Hike Mt. Shasta

A lenticular cloud emerges over Mount Shasta at sunset.

As November drew to a close, Mount Shasta was graced by one of the finest lenticulars that has formed over the mountain in some time. I have griped a lot the last year or so that the frequency of large lenticular events over the mountain has decreased significantly over the last few years. In the past, it was common for there to be a handful of really epic displays while also boasting quite a few “run of the mill” lenticulars. The last few years this certainly not been the case. Thus it has come as a pleasant surprise that that trend has been broken, at least for a little over a week. The first nine days of December had one of the highest concentrations of beautiful conditions and lenticular formations that I can remember in the recent past. Hopefully this is just a portent of things to come over the winter and spring.

The first lenticular formation came the day after the massive one that closed out November. This one caught be off guard. I was not anticipating it as it had been fairly clear all day but when I was taking my kids to one of their events, I noticed the activity over Mount Shasta and had to stop and get a shot of the mountain. The color at sunset was fantastic and the layers on the stack over the mountain’s summit were very distinct. A secondary cloud tried forming to the south but couldn’t muster the strength to really pull itself together. It still caught the alpenglow in spectacular fashion!

The really interesting thing about this cloud was the way it formed so suddenly. It had been overcast all day and had not given much indication anything interesting was going to happen. In the time lapse, you can see it forming at times, but it was just lost in the rest of the clouds and it was only before sunset that it finally took a really distinct and sustained shape.

A couple of days went by and there were no lenticulars but the colors on Mount Shasta, particularly around the rising and setting of the sun, were intense. I kept getting up early to catch the sunset and there were some spectacular ones but I couldn’t always get pictures since I had to get the kids to school. It felt like something was brewing in the weather and I didn’t want to miss it.

Mount Shasta proved me correct. The next day a little formation clung to the summit. I watched it all day, twisting and undulating with the air currents over the mountain. Just before sunset I headed up toward Castle Lake to catch the sunset. It wasn’t quite as colorful as I had hoped but it was a harbinger of things to come. I was hopeful that cloud would sustain itself through the night and might do something interesting the next day.

By morning the cloud had grown and was covering the entire summit area of Mount Shasta. These are the least interesting formations on the mountain. They lack distinct layers and cover the terrain, leaving just a blob where there should be a mountain. Still, it did glow as the sun came up.

By mid morning the cloud had just about dissipated over Mount Shasta. Only vestigial wisps clung around the summit. It didn’t seem like there was much more going on at this point.

To my surprise, by noon a serious cap had formed over Mount Shasta. This new display was a large stack composed of intricate layers forming an impressive dome. A small, secondary disk kept trying to form above it but it had a hard time sustaining itself and would often disappear before coalescing again for a brief time.

The cloud was still strong in the afternoon so I planned on heading out to Truchas Ridge for the sunset. This time, I decided not to go to Echo Point but to the old favorite of Panorama Point. It has been a while since I have been up there and I got there a little later than I anticipated. The light was starting to fade in Parks Creek’s vale but I was able to capture a shot before it was gone. The cloud on Mount Shasta was much smaller at this point but the one that couldn’t muster its strength all day finally significantly, developing into a blobby form over the summit.

As the sun faded, the sky burst into a brilliant display of purple and pink. Dark clouds were moving in towards Mount Shasta’s summit. The colors were awesome and the drama of the dark clouds made this a fine and memorable sunset. I definitely need to get back up to Panorama Point more often.

The time lapse shows how tenacious the lenticular was, clinging to Mount Shasta all day, even when the clouds seemed it overwhelm it as they sailed by. When they were gone, it was still there. Also, I love how the light breaks through the clouds and travels over the hills of the Shasta Valley.

The next day dawned with another lenticular. The sky was blanketed with clouds. This was the makings for a colorful sunset so, once again, I dragged myself out of bed earlier than I wanted to. To my dismay, the clouds sailed off to the south as I drove north, leaving little in the sky to catch the color. The lenticular remained, though it too was diminished in size from what it had been when I got up. Nonetheless, the flow of the fog through the Shasta Valley made the morning interesting. It all seems so…respiratory. I am not sure what mythic creature’s breathing causes this phenomenon though.

That night, as my wife and I drove home from the animal hospital’s Christmas party, the lenticular still hung over Mount Shasta. It was backlit by the rising moon, which gave it an eerie glow in the dark night. We stopped and took a few shots, hoping to capture some of the glittering in front of us. It was a great end to a the most beautiful week I have seen around Mount Shasta in some time. Little did I know the best was yet to come…