Hike Mt. Shasta

Mount Shasta’s Ash Creek Falls pours into the lower half of Ash Creek Canyon.

Mount Shasta is justly known as a towering, glacier-clad volcano, standing in grand isolation high above all the other peaks in the region. Tall and isolated, it can be seen from over 150 miles distant, looming high above California’s Central Valley. It is a destination for hikers and mountaineers, both seeking grand vistas and incredible beauty, which they find in abundance. However, one of Mount Shasta’s most spectacular features is usually overlooked but offers stunning scenery for those who seek them out.

There are many canyons running down the flanks of Mount Shasta but 5 stand out above all the rest in terms of size and beauty. These are Bolam Creek Canyon, Whitney Creek Canyon, Diller Canyon, Mud Creek Canyon and Ash Creek Canyon. These five are wider, deeper and and generally more massive than any of the others. It should also come as no surprise that 4 of the 5 of these house the largest waterfalls on Mount Shasta. Exploring them offers incredible hiking, great adventure and beauty that is rarely equaled in this part of California.

In many ways, the canyons are similar geologically but their perspectives on Mount Shasta, the waterfalls in them, their size and scale all combine to give each one a unique appearance. Each is worthy of exploration, both on the mountain and also here on this website. The following is a brief review of the 5 major canyons that grace the flanks of Mount Shasta.

Bolam Creek Canyon

A gorgeous view of the upper portion of Bolam Creek Canyon.

Though most of the canyons on Mount Shasta suffer from some level of obscurity, Bolam Creek Canyon is perhaps the most obscure. The causes for this are many, but I think the two most important reasons are the fact that it is located on the edge of Mount Shasta’s east side, which is the most isolated and least visited side of Mount Shasta. This is compounded by the fact that there are no trails accessing the canyon. The North Gate Trail does pass within a mile of the trail but nearly all the hikers on that route are headed toward the summit, not a sandy off trail jaunt through a maze of white bark pine snags.

What winds up being lost in the mists of anonymity is one of the most magnificent scenes on Mount Shasta. Bolam Creek Canyon boasts fantastic views of Mount Shasta’s alpine heights along with one of the mountain’s finest waterfalls. The canyon itself is about 400-500 feet deep. Like most of the canyons on Mount Shasta, the walls of Bolam Creek Canyon are loose layers composed of sand, ash, cinders and other volcanic detritus. They tend to be V-shaped, obviously unexcavated by glaciers. However, like most of the canyons, once again, they are not disconnected from the glaciers on Mount Shasta. The Bolam Glacier, visible high overhead, releases its meltwater to feed Bolam Creek. The creek flows through the canyon, entering it by plunging over a cliff in a beautiful waterfall before cascading steeply into the depths of the canyon.

The waterfall in particular deserves a brief note. The canyon was once the home of Coquette Falls, which was the primary route by which the meltwater from the Bolam Glacier flowed into the canyon. The current location of the falls was only a seasonal cataract. However, sometime between 2006 and 2010 (probably closer to the latter) there was a significant outburst from the glacier that blocked up Bolam Creek’s original channel. This caused the flow to reroute to its current configuration and the full volume of the glacier’s meltwater to flow over the new waterfall. Consequently, Coquette Falls dried up. The new waterfall is sometimes called Bolam Creek Falls but I am eager to break away from the somewhat mundane names that dominate Mount Shasta’s waterfalls. I think something along the lines of New Coquette Falls is more interesting and memorable.

Whitney Creek Canyon

Mount Shasta and Shastina peek out above Whitney Falls and Whitney Creek Canyon.

Whitney Creek Canyon is the smallest of Mount Shasta’s canyon. Carved by Whitney Creek, like nearby Bolam Creek, this waterway typically only flows in the heat of the summer, when the glaciers melt and the runoff flows swiftly off the mountain. Though shorter and shallower than Bolam Creek Canyon, they nonetheless exhibit similar characteristics. Both have sandy, sloped canyon walls with little rock extruding from the walls. Like its neighbor, the real highlight of Whitney Creek Canyon is the presence of Whitney Falls. Like all the major waterfalls on Mount Shasta, it is formed when the creek hits a band of erosion resistant rock. The water then plunges 200 feet into an isolated amphitheater. Whitney Falls is the most easily accessed of the waterfalls on the mountain, making it a popular hiking destination. However, it is important to watch whether there is water in Whitney Creek as is passes under Highway 97. If there is no water present, then it is unlikely that there is water flowing over the falls.

