Three Perspectives On Mount Shasta’s Pre-Storm Lenticular

Posted by bubbasuess on January 11, 2020
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Lenticular Clouds, Mount Shasta. Leave a comment

A large lenticular hovers over the summit of Mount Shasta.

Though yesterday was actually a rather beautiful, sunny day, the forecast called for snowy weather by the evening. Furthermore, it was likely to be the last sunny day for a week, which meant a longer shift in weather patterns. The fluctuating systems yielded a lenticular over Mount Shasta which began to manifest around 11 AM. Within an hour it had gone from the barest wisps over the summit to a large single disk-like cloud. From there it bifurcated and developed into a pair of relatively stable large disks with a few smaller ones coming and going as the cloud swirled around the mountain. It was quite fun to watch.

While I had other commitments to maintain, I was able to photograph the mountain from three different perspectives. I captured it from the west, northwest and north. These images all came in fairly quick succession and show the volatility of the  lenticulars and the tumult in the atmosphere indicated by their presence.

The western perspective was first and the most different from the other two. For a brief time the cloud manifested a large tertiary cloud on the southern side. This did not last long and it dissipated by the time I reached the other locations. At this point, the cloud was changing shape more rapidly than it would a little later on.

From the northwest, the view of Mount Shasta is dominated by Shastina and Diller Canyon. By the time I reached this perspective, the cloud had settled onto the summit of Mount Shasta and more clearly delineated its two primary disks. This is a fairly common form of lenticular on Mount Shasta and it can be really frustrating to photograph. They aren’t always the most interesting shape, they often cover too much of the mountain and at times framing them for an image can be challenging. Nonetheless, they are fascinating to watch.

The last perspective was from the north. Here the two main disks of the lenticular were still visible but more textures and ancillary layers were visible. The light was better as well, allowing the structure of the cloud to be highlighted. Naturally, the view from the north is always pleasing because of the presence of foothills and scale as well. This was a good way to end my little monitoring session of the lenticular.

Unfortunately, the cloud never made it to sunset. The storm moved in and by six was beginning to snow lightly. Not much has stuck to the ground but the rest of the storm looks to pack more of a punch in a few days. I hope we get a good dose of snow!

 

First Mount Shasta Sunset Of 2020 (For Me At Least)

Posted by bubbasuess on January 9, 2020
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. 4 Comments

The last two weeks have been extremely miserable. Consequent of the virulent flu season we find ourselves in, my entire family came down with the nasty little bug. We holed up for a while and only in the last few days have we all reemerged. I remain the one with the most lingering aspects of the affair but overall, I feel much better. Needless to say, in the midst of the sickness I did not get out and try to observe any of the sunrises, sunsets or other phenomena that went on around Mount Shasta. Between caring for sick kids and being wretched myself, life priorities took preeminence.

Thankfully, as we all now steadily improve, I finally had the health and the mountain conditions that warranted heading out. As has been my wont lately, I decided to head up towards Castle Lake and got an elevated view of the mountain. On my way there, I stopped and grabbed a couple of images of the stark rime ice on Black Butte.

The lack of snow but the brightness of the white ice really made the conditions stand out in the afternoon light. I continued on up toward Castle Lake and got there just as the alpenglow was beginning to intensify.

It had been so long since I had paid much attention to things outside, I was pleasantly surprised to see the moon rising alongside Mount Shasta. It was nearly a full moon at that!

I go into my favorite position up on a tall snowback and settled in to record the sunset. The clouds, which had seemed so interesting a short time earlier, began to dissipate. With the potential for really vibrant color in the sky going away with the clouds, I turned my attention to the shadows that form in Avalanche Gulch. I love how all the mounds and heaps cast crescent shadows and the edges of the domes seem to glow as the late fades and it lost. Up around Castle Lake is a great place to really highlight these details.

When the light was gone, the sky did in fact turn a deep purple, catching the last bit of glow as the earth spun away from the sun. Interestingly, I nice little disk formed above the mountain after the sun had set. It was a nice little touch to finish things off.

I am thankfully to be feeling better and have a chance to finally get out for some Mount Shasta color in 2020. May there be much more yet to come. Also, don’t get this flu, it’s a nasty little bugger!

