Hike Mt. Shasta

Three Spectacular Perspectives On Mount Shasta (And Some Other Pictures Too)

Posted by bubbasuess on November 6, 2019

Posted in: Cascade Range, Castle Crags, Hiking, Mount Shasta. Leave a comment

A spectacular fall view of Mount Shasta.

The last two days I have made the time to head up to three elevated vistas of Mount Shasta at sunset, sunrise and then the following sunset. It has been a spectacular way to spend the last couple of days, which have been exceedingly beautiful autumn days. Once again, it is hard for me to express how sublime the mountain and the region are this time of year. The weather has been quite warm and though we certainly are at the point where precipitation is needed, I am enjoying the conditions we have been dealt.

Monday sunset:

Monday’s sunset was spent up on Gumboot Point, on the PCT. This view, high above the Gumboot Lakes and the South Fork of the Sacramento, is one of my favorites. With an epic view of Mount Shasta to the east and good perspectives on parts of the Trinity Alps, you can’t ask much more for this. Indeed, this vantage was a bit of two-for, since I was able to get a good view of the Trinities as the sun set.

Thankfully, my family was able to join me for this sunset too!

While the kids had their headlamps on, my wife and I really enjoyed the fading light as we hiked back to the car. The glow over the Trinity Alps set just the right tone as we hiked on the trail, the kids dancing in the light of their headlamps.

Tuesday sunrise:

The next morning I left early and headed up to the Whaleback to watch the sunrise. This might very well be the most spectacular sunrise vista in the Mount Shasta area. The view of the mountain is great, with the light-catching east side readily visible. This side of the mountain is also much whiter than the others. Not only are the mountain’s massive glaciers blanketing the upper flanks, but snow from a couple of weeks ago was still present at the lower elevations.

Another great feature of the view from the Whaleback is the ability to really make out a lot of the great detail on the Hotlum Glacier. In particular, crevasses and the large icefalls are easy to observe. In the end, however, the sum of the parts of the Whaleback view is greater than they are individually. It really is one of the most epic spots in the area.

Tuesday sunset:

For Tuesday’s sunset, I headed up onto Girard Ridge, which has a particularly pleasing perspective on Mount Shasta. This view is also blessed with a lot of good fall color. While most of the trees around the base of the mountain have faded in the fall show, many of the trees above the Sacramento River are still clinging to their leaves, giving the forest bright spots of color. The addition of clouds to catch the evening light made this view even better!

Of course, if one is on Girard Ridge, then Mount Shasta is by no means the only spectacular sight. The view of the Castle Crags from the ridge is one of the few that can give Mount Shasta a real run for its money. This is a down right jaw-dropping perspective on one of the most magnificent landmarks in Northern California. I don’t think it is as iconic as it should be!

In the end, though, Mount Shasta always wins out. As the sun set and the light on the mountain went away, I was once again amazed at how diverse the mountain and the landscapes around are. It was grateful to have had the opportunity to enjoy all of these spots in such short span of time. I hope others have been able to get out in this great weather and enjoy the incredible creation we have all been blessed with!

Mount Shasta Area Fall Color Gallery

Posted by bubbasuess on October 31, 2019

Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta, Uncategorized. 1 Comment

A lenticular cloud hovers above Mount Shasta while fall color lines its base.

Fall may be my favorite season of the year. The shorter days, the cooler, crisp air, the lower angle of the light all add up to a magical time. This is obviously highlighted by the changing color in the trees as well. The Mount Shasta area is not well known for having great fall color like other parts of the country but we do get a fair amount nonetheless. One will not generally find it in vast forests that have exploded with orange and red and yellow. Instead, one must look along the rivers and creeks, near lakes, in lower elevation oak forests or in those rare aspen groves that occur around the mountain. However, once finding these islands of color, they can make for gorgeous scenes, complimenting beautiful rivers and other landscapes, as well as Mount Shasta itself. Enjoying a splendid lenticular cloud or amazing view of the mountain with some beautiful punctuation of fall color can be a highlight to the entire year!

A Last Beautiful Week Of Autumn In Mount Shasta

Posted by bubbasuess on October 27, 2019

Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. Tagged: Autumn. 1 Comment

It has been a fantastic fall season here in Mount Shasta. The color has been vivid, the weather near perfect and there has been some excellent cloud displays over Mount Shasta. It has been a great way to cap what was already a memorably ideal summer here around the mountain.

While this week was indeed beautiful, it did mark the beginning of the long slide into winter. The previous week the colors were at their peak but over the last few days, it was evident that it had started to fade, though it retained its gorgeous appearance. By the end of the week, the winds had stirred up significantly and many of the trees were stripped bare. The warm weather conditions will continue for another week, but with the trees shedding their leaves rapidly now, it is only a matter of time before winter’s desolation will have arrived.

Nonetheless, I want to celebrate the week we were blessed with. To the pictures!

Things kicked off with a bang. Last Sunday night had one of the best lenticular displays the mountain has offered up in a long time. It was a glorious sunset.

Though nowhere near as epic the next day, the mountain retained a delicate, lacy band of a cloud that was wrapped around the summit of the mountain. It was quite a sight.