The cross-section of the Graham Lava Flow.

One feature unique to Whitney Creek Canyon is its proximity to the Graham Lave Flow. This means that the dark, craggy lava lines the western rim of the canyon. Not only does this give an unusual look to the canyon and enhance the wildness of the area, but it also reveals some fascinating geology. Downstream from Whitney Falls the creek has carved a course that, at one time, passed beneath the edge of the lava flow. Over time this area was undercut by the water and collapsed. Now it is possible to see the sandy layers beneath lava as well as the broken edges of where the lava gave way into the canyon. It is basically a giant cross-section view of a fresh lava flow. There may be other places to observe the internal structure of lava flows like this but if there are, this is still likely one of the easiest to get to.

The dark lava extends above Whitney Falls as well but the creek has only carved a shallow channel through this area. Consequently, the falls lie at the head of the canyon, not within it.

Diller Canyon

Looking up into the massive V-shaped upper portion of Diller Canyon.

Unusual in many respects, Diller Canyon is an outlier among the other chasms on Mount Shasta. Most notably, it is the only canyon on Shastina, Mount Shasta’s large satellite cone. It is also extends much further than most canyons on the mountain. It begins at the edge of Shastina’s eruption crater at nearly 11,500 feet and descends all the way down to approximately 5,000 feet. It is a single, linear chute from top to bottom. It is also the only one of the 5 canyons that does not have a significant waterfall in it. There are a couple of small cataracts (15-20 feet high) but that is all.

The upper reaches of Diller Canyon at sunset.

It’s character is different from the other canyons on Mount Shasta too. The other four canyons were formed by glacial runoff eroding their way through the loose ash and cinders that make up the lower flanks of Mount Shasta. Though Shastina does have a similar composition in some areas, Diller Canyon has glaciers and, consequently, no significant creek flowing through it (there is a small one during the spring thaw) but the canyon itself is much rockier than the other four. This is evident both in the presence of significant quantities of loose rocks but also in the rocky outcroppings that line the canyon rim. All of this combines to give Diller Canyon a far different appearance than the other canyons on Mount Shasta.

Diller Canyon is, by far, the most visible canyon on Mount Shasta. Prominently seen from much of the west side of Mount Shasta, the canyon has a distinct v-shape at its highest elevations but narrows down to a linear chute at its mid to lower elevations. Though many people don’t recognize Diller Canyon by name, it is among the most recognizable landmarks on the mountain.

Mud Creek Canyon

A staggering view of the massive, hoodoo-lined upper portion of Mud Creek Canyon.

Mud Creek Canyon is simply one of the most spectacular features, not just on Mount Shasta, but in all of Northern California. Longer, larger and deeper than all the other canyons on the mountain, it is a natural titan of staggering proportions. Reaching up to 1,500 feet deep in some place (averaging about 1,100 to 800 feet for much of its course) and extending over 6 miles down the flanks of Mount Shasta, it is a colossal gap that literally cuts into the heart of Mount Shasta. The head of Mud Creek Canyon is formed in massive Mud Creek Basin, the oldest exposed part of Mount Shasta. Here one will find what is likely the most complicated and chaotic geology on the mountain, where 3 of the mountain’s 4 major eruption cones meet. It is a twisted, colorful landscape that is capped by the small (in relation to the four major glaciers on Mount Shasta) Konwakiton Glacier. This is the source of Mud Creek, which flows through the length of the canyon and is the largest stream coming off of Mount Shasta.

Springs and meadows emerge from between the strata.