2019: A Year In Images

Posted by bubbasuess on January 1, 2020
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. 3 Comments

A spectacular October lenticular was one of my highlights of the year.

In my year end post last year I stated: “Here in Mount Shasta, the year of our Lord 2018 was another beautiful circuit around the sun. The mountain remained much as it always is, massive, imposing and reigning over the landscape in splendid isolation.” This not only proved to be true for 2019, but even exceeded the last year. The beginning of the year saw some stunning lenticular activity and some incredible sunrises and sunsets. During the summer I took my family on a roadtrip to Indiana and back, hitting many highlights of the west along the way. The rest of the summer proved to be one of the most beautiful and temperate in recent memory. Making it even better, there was minimal smoke so the season was maximized for folks looking to get outside. The gorgeous summer eventually gave way to the most beautiful fall I have experienced in my 12ish years in Mount Shasta. Then the snow came and the wintry weather began with a bang. Though the snow has been off and on, we did manage to have a white Christmas.

In the midst of all the adventures, I also managed to get the 2nd edition of my wine country hiking guide completed. It really has been a great year. I pray this was the case for as many people as possible and the next year – and decade – are equally great. May God bless us all.

And now on to the year in images!

2019 started off with a bang. There were a handful of memorable lenticulars and the snow came down and buried the area in a deep blanket of powder. All in all, it was a good start to the year.

February continued the trend and saw a bit more snow and more great lenticular clouds. It had been a beautiful winter and this continued through the second month of the year.

Like the classic adage notes, March came in like a lion and ended like a lamb. Winter was in full swing at the beginning of the month and when the month ended, the first inklings of spring were manifest. All the water, both snow and rain, that had come down during the winter made for a deep snowpack and a high water table. I was able to get great reflection shots since one of my favorite puddles was sustained well into spring.

The deep snow remained in the high country but around town the forests were dried off and it was time to hit the lower elevation trails once again and smell the warm scent of the pine. Higher up, the snow was indeed deep yet and it looked to be a long time before the high country trails would open up this year.

Spring was in full-swing in May. The Shasta Valley was verdant, the creeks and rivers ran full and the mountain was cloaked in white. There were a couple late-season lenticulars, which added some nice interest to trips out to the valley.

June yielded the first trips up to the high country, where creeks were swollen with runnoff. Scrambling on rocks and enjoying seasonal waterfalls was a must. Meadows were green and wildflowers were beginning to emerge. Mount Shasta itself remained cloaked in white, waiting for the temperatures to climb a little higher before thawing out. This month was truncatated, since my family and I departed on our cross-country roadtrip, not to return until July.

Roadtrip:

Leaving in June, we returned in July, having driven to Indiana and back. We camped, visited family and friends, hiked and had a marvelous time exploring the mountain west and the Great Plains. It was an eye-opening trip for my three kids! Read about it here.

After returning from the long journey, we were home a couple of days before heading out for Yosemite. Almost a week later we finally came back to Mount Shasta for good. It had been a long month of travel but, my goodness, what an experience for my kids. Life is hard!

Once home in Mount Shasta, we were briefly beset by some smoke. This was its only significant presence during the summer. After the previous year, this proved to be a fantastic and much-needed respite. Indeed, the summer was proving to be quite mild, with very few days with either smoke or high temperatures. It honestly could not get much better.

By August, the snow had finally melted off of Mount Shasta enough for the Old Ski Bowl to be opened up. It was time to hit some great trails on that part of the mountain. The highlight for me came when I finally got my son, 9 at the time, to the rim of Mud Creek Canyon. It is an absolutely spectacular sight, and one I was grateful to share with him.

With a smaller-than-normal window to enjoy the Old Ski Bowl area trails, we made the most of it, picnicking, hiking and just generally enjoying the area through the month of September. However, by the end of the month the sage and rabbitbrush was beginning to flower, indicating that autumn was not far off…

October proved to be one half of the prettiest fall I have experienced in Mount Shasta. Great weather, good fall color and excellent overall conditions made this a happy and relaxing season. We continued hiking, both on Mount Shasta and in the Trinity Divide. Only the knowledge that the Old Ski Bowl would soon close dampened the enjoyment of the month.

