Hike Mt. Shasta

I’ll keep this one short, as I have much to do right now, but I did want to post this sunrise before things moved on much further. Saturday morning had a grand performance in the sky over Mount Shasta. It wasn’t quite a lenticular but some of the clouds did seem to display “lenticulish” qualities to them. There certainly was a lot of meteorological pyrotechnics!

Seeing where the clouds were, it seemed a perspective from the northeast was best so I headed to one of my favorite morning perches. This time of year the sunrises don’t hit much of the visible part of the mountain like they do towards the end of spring in summer. However, this was still a good perspective on the clouds, which just did not look that interesting from the other sides of the mountain. From here however, when looking south, it was quite impressive.

When the sun began its journey to the horizon, the clouds quickly caught fire and exploded over the mountain. The way they waved and streaked, I thought it was reminiscent of the aurora borealis but since I was looking south, I reckoned it to be more akin to the aurora australis.

I made sure to capture plenty of images in order to make a time lapse. I think it worked out quite nicely! Later in the day, I took the boy scouts on a hike from Truchas Ridge, heading out into some rarely-traveled terrain. It was sunny and warm and a great time was had by all. Now we have a few more days of sun but precipitation in coming back onto the forecast!

The last few days have been pretty ones here in Mount Shasta. Not only has the weather been gorgeous but the moon was full. This presented the opportunity to try to capture a shot of Mount Shasta along with a lunar presence. Considering all the other work I have been caught up in lately, this seemed like a nice excuse to get outside for a couple evenings.

The first evening was clear and cold. Though I was out to capture the rising moon, one can never get too much alpenglow on Mount Shasta. From my perch, I was able to watch the sunlight slowly move up the flanks of the mountain, the glow slowly slipping away as the sun set. The moon was set to appear at any moment.

Just as the last bit of color slipped off the top of Mount Shasta, the moon breached the horizon just above the Red Banks. The moon glowed brightly as the mountain turned cold silver in the absence of the warm sunlight. The moon was large and glowing as it rose swiftly. It always seems to move faster when it is proximity to a large object against which to measure its speed. This evening it sailed upwards into the heavens above Mount Shasta with alacrity. Satisfied, I retired home for the evening, thinking the next morning might be a good opportunity to capture a corresponding sunrise.

I headed north the following morning to Truchas Ridge. The valley was streaked with tendrils of fog. Normally I like the foggy conditions when they are thin like this because it allows me to see the mountain but still add some interesting light-catching conditions low in the frame. Unfortunately, this particular morning the light never really showed up and the sunrise was a little lackluster. It was a great morning to enjoy the solitude and scenery out there though, for which I am grateful.

That afternoon, I resolved to head out and capture the full moon rising. It’s position was a challenging one with regards to getting the mountain with any sort of light still on it. Based on its position, I though the best opportunity was going to be from the Castle Lake area. I headed up with time to spare and enjoyed a spectacularly colorful sunset. As is typical of a great sunset, the color started off vivid orange but eventually mellowed into a beautiful pink as the sunlight crept up toward the summit. However, as the mountain darkened, the sky burnt with shades of purple and pink, providing a terrific contrast behind Mount Shasta.

Just as the last light faded off the summit, the moon broke the horizon to the south of Mount Shasta. It crept slowly upward against a colorful sky. Wisps of cloud partially obscured it at times but it was a visible for the most part. As far as it was from the mountain, I had to use my wide angle lens to capture both, so the moon appears as only a small disc. Though diminutive in appearance in this way, the overall image, with Mount Shasta bathed in afterglow and the sky still aflame, it was a spectacular sequence!

The conditions seemed hopeful for a spectacular sunrise the following morning, so once again I headed up to Truchas Ridge. It was a bit of an unusual morning in terms of how the clouds developed. Initially I thought I was going to get a good lenticular but that faded very swiftly as the predawn color bled out of the clouds. Briefly there was hardly anything in the sky at all but then, as the sun was preparing to appear, the clouds raced back in and a small lenticular stack even formed over Mount Shasta. While not the best sunrise, it was still a good one, and one that definitely exceed my crestfallen expectations from just a few moments earlier.