As noted, the geology of Mud Creek Canyon is fabulously complex. Not only do 3 eruption cones (each representing a different epoch of Mount Shasta’s activity) meet here but the landscape has been both scoured by glaciers and continuously eroded. A look up into Mud Creek Basin reveals a seemingly unending series of layers broken, uplifted and twisted, forming a jumbled collection of spires and crags. This is also the most colorful corner of Mount Shasta, with a variety of exposed rock types all exhibiting different hues of red, purple, orange, yellow and gray. Below the upper basin, Mud Creek Canyon resembles the other canyons on the mountain (excepting Diller Canyon) in its composition. It is formed of loose ash and cinders, with the addition of sporadic large rocks punctuating the canyon walls. The canyon is still seeking its angle of repose and the sound of rocks clattering down the steep walls is common. Like the other canyons, but on a much grander scale, the loose aggregate of Mud Creek Canyon is divided into strata. Between many of these water flows through the layers. Where the canyon has cut away the strata, the water flows out into the open. Some are marked by large wet spots while others are the source of verdant meadows clinging to the side of the canyon walls. It is a fascinating and majestic spectacle.

Telephoto view of Camel Rock from over a mile away.

One of Mud Creek Canyon’s most interesting features is the presence of large hoodoos. Such formations are not uncommon is volcanic geology but Mud Creek Canyon has some notably large and prominent ones. Unfortunately, these are only viewed from certain angles since the canyon itself is fairly remote and one must climb out onto the rim in order to observe them. The hoodoos are located on the walls of the upper canyon, but below the expanse of Mud Creek Basin. Though the base of the hoodoos seems stable, the upper portions of the towers appear to evolve rapidly. At time they feature balances rocks and just a couple years later, these rocks have toppled. Though many of them are quite interesting, one in particular stands out, which I have dubbed “Camel Rock”. This tower is not a traditional hoodoo but the remnants of one that has now collapsed. In its place stands a narrow neck of rock with a large, flat boulder balanced precariously on top. It is so named because it resembles New Mexico’s famed rock of the same name. It is hard to assess just how large the rock is but I think 30 – 40 feet high is not unrealistic. It is likely to topple at any time given the rapid rate at which the walls of Mud Creek Canyon evolve.

Lastly, Mud Creek Canyon features the highest concentration of large waterfalls on Mount Shasta. Two in particular are well over 100 feet high but the lower canyon also has a few large waterfalls that are over 25 feet in height. While these are beautiful and worthy destinations of exploration, it is the upper two falls that are the pinnacle of waterfall beauty in Mud Creek Canyon. The highest falls, Konwakiton Falls, pours out of Mud Creek Basin into the uppermost reaches of the canyon. At times parts of the falls are obscured by piles of debris. Sometimes the debris is flushed away by heavy runoff. The other waterfall is Mud Creek Falls, one of the classic falls on Mount Shasta and a contender for the mountain’s most beautiful.

The confluence of Mud and Clear Creeks.

The sheer size of the canyon distinguishes it from the rest of the canyons on Mount Shasta. It also has far more distinct sections than the other canyons. The uppermost canyon is high, treeless and filled with giant hoodoos. Below that, the canyons deepens and doubles in width. It is through here that the extensive collections of springs burst from the stratified canyon walls. This section ends at Mud Creek Falls. Below the falls the canyons widens yet again, as Mud Creek is here joined by Clear Creek. This is the only major confluence of creeks in the depths of one of Mount Shasta’s canyons. Beyond the confluence, Mud Creek Canyon narrows, but still maintains a depth of around 800 feet. A few more notable waterfalls punctuate the creek.

All these features taken together, and given the massive scale of the canyon and its wild character, Mud Creek is easily one of the most scenic waterways in Northern California.

Ash Creek Canyon

Spectacular Ash Creek Falls, the highest waterfall on Mount Shasta.

Ash Creek Canyon is located on the remote east side of Mount Shasta. Long and deep, it is the second largest canyon on the mountain. Though it is not the equal of nearby Mud Creek Canyon, the canyon carved by Ash Creek remains one of the most spectacular features on Mount Shasta. It boasts many excellent features. Chief among them is awesome Ash Creek Falls, which is the tallest, and likely the most beautiful, waterfall on the mountain. At about 350 feet high, it is a glorious sight, with Mount Shasta looming majestically behind it. The waterfall divides the canyon into two distinct sections. The lower, v-shaped section resembles most of the other canyons on the mountain. The upper section has a similar composition, consisting of ash and cinders, but is larger, wider and, most significantly, graced with the massive sheet of ice that is the Wintun Glacier. This is the third largest glacier in California (after the nearby Hotlum and Whitney Glaciers on Mount Shasta’s northeast and north side).