November continued the gorgeous fall conditions. Though the Old Ski Bowl did indeed close, we still enjoyed the trails in the Trinity Divide. The weather and fall color remained tremendous. That is, until Thanksgiving. Just before the grateful celebration, the snow came down and deposited over 2 feet at my house. Winter had arrived.

Following the snow from the previous month, December began with rain which was then followed by a deep fog. This finally burned off, leaving the remainder of the month to beautiful sunrises and sunsets and some small flurries of snow. It was a good end to a great year.

We are very blessed these days. I pray that everyone has a great new year, a great new decade and that we all enjoy the many blessings we have been given!

2019 GIF Review

Posted by bubbasuess on December 31, 2019
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. 3 Comments

A spectacular Mount Shasta sunrise demands a little time-lapse.

I am still finishing up my year-in-images and I had hoped to head out and photograph the last sunset of the decade but life intervened and three sick kids have kept me at home this afternoon. Nonetheless, I wanted to post something and I wanted to focus on a topic that is not my normal subject matter. It then occurred to me that I made a few GIF’s at the beginning of the year and then didn’t make anymore until a couple days ago animating that last epic sunrise. I thought it would be fun (for me, if no one else) to track down the little animations that were created and compare them.

The first one I made was actually from a sunrise in December of 2018, a few days after Christmas. It didn’t occur to me that I had enough images to animate the sunrise until a few days later. This was a really beautiful sunrise, the clouds reflected the pink and then orange light back onto the ground, giving the whole area a strange glow. It was a great way to end the year.

This was not a planned animation, as the changing size and position of the mountain indicate. I was trying to illustrate the flow pattern of the cloud being created by the summit of Mount Shasta.

Intended as a follow up to the previous animation, this GIF demonstrated the strange relationship between the pennant cloud (my term for it) and the lenticular above it. When a section of the pennant broke away, a corresponding portion of the lenticular broke away as well and drifted off in tandem. It was very strange.

Capturing a January sunset, this was my first attempt at deliberately capturing images for use in a GIF. It was a beautifully colorful sunset, with the color going from orange to pink to nothing. Alpenglow is awesome.

A nice reflection and some good morning color made this a quality animation. It was my second deliberate effort to make a time lapse.

An attempt at the reverse of the previous GIF, this sunrise from McCloud was a wonderful sight. Standing around watching the color intensify is tough work but someone has to do it. For some reason, though, I find the previous GIF more impressive. Maybe it is the fact that I had more images to work with and add together.

This GIF was an attempt to document the turbulent waves of a small lenticular on top of Mount Shasta. While the currents are fascinating, I do think that this did not translate into an animation very well. This is probably the case because there was no color in the sunrise, leaving the image a bit deflating. It was still an interesting exercise though.

After this GIF, my family’s trip sucked most of the air out the room and sidelined little projects like this. It honestly didn’t occur to me to pick it back up until a few days ago. Fortunately I did, to what I would consider spectacular results.

I think this is easily the most impressive of the GIF’s I have created thus far. The way the light is present, then fades then erupts in glorious fashion is incredibly dramatic. I like the way the lenticular shadow can be tracked as well. I hope to do more like this in the future!

 

Mount Shasta Gives Belated Christmas Gift With A Fantastic Lenticular Display

Posted by bubbasuess on December 29, 2019
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Lenticular Clouds, Mount Shasta. 3 Comments

With Christmas passed and the end of the decade rapidly approaching, Mount Shasta decided to give us a final (probably, but one never knows what the next couple days will bring!) meteorological spectacle. My family celebrated Christmas a bit differently this year, being down in Sonoma County with my wife’s family until Christmas Eve, coming home on Christmas Day and then celebrating Christmas at home on the 27th. This meant that when the lenticulars first manifested it felt like a giant Christmas gift in the sky; it seemed like a Mount Shasta version of the star that guided the wise men. I did manage to slip out in the afternoon and capture some images of it as the sun set, but this only set the stage for an even more amazing sunrise…

There was a lot going on with this particular lenticular formation. There was a small, classic disk over the summit, waves fluctuating through the saddle between Shasta and Shastina and a larger disk-like formation extending off to the north. The light on the mountain was mottled because of clouds to the west. Parts were still lit up with alpenglow and it was a beautiful sight.

