Mt. Shasta

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

We spent Monday doing home chores and getting our car checked as it had been acting up a bit. 

Today we head north on I-5 to take in Mt. Shasta, Shasta Lake and other areas in the vicinity.  It snowed on Mt. Shasta again this past weekend so the mountain is covered in heavy snow.  There are just no words to describe how beautiful and awe inspiring it is.

The interstate is a steady up hill climb through the mountains and green pine forests of this north central part of California.  It will be an interesting drive (much slower) when we leave here on Thursday taking this same road north into Oregon with the RV.  Lots of trucks but I have to say it is a wide, smooth highway all the way.  There are a number of construction zones where new bridges are being built or repaired but traffic never slows down.  The road winds through the mountains giving us views of several of the ranges in the area as well as Mt. Shasta and Shasta Lake.  

Along the way there are several small mountain towns. With the bridge railings so high, I am unable to take any shots of Shasta Lake as we pass but hope to do so when we pass over them in the RV on Thursday.

One such town is Dunsmuir which we leave I-5 to explore since it shows it has a historic old town area.  We are not too impressed and really see nothing worth photographing.  It is much like most other small mountain towns everywhere. 

Arriving in Mt. Shasta City, we stop at the Visitor Center for some information and a very informative lady gives us a map of the area, outlines where we can get the best photo shots of Mt. Shasta and describes some other points of interest to us.  Very helpful.

Mt. Shasta City has been around since the 1850’s with a variety of names like “Strawberry Valley”, “Berryvale”, and “Sisson.”  In 1924 the town voted to change the name to Mt. Shasta City.  The town is a typical mountain community with a main street with shops, restaurants and hotels but nothing again outstanding in my book.

Our first stop is at the Headwaters for the Sacramento River which is located in a forested area with a number of rustic buildings for rental use and a senior center plus picnic grounds and a playground.  Very peaceful.  Ron comments on the number of “hippies” (This is California remember where the hippie movement is still a part of the culture.) seen here and the number of people filling water bottles from the river.  Apparently the water here is very pure and people bottle and sell it.  There are a number of places where the water is coming out of the side of the mountain flowing over rocks to the river below though my photograph makes it difficult to see since most of the area was in the shade. 

Next we take a drive across town to Lake Siskiyou where we are able to get a great view of Mt. Shasta.   

 It is a rather cool day but there are a number of people boating on the lake including a pontoon sailboat that catches quite a wind to sail across the water as we watch.  

This lake has camping facilities and a boat marina.  Bears have been seen in the area so we note the many signs letting us know. 

Again returning to Mt. Shasta City, we take a different direction for a drive up to Mt. Shasta (14,179 feet) or I should say as far as we could go due to the snow.  

People are parked along the highway and having snow ball fights, etc. dressed in their jackets and mittens to enjoy the fun.  Nothing like playing in the snow in mid June.  

Two little known facts about Mt. Shasta are that it is the only major mountain in the West with an official Native American name and it can be seen 200 miles away.

Our last stop is close to Redding where we drive up a 4 mile narrow windy (what else) forested road called the Shasta Dam/Shasta Lake Scenic Byway to Shasta Dam.  

What a site. This Dam is the tallest center overflow dam in the world and the second largest dam in mass in the United States.  

Shasta Dam

 Shasta Lake is California’s largest lake.  

Note Mt. Shasta in the background

It is so amazing to see these large dams and to realize how strong they are to keep water behind them and for us to have such wonderful reservoirs to enjoy water sports.  We find these two critters enjoying the environment at the Dam. 

Returning to town, we decide to stop for supper and as usual look for a local restaurant to try.  Today we find Black Bear Diner only to discover that it is a chain with restaurants in several cities we have been in not only in California but also in Utah and Arizona.  Cute place and great food.  We order the Lighter Plates with smaller portions but still can not eat it all.  We ask about the regular plates and our waiter says that most people end up taking half or more home as they are so huge.

Tomorrow we will finish our sightseeing here and move into Oregon on Thursday.