The canyon consists of two parts. The upper part is largely above tree line and is occupied by the Wintun Glacier at its highest reaches. The walls of the canyon are sand and cinder like the other canyons on Mount Shasta but the lack of trees and the presence of the glacier give it a distinct, wild feel that is altogether different from the other canyons on the mountain. The transition from the upper to lower canyon is Ash Creek Falls. Below the waterfall the canyon is more like the other canyons on the north side of the mountain. The trees crowd the canyon rim and the walls are steeply sloped loose cinders and rocks. However, here on the wetter, east side of Mount Shasta, the forest is much, much thicker and in some places consists of old growth Shasta red firs.

All these features make Ash Creek Canyon one of the more beautiful spots on Mount Shasta. Taken together, the canyon of Ash Creek deserves far more renown that it gets, even with its superlative waterfall.

Over the years, it has been my focus to capture Mount Shasta in images and I have not ventured much beyond that in terms of other media. However, periodically over the last couple of years I have dipped my toe into making GIFs. They are essentially all low-grade time lapses. I have not had the patience or knowledge to make true, high quality time lapses but the GIFs give an idea of what the scene looked and felt like. That really is the essence of what I have sought to do with the entire Hike Mt Shasta website: to give those who come here a sense of place through images and the written word. This short little animations are just one more tool to accomplish that goal.

The thought occurred to me that I had finally accumulated enough animated images that I ought to gather them all together in one place and make them easier to find, for those so inclined. I hope that these capture, in some small way, the spirit of awe and majesty that is expressed through Mount Shasta!

This is probably my favorite GIF I have made. It was an epic sunrise full of color and awesome clouds. Note the shadow cast by the lenticular in the upper right. It is awesome testimony to how large the clouds are that the shadow is cast in the sky. This was one of my favorite sunrises of 2019.

There was nothing particularly noteworthy in the sky or anything else at this scene but the scene itself was epic enough. Looking south at the head the upper end of Bolam Creek Canyon, the Bolam Glacier clings to Mount Shasta’s heights. New Coquette Falls flows into the canyon from the side, pouring over a band of dense rock that has resisted erosion. Things don’t get too much more epic than this.

An awesome sunset on Mount Shasta viewed from the west. I love how the sunrises start at the summit of the mountain and then move downward while sunsets start at the base of the mountain and move upward. The latter leaves the last little bit of light clinging to the summit as the sun moves beyond the horizon and then the light just fades away. Magnificent.

Another sunset, this time viewed from the northwest. From here Mount Shasta looks less like a singular mountain and more like a collection of high peaks in a mountain range. This is in part due to the presence of Shastina, which dominates the lower left half of this frame. Its crags, as well as Diller Canyon, add a lot of depth to this perspective.

A spectacular morning at Lake Siskiyou, with a trio of lenticulars over Mount Shasta. The reflection wasn’t perfect but I was not complaining. This collection of clouds did not seem like they were going to amount to much but right before the light came they all coalesced into the formation as seen here.

A great, colorful morning at Lake Siskiyou with some awesome lenticulars over Mount Shasta. Aside from the awesome clouds, the most memorable aspect of this morning was the way the light bounced off of the high clouds and made the whole area glow. This is especially visible on Mount Shasta itself. No direct sunlight hit the mountain but the mountain lights up nonetheless.

Yet another morning at Lake Siskiyou. This sunrise had a nice reflection in the water and a full lake, so there was not bathtub ring visible. Though this animation is short, it gives a good example of how the sunlight creeps across the sky as the sun comes up.

This was a sunset I witnessed from Girard Ridge, south of Dunsmuir. I was there to try to capture a night image of Mount Shasta with the Neowise comet. The sunset itself proved to be pretty interesting and, though I don’t like man-made objects in my images, I have to confess the lights on I-5 did add a lot of interest to this scene. If you look carefully, you can spot lights descending Everitt Memorial Highway on Mount Shasta too. The change in brightness once the sun set was due to my adjusting the settings on my camera.