Adding to the stunning scene was a large free-floating cloud hovering southwest of Mount Shasta. This cloud was far more turbulent than the ones on Mount Shasta and was constantly changing shape. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get it into the same frame as the mountain in a pleasing way. I would have had to swing around to the northeast to achieve that and I was out of time, since the sun was setting.

Even without the second cloud, there was still a lot of drama on the mountain. It was obvious the conditions were harsh up there. For a while, it even seemed like the small disk over the summit was producing a karmen street vortex, as the waves seemed to spiral off the main disk. All-in-all, it was a great show, but the morning would surpass it.

My sense was that this lenticular was more stable than most and might last through the night, setting the conditions for a terrific sunrise. When I got up my intuition was confirmed and the clouds were aligned for a memorable event. A large lenticular crowned the mountain and the free-floating stack was in excellent form. Surprisingly, the color was strong well before the sunrise, though it was obvious that this was nowhere near as bright as it would be at sunrise. Unfortunately, I grew worried as the light faded until there was almost none left. I did not give up hope, thinking a cloud might have momentarily blocked the sun as it was approaching the horizon. This proved to be the case, as the entire scene suddenly exploded with bright light.

It was a magnificent performance. I kept thinking “gloria in excelsis deo!” as the color intensified above me.

This sunrise produced something I had not seen before. The large, free-floating lenticular cast a large shadow on the clouds behind it. The entire sky was lit up except for the large dark corner that was blotted out by the stack of disks. It was an odd and fascinating occurrence, adding a unique aspect to the stunning panorama.

Though the eyes was naturally drawn to the colorful sky, the lenticular on Mount Shasta was still an interesting specimen. From the west, it did not look like much but as is often the case, the disks extended out to the east, giving the cloud a lot more definition.

Even in the sunrise’s shadow, it was obvious that there was a lot of drama in this cloud. It was absolutely beautiful.

The highlight came as the light began to fade. The thing layer of clouds that had lit up so brightly disappeared, leaving the two lenticulars as the primary clouds. The wind picked up and began blowing a layer of cloud off of the mountain. Everything lit up bright orange.

It almost looked like lava was flowing down the side of Mount Shasta.

During the day, the size of the clouds diminished but they remained over the mountain nonetheless.

Where the morning had been overwhelming, now the beauty was in the details and the delicate dance that went on over the mountain.

The form of the wave between Shasta and Shastina was constantly flowing and changing. It was a nice coda to the morning.

Later in the day the clouds began growing again. Once again, the cloud did not look like much from the west but the layers extended off to the northeast.

The free-floating clouds were still present but not particularly interesting. Still, they added to the show in the sky and filled the day with anticipation of another great sunset.

Unfortunately, the great sunset did not happen. The sky grew overcast and the color never showed up. The clouds persisted but without the alpenglow, it was not much of an event.

Now the clouds have come to bring us a little more snow. The forecast calls for 1-3 inches, which will be a nice dusting. The entire show lasted for two full days. It really was a belated Christmas gift to be able to celebrate while enjoying views of the awesome spectacle in the sky.

 

 

 

Fire In The Sky And Wild Clouds Over Mount Shasta

Posted by bubbasuess on December 17, 2019
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Lenticular Clouds, Mount Shasta. Leave a comment

The fog having burned off and with a sustained system bringing precipitation on its way, Tuesday was primed to have some interesting weather. This definitely proved to be the case, as the day had fascinating conditions all day. I got up early and headed up to the Castle Lake area to capture the sunset. Mornings can be somewhat tricky this time of year, since the clouds light up most brightly to the south of Mount Shasta, so a northern perspective often has the best perspective on the color in the sky. However, the the southerly sunrise means the mountain usually catches more morning light on its southern side than it does the rest of the year. Conditions usually dictate whether I head north or south (or west as it may be in the case of Castle Lake). This morning I opted for the latter and it was a good decision.