There are many more vistas at the Ridge than just of Mount Shasta. One such was to the west, where China Mountain looked regal in the morning light. This peak is the third highest in the Mount Shasta area (not counting Shastina or other prominent points on Mount Shasta itself) and, though it hides many beautiful features (cliffs, lakes, waterfalls etc.), from down in the valley it does not present an impressive appearance. Thus I was glad to capture a shot of the peak that gave it a bit more gravitas than the typical scenes.

Another great view was of the Goosenest, another of the five tallest peaks around Mount Shasta. Its black lava flows covered with white snow, the massive shield volcano glowed in the morning light. What made it even more memorable was the peak boasted a small lenticular of its own! It’s a great morning when scenes like this are occurring at the same time as a majestic sunrises on Mount Shasta and all are visible with the turn of the head. Sadly, the subsequent sunset featured some excellent clouds but real life (and kids) kept from getting out and capturing it. I had to watch appreciatively while engaged elsewhere. Despite missing it, even seeing it, while helping my kids is a blessing. A century ago, every brilliant sunset was preserved only in memory, or perhaps in painting, so the opportunity to capture what I can is more valuable to me than my meager words can properly express.

The following morning I headed out once again. Once again, the conditions seemed good for an impressive sunrise. However, this time McCloud seemed like the place to be, given the position of the clouds. When I got to my spot, the moon was setting. Given that I had just been questing after moonrises, I reckoned I might as well capture a moonset.

Of course, I did not wait for the moon to disappear beyond the horizon because, while it was sinking lower, Mount Shasta and the clouds around it burst gloriously awake as the dawn sunlight hit them. I love sunrise in McCloud. The mountain’s crags and spires are magnificent when bathed in aurora’s glow (really, they are magnificent all the time, but dawn is when they are at their best!).

I had not planned on pursuing any more shots of Mount Shasta for the day, but as I headed to church in the afternoon, the mountain was once again bathed in lustrous alpenglow. I stopped right in the middle of the street near downtown by Sisson Meadow and started clicking away. It’s the most common view of the mountain, but what an uncommonly amazing common view from a downtown!

In the end, it was a great span of days with some incredible sights. Moonrises, Sunrises, Sunsets all forming an incredible panoply of light, rock, ice and all the other elements of creation, all working together to create an unforgettable landscape.

A beautiful morning view from Mount Shasta, looking south towards the Castle Crags.

Amazingly, we are now halfway through January, 2022. The time has flown for me, as my workload has never been fuller than it is right now, and yet, I know things are definitely going to get busier as we charge deeper into the year. Yet, it has already been a busy winter here in Mount Shasta. December started off warm but it turned white swiftly and maintained a steady amount of precipitation for most of the month and a week into January. The result was a white Christmas and a solid foundation to the snowpack. Of course, the snow that fell at higher elevations was building on a base that was laid down by the good amount of rain we had in October and early November. All in all, it has been a good start to the winter.
Now that we have entered a somewhat dry and warmer spell, this is a good opportunity to pause and evaluate the snowpack. First, however, a quick look at some of the activity that has been happening around the mountain:

Though there has not been as much activity in the sky over Mount Shasta, it has been a really beautiful week. However,, the last few days have seen generally clear skies, so I am eagerly awaiting the next big weather system rolling through. In the meantime, I headed up to Bunny Flat to evaluate the snowpack. Things certainly looked good up there, with a snowpack that looked rather deep. It certainly has a way to go to be a great setup for next summer but it feels like, even right now, if the winter were to end, we have more snow on the mountain than we did last year. A few images from Bunny Flat certainly show how much further we are along than last winter.

Both sets of images were taken mid January though the latter shows an obviously deeper snowpack. This map on the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service’s website supports that assessment. Even though it does not show Mount Shasta’s snowpack in particular (I am not sure why not), the map does show surrounding gauge stations and they are all, generally, above average for this time of year.

There was nothing special going on at Bubby Flat, but it is always beautiful.