This sunset on Mount Shasta was graced by a nice lenticular wave. Not only is this a good example of how the light fades upwards but it also gives a good sense of how the waves are constantly in flux when they appear over the mountain. Overall, a pretty awesome sequence.

This scene was captured from McCloud, south of Mount Shasta. The cloud was a lenticular and that was more evident when viewed from the west. From the south the lens-shaped cloud could still be seen but its rougher, chaotic edge where it dissipated dominated this perspective.

This animation is short and has a bit of a lurch because of the camera shifting but it was an epic scene. What more can I say?

Mount Shasta was not very visible for this event but the way the lenticulars clouded up and then casted off the extra cloud was pretty awesome. The sequence captured here was the third of three that I witnessed as the sun was coming up.

This particular animation was intended to document the way the wave over the mountain and the disk above it sloughed off a corresponding smaller cloud and smaller disk. I have never seen a formation like this nor this kind of behavior where twin segments separated themselves from the main clouds.

This was the first GIF I made for Hike Mt Shasta. it was short and had some camera lurch but it was only intended to be an experiment to see if such an animation were possible. A bit of history, this one!

Mount Shasta makes a brief appearance in between waves of the storm.

The first wave of the storm of January 2021 was predicted to drop 1-3 inches. It ended up leaving almost 7 inches at my house. Now the second wave has finally passed and it lived up to its expectations, delivering a deep layer of snow that was approaching 3 feet by the time it was all done. As always, these kinds of storms are a lot of work but they are a lot of fun too. The seemingly endless succession of snowflakes and the gradually rising snow around the house is magical to watch and, when finally unleashed, a winter paradise for the kids. Needless to say, this is the kind of snow we need to build up a deep snowpack, keep the river’s running strong all summer and fill up our reservoirs. Thank the Lord for the provision!

When added up, from Tuesday through Friday, this storm was forecasted to drop a heap of snow. Tuesday night alone was stated to drop “a foot or more”. It delivered, dumping an impressive 20 inches at my house. It proceeded to accumulate another foot or more beyond that over Wednesday and Thursday. Fortunately this was a dry, powdery snow so clearing it was not as big a deal as it would have been if it had been more of the “Sierra cement” that Northern California mountains are infamous for. I’ll take 3 feet of dry powder over a foot of wet cement any day. Not only is clearing it easier but the snow does not shear branches off trees as readily and knock the power out.

The yard stick was inserted into a slope. By the time it leveled off, the snow was easily 20 inches.

Typically, I like to use my backyard as a “measuring rod” to show the snow depth. Normally the yard is an unspoiled space that illustrates the rising level of the snow. I still intend to do so, but this year the yard was despoiled by my oldest son. He has now discovered snowshoes and tramped across the yard multiple times en route to the gully and the wilds that lie behind our house.

My house is on the divide between the Sacramento and Klamath watersheds. This means we are higher up and more exposed to the weather. Consequently, we always get more snow than in town and certainly more than the area to the north, where the rainshadow of Mount Shasta has sway over the weather.

On Friday the system finally passed and the sky cleared for a few hours. It was a good chance to get out and see how the storm had impacted the land at the foot of the mountain. Conditions were beautiful but things were a mess. Snow clearing activity continued at a brisk clip all over town. Big rigs that went off the freeway were being removed. There was even a train that got stuck in the snow that had to be rescued. All in the normal course of events for a storm like this, I guess.

Morning in downtown Mount Shasta.

Whoops! Not the only truck to tip over…

I’m not sure how it happened but the train definitely needed some help.

The mountains themselves were quite white, but it was surprising how bare some areas still were. This is because of the wind whipping the snow off of exposed slops. This is particularly true of Shastina. In spite of this, Mount Shasta is as white as it has been all winter and is finally getting a nice, deep snowpack in most areas.

Cloudy conditions on Black Butte.

Mount Shasta, looking white but with exposed ridges still shorn clear by the wind.

As I write this, the snow should start falling again soon and another 2 feet is predicted to fall between now and the end of Monday. Sunday night and Monday look to be the peak so be sure to get resupplied before then. I’ll post another update sometime after Monday with a final look at how this storm as worked out. Round 3 looks to be a fun one!