The sunrise proved to be spectacular. The sky above Mount Shasta exploded as if the heavens themselves were on fire. The fresh snow on the mountain also glowed purple as the light bounced off the clouds overhead. As I stood there by my camera, I could hear the lonely wind and the distant sound of Castle Lake Creek. It was an electric morning.

One thing I love about the view from near Castle Lake is the chance to see the mountain looming dramatically over Mount Shasta City. The mountain and the fiery sky make the town look insignificant, but what an enviable insignificance! The colors shifted from pink and purple to reds and oranges as the sun climbed closer to the horizon. Then, suddenly, all the color disappeared as the sun hit the overcast sky and its light was no longer shining directly beneath the clouds. I packed up and headed back to town.

The color was gone but the show was by no means over. A large lenticular developed northeast of Mount Shasta but its edges were not well defined. More interesting was the unusual clouds that formed between Black Butte and Mount Eddy. Some “lenticulish” formations hovered in the midst of a maelstrom of oddly textured clouds. It was a stunning display.

Latter in the day the lenticular gained more definition. The air was still so I headed over to Lake Siskiyou to see if there was a good reflection. There was, initially, but by the time I was set up the wind picked up and rippled the water. It was an impressive sight nonetheless.

The dark sky beneath the lenticular was quite ominous. A smaller, secondary formation floated just off of Shastina. This little cloud was quite dynamic and changed shape constantly.

Then, as the sun neared sunset, the cloud began to lose definition and the overcast sky began to clear. A little more light hit the mountain but the cloud was starting to get messy as it shrunk.

By the time the alpenglow was fading, the sky had cleared significantly and it was almost as if it had never a massive lenticular had taken shape over Mount Shasta at all. It was a slightly disappointing end to an amazing day but still very beautiful. Now the storm system moves in and snow (though not much of it) should begin falling tomorrow. We shall see what the days leading up to Christmas bring…

The Ubiquitous Fog Around Mount Shasta

Posted by bubbasuess on December 16, 2019
Posted in: Cascade Range, Hiking, Mount Shasta. 1 Comment

My memory may be failing me but the last two weeks have been the foggiest I have experienced in the 12 years I have lived in Mount Shasta. I posted a few days ago on the misty shroud that had fallen on the area. Growing up in Sonoma County, I am no stranger to fog but the marine layer that is common down there does not usually sit so close to the ground and typically burns off before noon. The fog that has afflicted us lately has been thick, hugging the ground, and persistent, generally lingering throughout the day.

Fortunately, the mountains are a good remedy to the low-lying mists and heading up to Castle Lake or Bunny Flat, where the fog lies in the valley far below. Last week I headed up toward Castle Lake. This week I decided to beat the fog by climbing up onto Mount Shasta.

While it was quite dreary in the valley, on Mount Shasta the morning sun shined brightly. Across the sea of fog, Mount Eddy rose regally, also basking in the sunshine.

In some places it was possible to see above and below the fog. Unlike last week, this pall sat higher off the ground, allowing a little light to sneak in a few places. Like Mount Eddy, the high, snowy peaks of the Castle Crags Wilderness glowed in the morning sunlight.

Once again, Black Butte rose dramatically above the mist, parting the fog as is it sailed swiftly pass the dusky pyramid.

Higher up on Mount Shasta, other prominent landmarks were visible. Here the twin summits of the Grey Rocks and Castle Spire make a dramatic sight.

Unlike the Strawberry Valley, the McCloud area did not have a thick fog overhead. Lassen Peak could be seen clearly in the distance.

Mount Shasta itself shimmered like crystal in the light of the rising sun. Morning or evening, this mountain never ceases to amaze me.

Casaval Ridge looked particularly impressive this morning. The exposed crags were fringed with rime ice, giving them a striking highlight. This is one of the most rugged spots on Mount Shasta.

Higher up the ridge, rime ice covered most of the crags. I love it when the mountain gets this stark, white appearance.

Unlike the fog from last week, the blanket burned off by midday today. Hopefully it won’t return. With a lot of snow and rain approaching, the sky will be overcast enough. I can do without a veritable cloud sitting on the deck.

In case I don’t get another post up beforehand, Merry Christmas!