite showy and brightened up the dark remnants of past eruptions. In the distance, the craggy face of Sheep Rock was highlighted by the sinking sun and beckoned to those who are interested in mystery and exploration.