Yesterday I had to drive to Weaverville and so crossed over Lake Shasta for the first time in a while. It was frustrating to see the “lake” at Lakehead is still just a river. I checked the lake’s water level and found it has risen 15 feet since the beginning of the year. That is certainly a positive development but the Central Valley Water Project continues to release water from the lake at a seemingly high rate for this time of year. I have no idea what is going on downstream (if anything)…
Despite the slower-than-desired filling of the lake, it is still a great start to the winter. Now we need another storm to sweep through and keep building the snowpack!

What a wild year 2021 was. It was a season of fun, fires, family and all else that lies in between. In summary, it was a year of change for both the physical and human geography. It started off with promise, with a few good storms but the storms proved to be an illusion, as the snow seemed to just blow away. In the end, though the snowpack in places was deeper than anticipated, it turned out that the winter delivered less snow than hoped, by a pretty significant margin. This was followed by a beautiful spring that leaped right into summer. This, of course, was dominated by the Lava Fire, which burned across Mount Shasta’s northern flanks. The scar from this far will require generational healing. Of course, there were plenty other fires in the region, burning across the northern Sierra Nevada and through the beloved Trinity Alps. Time will tell how badly these were effected. Finally, after a smoky summer, fall arrived, bringing with it significant rain and one of the most vivid displays of autumn color I have seen in Mount Shasta. Finally, the winter came and the snow has blanketed the region. It seems there is more snow on Mount Shasta after one month than through all of the previous winter. Thus, the year ends with hope that perhaps next year may be better.
And so, on to the retrospective!

January:

January began beautifully, with a few storms and cold weather. However, not much snow fell and it was always very dry and powdery. Consequently, when came, even in large quantities, it often just blew away. Still, the mountain stood proud in we reveled in the new year.

February:

The following month continued the trend. A few storms rolled through but, though the snow at times was copious, it lacked water content and was gone as quickly as it arrived. When it did come, I found myself hungering after the Castle Crags, an obsession that dominated my mind in the first half of 2021. Their magnificent towers and spectacular cliffs have always captured my attention and the knowledge that great things lay hidden in their layered canyons has fired my imagination.

March:

Winter entered its last month still waiting for a heavy, wet storm. Though Mount Shasta was white, the Heart was still naked near the top of Avalanche Gulch. I had never observed this in winter time and it did not bode well for the coming year. It was, however, easy to lose oneself in the still constant beauty that perpetually emanates from the mountain.

April:

Spring arrived with great beauty. Temperatures were going up, snow was melting and trees that had lost their leaves were awakening. It was a strange month though. When it began, a thin layer of snow on the mountain made the snowpack seem far deeper than it truly was.

May:

A spectacular month, May was filled with full rivers, wild streams and waterfalls. The raging waters gave some clue to the swift melting taking place at higher elevations but at lower elevations, it was gorgeous. Explorations in the Castle Crags led to some terrific new waterfalls. Higher up, though, Mount Shasta was already looking sparse.

June:

In June, disaster struck. The dry conditions mixed with a powerful lightning storm left the awful residue of the Lava Fire. The conflagration began on the northwest side of Mount Shasta and burned all the way across the northern flanks as well as pushing south, to just beyond Diller Canyon. Tensions were high and the flames were apparent in the most awful way from most vantage points. We all knew that the mountain had been altered but held our breath to see what lie ahead.

July:

The Lava Fire burned into July but by mid-month had larger burned itself into containment. It was, however, by no means out. Unfortunately, fires had flared up all over Northern California and many beloved spots felt the burn. On Mount Shasta, though, it was time to begin assessing what was lost.

August:

Smoke from all the fires choked the region for much of the month and the Lava Fire still smoldered on Mount Shasta. However, this was to be a memorable month, since my wife and I finally took possession of Truchas Ridge (more on that soon). We had already spent considerable time there over the summer but now it was ours and we were grateful beyond words. We are excited with what lies ahead there, for the opportunity to share it, and for the adventures that await!

September:

September was the month that the healing began. Lenticulars arrived and heralded a series of small rain storms. The air cleared, the flames were somewhat subdued and the hope that the awful summer was ending was invigorating. The yellow rabbitbrush, always a welcome sight, hinted at deeper and more abundant color coming soon. Mount Shasta sported snow for the first time in months, having been seared clean of all but the glaciers. Now it felt like things were getting back to normal!

