Hike Mt. Shasta

Another month has rocketed by and, sadly, the remodel is not yet completed. A couple more weeks, I think and we will be just about done. In the mean time, the only outside time I have had has been spent out at Truchas Ridge. It is hard to believe that it has been 3 years since “The Incident” and a rapid reduction in our activity out there. We are nearing the end of the subsequent legal process and I will probably write a lot more about the ridge and what happened out there once things have been worked out. Hopefully by the end of summer it will finally be done!

In the meantime, I have been working out at Truchas Ridge for the first time in 3 years. I used to have a trail out there but the fallow time has caused it to completely revert back to nature, except for the rock steps I built. Fortunately I had put out cairns to help mark the route as well. Now, since I had to start over, I have been able to reroute a lot of the path, making it a bit more interesting and less rocky in some areas. I have also added 2 loops, forming something of a figure eight.

I have actually been out there for a number of sunsets this month but between working on the trails or clouds obscuring the mountain, I have only recorded 3 sunsets. None of them had particularly great light or interesting clouds but the scenery is nonpareil and just being out there with the wind blowing, the nighthawks diving and the magnificent mountain all lit up was its own reward and worth documenting.

The first sunset was the second day of May. A storm was looming and a lenticular-like cloud hung over the valley. While it didn’t coalesce into well formed event, it did cast an ominous pall over the hills and heightened the anticipation of the coming storm. The clouds still let the light through and the alpenglow on Mount Shasta was terrific.

The second sunset began an interesting trend in the month of May. For whatever reason, the clouds consistently obscured Mount Shasta on the north side. At times the clouds were thick, others they were light but they regularly blocked the summit from view. Nonetheless, the sunset still illuminated the landscape and the scenery was stunning, regardless of whether one could see the summit.

The third sunset I recorded was especially memorable because I was absolutely beat. I had been clearing the path and moving large rocks for the trail, but had still managed to haul my camera and tripod along with the tools I was using. Once again, clouds blocked the summit, though it did manage to pop out from time to time. This was probably the prettiest sunset I took in from the ridge in May, 2026.

It has been gratifying to get the trail into such good shape. In the past it has only been an out and back but now it is something of a figure eight – 2 loops connected by a short path. The above images are all from the original out and back, though all of the refurbished path in May. After a little more work, I may post some of the other loops and their vistas, of which there are some grand ones.

The last sunset happened to be the last one of May. I headed over to the Keyhole at Pecos Point. This area is a family favorite though I have written about it little or shown very many images from here. The Keyhole is a pretty cool rock formation with brilliant green lichen on it. My kids like to climb the rocks in this area, having spent countless hours doing so over the years. The views from this area are jaw-dropping.

After the Keyhole, I headed to the summit of Truchas Ridge and then over to New Artists Point. The clouds that had surrounded Mount Shasta earlier were now entirely gone but the alpenglow was marvelous.

I am grateful to be back out working on Truchas Ridge again after so many years. We have a lot of plans out there and I am sure I will be writing about it more as we work them out. In the mean time, May has gone and June is now here. Hopefully I can get more than one post out…