I took my family back to Squaw Valley Creek. It was quite beautiful but it was obvious that the color, just a few days before at its peak, had now begun to fade. We enjoyed the hike in despite this!

Tuesday morning the sun came up with fire in the sky. It was one of the most spectacular sunrises I have seen.

Midweek, the clouds had been reduced to a wisp being strained out of the air currents by the summit. I never get tired of watching the air dance above the mountain. This pretty much marked the end of the clouds over Mount Shasta for the week.

With November coming soon, my wife and I reckoned we needed to get our kids up to the Old Ski Bowl one more time before that part of the mountain is closed off for the winter. Picnicking up there is one of our favorite summer activities. Our kids like to scramble amongst the rocks and set up “villages”. I am not sure how that started but they love it. Though cold, it was good to get the clan up there one more time.

Saturday morning saw a return of the clouds but they were far more interesting over Black Butte than Mount Shasta. Fortunately, I was able to clamber out to a series of rocks that offer what is possibly the best perspective on this often underappreciated peak. It was a great change of pace.

My family ended the week at Sisson Meadow for a leaf-collecting excursion. The color may have been in decline but it was still lovely. It was a good end to a beautiful autumn week here in Mount Shasta.

Mount Shasta Sunday Spectacular

Posted by bubbasuess on October 21, 2019

Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Lenticular Clouds, Mount Shasta. 4 Comments

The true potential of lenticular season was finally realized Sunday night as Mount Shasta put on an epic cloud display. It was easily the best incident since last February. I was fortunate to be able to capture a few images of the cloud around sunset. I will keep the words to a minimum on this post and let the images speak for themselves.

The day began overcast in Mount Shasta but I was able to catch the sunrise over in McCloud. From there it was evident that a lenticular was present above the mountain, but it was not strong enough to overwhelm the other clouds that were present. Not a great specimen but it was a portent of things to come.

The rest of the day in Mount Shasta was cloudy but in the afternoon the sky cleared and the lenticular was revealed above the mountain in full strength. Since there was both a large stack above Mount Shasta and a distinct semi-lentincular to the south, I decided to head north to try to get both into frame.

Unfortunately, this cloud never really came together, so I generally focused on the one above the mountain. I am glad I did. It was magnificent.

It was a fantastic sunset. Watching the cloud change as the light slowly crept up the mountain, its color shifting from bright white to orange to pink to purple. This was everything I love about Mount Shasta sunset. Teddy Roosevelt said the evening light on Mount Shasta was one of the grandest sights he had ever seen. I bet it didn’t have a lenticular of this magnitude when he set eyes on it!

One thing I have become increasingly interested in is exploring the textures of the clouds. Looking closer at the lenticulars is a fascinating study in currents and shapes. When I look up at events like these, I often imagine what it must be like to be in the cavity beneath the cloud’s dome. It is a wondrous world we live in…

This was a really great way to kick off the lenticular season. November through February are usually the peak of the season but October usually brings at least one really good one. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Another Spectacular Week Of Autumn Around Mount Shasta

Posted by bubbasuess on October 19, 2019

Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Lenticular Clouds, Mount Shasta. Tagged: Autumn, Fall. 10 Comments

A spectacular autumn view of Mount Shasta. This was taken at a super secret spot!

The past week was an almost indescribably beautiful week in Mount Shasta. The weather has been beautiful and the fall color has been at its apogee. If you can make it to Mount Shasta some time in the next week, with temperatures near 70 and the color nearly riotous, it will very nearly be paradise.

Words don’t really do the conditions justice so I will jump to images and add a few descriptions below.

The week began with a trip to the pumpkin patch with my family. The kids naturally had a grand time and several pumpkins were acquired.

On the way home there were several instances of isolated trees flashing their showy color amidst the high desert juniper. The oaks in the hills above were starting to turn color as well.

Sunsets were beautiful though Mount Shasta had lost most of the snow that had fallen on the mountain in the recent rains.

Cleaning out gutters at my house provided an elevated opportunity to appreciate the large oak and maple trees we have in our backyard. Raking leaves is a hassle but while they are still on the trees this time of year is sublime.

By Wednesday a lenticular was trying to form on Mount Shasta. The cloud certainly added interest but it could never quite pull itself together into a well-defined set of discs. It did, however, presage some rain that came during the night.

The next day Mount Shasta had a little bit more snow on it and the lenticulars were still trying to form on the mountain. Once again, things never really became fully formed and the sky eventually became filled with clouds, edging out the lenticulars altogether.

As frustrated as I was, my kids were quite happy to be at the lake, where they set up a minting operation, making clay balls and then pressing pressing them into “coins”. It was quite amusing.

The sky eventually cleared in time for sunset and a vestigial lenticular lingered over the mountain. The fresh snow that had fallen had melted to some degree but there was still a slight patina of white glowing on Mount Shasta’s andesite crags.

Friday brought a trip to Squaw Valley Creek. The color was absolutely riotous, especially near the trailhead. The first several miles had consistently great color. The creek also had plenty of water in it. This is simply the best time of year to hike the area’s riparian trails.