October:

Fall arrived with great enthusiasm in October and what a gorgeous autumn it would prove to be! A prolonged rain system brought a week of precipitation that left Mount Shasta as white as it ever had been the previous winter. The temperatures were perfect and the light starting to warm up as the sun got lower. The colors were amazing. It was simply magnificent and a balm to the soul, weary from the scorched summer.

November:

The beautiful autumn continued into November and the entire month was lovely. Punctuated by short rain storms, it was a joyous season and one in which my family truly gave thanks for the many blessings we had received. Despite all the craziness of the world, the vicissitudes of societal upheaval, the very land being consumed in flame, we are grateful for life, for our opportunities and for the chance to live it all out at in this most beautiful of places. Amen.

December:

December finally arrived and with it came snow. It was not the dry, low water snow of the previous winter, but wet snow that smothered the earth. It felt like everything drank deeply of the crystalline water. The snow did not let up all month either, continually falling and replenishing that which settled, sank and melted. In the end, it was a grand and gorgeous month crowned by Christmas and all the joy and worship that entails. It was a time for family, for new family members and a recognition that we are truly blessed, every one of us. May the next year make this even more apparent!

Afternoon light on a snowy Mount Shasta.

The first 24 hour of sunlight in anno Domini 2022 were gorgeous. A colorful sunrise was followed by a day of bright sunshine. The ensuing sunset was beautiful, if sparsely clouded. This was naturally followed by a second sunrise, this time far more colorful. The sky was filled with high clouds and the pink light seemed to bounce from cloud to landmark and then diffuse into the air, causing the air to quietly glow. It was magical. All in all, not a bad way to start the year off.

OK, 36 hours into 2022 there was a sunset bonus:

It was extremely windy and quite difficult to get a shot of the mountain without the camera being buffeted by the wind. I finally had to take shelter behind my jeep and shoot from that point of safety. The wind no doubt played a roll in manifesting the lenticular. The year feels like it is off to a great start!

As 2021 runs down to the last few moments, I am looking back and thinking about the year that has gone by. It has been a bittersweet year, filled with fun, fires and lots of challenges. Despite the vicissitudes and changes that have come for my family, I am looking back on it and recognize that, if nothing else, it certainly has been among the most memorable of my life. Not only this, but late developments have set 2022 up to be an equally memorable one, mostly in a good way. We shall see.

Whenever possible, I try to get out capture the last sunrise or sunset (or both) of the year. This year I was able to capture both. Considering the weather, I was satisfied to be able to do this.

The sunrise almost didn’t happen, since from the north, west and southeast, Mount Shasta was obscured by clouds. However, heading up on the Ski Park Highway provided access to a couple of spots where the mountain was visible. A large, deep cloud filled the Mud Creek Basin, blocking the view of much of the mountain. However, the western flanks, especially Sargents, Green Butte and Casaval Ridges, were all catching light from the rising sun. Much of the year these ridges get little light but the winter sun’s position illuminates them wonderfully.

Heading back home, I was driving through town and thought that Black Butte and Spring Hill needed to be captured in an image since they were lit up with beautifully warm morning light. To my surprise, when I got to where I intended to photograph them, a rainbow had appeared! In no way had I expected this but couldn’t get a shot fast enough, hoping the rainbow would disappear before I could get my camera set up. Fortunately this did not happen and I was able to get a beautiful shot of the entire scene.

Mount Shasta was covered in clouds through the rest of the day, with flurries of snow falling sporadically. I reckoned this would be one of those years when I was not able to capture an image of the sunset. However, as my son and I ran to the grocery store, the mountain came out of the clouds and the upper flanks were brightly lit with alpenglow. Massive snow banners flew off Sargents Ridge, adding some pink drama to the spectacle.

As we headed home, the sun was long set but Mount Shasta was well lit in the afterglow. I had to stop and capture one more shot before giving up for the rest of the year. Snow banners were still dancing on the ridges but stars were coming out. I love this mountain and I never tire of looking at it. I am grateful for every opportunity.

I hope this finds everyone of my readers well and I wish all a Happy New Year!