It Hasta Be Shasta

Once fresh snow caps Mt. Shasta, if fall color can still be seen, it hasta be Shasta.

That’s the old advertising catchphrase of Shasta Beverages, which began as a mineral spring water company in 1889 on the slopes of Mt Shasta. People have been traveling to Mt. Shasta for more than a century for health, recreation and inspiration.

Box Canyon, Upper Sacramento River (10/28/21) Philip Reedy

Those motivations led the Reedys to explore the Mt Shasta area. Phil noted, as also reported by Michael Beatley, that last Sunday’s heavy rain flattened the Indian Rhubarb, eliminating their multicolored leaves from streamside scenes. “The only survivors I found were in the box canyon on the Upper Sac just below Lake Siskiyou dam.”

Disappointed at the loss of the rhubarb, he was still encouraged by the great color to be found just south of Mt. Shasta. It’s peak surrounding the Town of Mt. Shasta and Reedy exhorts, “So, it’s definitely time to go.”

Mt Shasta, south of McCloud (10/28/21) Philip Reedy

• South of McCloud along Squaw Valley Road.
• Down by Fridays Fly Fishing Ranch, pastures are filled with multi-colored bushes topped by snow-capped Mt Shasta.
• The Siskiyou Lake Trail near the Mt. Shasta Resort.
• Castle Lake Road just north of Lake Siskiyou.

Lower McCloud River (10/29/21) Philip Reedy

As for Lake McCloud, it is still too early.  Reedy notes that the rains pumped a lot of mud into the lake making river below the dam resemble chocolate milk, explaining why the river’s usual crowd of fly fishers were conspicuously absent.

Following the Mt. Shasta area, the Reedys headed down CA-89 toward Lake Britton and Burney Falls.  Last year the lake was surrounded by gorgeous oaks, reminding Phil of New England.  However, fog blanketed the lake on Phil’s visit. He could see that oaks there are peaking, but he didn’t wait for the fog to clear.

Lower McCloud Falls (10/28/21) Philip Reedy

Beyond Britton and Burney, they traveled south toward Manzanita Lake. As reported here, Manzanita Lake is now past peak and Lassen Volcanic NP is both closed in preparation for winter and resulting from the devastating Dixie Fire which burned the Summit Lake, Butte Lake, Warner Valley, and Juniper Lake areas of the park.

During the fire, park staff was so busy dealing with the fire that, understandably, they stopped reporting the normal changes occurring in the national park.

Lassen Volcanic is a popular location for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. With more snow and rain predicted this week, frequent park visitors are looking forward to that season of snowshoeing and backcountry skiing and hoping to forget what passed.

Fly fishermen, Box Canyon Trail, Upper Sacramento River (10/28/21) Philip Reedy