Friday evening brought another clouds that really wanted to be a lenticular but couldn’t quite pull itself together. Nonetheless, the sunset was beautiful. The non-lenticular did mean that more wet weather was on the way and Saturday morning was wet and overcast.

Fortunately the sky cleared up and the temperature went up. As the clouds dissipated, an actual, full formed lenticular was revealed on Mount Shasta. It was not the grandest specimen but it was great to see a fully-formed stack finally manifest on the mountain. After a week of near-misses it was a good to finally get something to coalesce into a good formation.

Sunday morning has been overcast on the west side of Mount Shasta but the was clear over McCloud. Though the upper portion of Mount Shasta was obscured by clouds, but it was still a pretty spectacular sunrise. If you look close, there is still a lenticular hidden up above the summit of the mountain.

The next week is supposed to warm up and have sunny sky. This may be the last, best week of the year to get outside and enjoy the tremendous beauty that is erupting all over the Mount Shasta area. Have a great week and stay blessed!

A Week Of Autumn Around Mount Shasta

Posted by bubbasuess on October 14, 2019

Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. 3 Comments

I love fall. If there was more water in the creeks and rivers, it would be my undisputed favorite season. The crisp air, the colored trees, the lower angle of the sun and the sense of having finished something all add up to make it a magical time of the year. Obviously, this is a time to get outside and enjoy the incredible beauty and gorgeous weather. This has certainly been the case this past week. I didn’t hit a lot of fall color (yet) but the weather has been sublime and demanded I get out and enjoy the mountains. With a tip of the hat to John Muir, the mountains called and I answered.

Last Monday I headed out with my family to the PCT as it enters the Scott Mountains. Straddling the divide between the Shasta River and the headwaters of the mighty Trinity River, this is a gorgeous and lightly used section of trail. There is a spot where it is easy to scramble up to the top of the ridge and get spectacular vistas that range from Bully Choop and the Trinity Alps to the south all the way to Mount McLoughlin to the north in Oregon. Weed, the Shasta Valley and Mounts Eddy and Shasta all fill out the incredible vista. There is no shortage of rocks for my kids to climb on as we all enjoy this magnificent spot.

A couple days later, I headed out for a sunrise. It was beautiful but both the clouds and Lake Siskiyou were very uncooperative. I did manage to at least document a little lenticular that hovered above the mountain.

On Friday, the opportunity presented itself to do some exploring in the Sand Flat area on Mount Shasta. While this area has winter trails, it is not well known as a great hiking destination. Nonetheless, it is a great place for easy cross country travel and this was certainly the case when i was there.

The the best part of this particular afternoon was at Jack Flat, where the views of town and the surrounding mountains were enhanced by the fall color that has appeared on the flanks of Mount Shasta. Even when the view of town does not include Mount Shasta, it is striking how awesome this area is. It Mount Shasta was not here, Mount Shasta City would still have a beautiful location and an enviable array of mountains around it. We are very fortunate indeed.

The real highlight of the week, however, came on Sunday morning. I headed up to the flanks of Herd Peak for the dawn and was rewarded with one of the best sunrises I have enjoyed in quite a while. It was absolutely tremendous.

The next week should present more of the same. With a little precipitation in the forecast, I think there is a chance for a lenticular or two, but the temps are supposed to be in the upper 60’s again, so there ought to be plenty more opportunities to enjoy this incredible region.

Stay blessed and hit the trail if you can!

Lenticular Season Is Here

Posted by bubbasuess on October 6, 2019

Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Lenticular Clouds, Mount Shasta. Leave a comment

A spectacular lenticular above Mount Shasta on a cold winter morning.

With summer at an end, we can look forward to the gorgeous fall hiking season here in Mount Shasta. While the we may lament the approaching winter and the passing of this year’s amazing summer weather, there is another thing we can look forward with a great deal of anticipation. Fall marks the beginning of the time of year when lenticular clouds occur with a notably higher degree of frequency on Mount Shasta. This means that, while we may not be able to hike the trails in the Trinity Divide, high up on Mount Shasta, or in the surrounding mountain ranges like the Trinity Alps, we do have the opportunity to enjoy the grand spectacle of these magnificent cloud formations heightening the mountain’s unique grandeur. Indeed, uniqueness and beauty of these strange clouds makes this one of the highlights of the year.

As is often noted, the mountain creates its own weather and it can do so at any time of the year. Naturally this means lenticular clouds can occur throughout the year as well. However, fall and winter have a demonstrably higher frequency of the clouds’ manifestation. To show this, I collated all the images I have from the last 10 years and broke them out into the months when they occurred. Some of the clouds are exactly lenticular clouds, but they are unusual in shape and exhibit at least some of the qualities of the famed formations. Obviously this is not exactly scientific documentation since I have missed some of the clouds. Nonetheless, generally speaking, if there is a lenticular I try to capture it in some fashion. Taking the fact that I have missed some of the clouds, this display still demonstrates what months have greater likelihood of lenticular clouds appearing around Mount Shasta. Hopefully the upcoming lenticular season produces some exceptional specimens!

September