July Fourth 2000

On July 2, Denise, Tom, Dan, and Laura, arrived about 6:30 pm in a rain storm. This made for a damp cook out, but when the rain stopped and the clouds cleared, Mount Shasta had a fresh coat of snow. This made for a spectacular view at sunset.

July 3 dawned clear and beautiful. The group took in the street market scene in downtown Mount Shasta complete with the new "Where Heaven and Earth Meet" pennants. After lunch Denise and I drove up to Bunny Flat to take a mountain stroll. We ended up hiking all the way to Horse Camp, a stone cabin built in the twenties by the Sierra Club. At 7,880 feet, this is the first stop on the trail to the summit. We hadn't brought any water with us and long drinks from the nearby icy spring were delicious.

A Mount Shasta Fourth of July starts early. The group was up and heading for the walk/run starting line by 7:30. We joined the hundreds of others assembled there amid, bunting, balloons, and patriotic music. Each participant wears the year's special tee shirt with I.D. number pinned to it. At the starters gun the runners are off; then the walkers (all of us) follow. Along the three mile route entertainers are stationed two or three to the block. There were rock bands, jugglers, cheerleaders, gymnasts, fiddlers, singer, belly dancers, a sky diver, and a dancing grandpa (age 94), to mention a few.

When the walk is finished, there is time to catch one's breath and grab a bite to eat before the parade begins at noon. The parade runs the gamut from equestrians, to goofy band, square dancers, Lumerians, fire engines, and a horse-pie-challenging remote controlled car.

On the way home from the parade we stopped at the Sisson** museum to check out the quilt show. Jennie had three entries. The rest of the afternoon we regrouped and rested in anticipation of the day's final event the fireworks show. About 8:00 PM we drove to the Golf Resort and picked our spot to watch the show over Lake Skiskiyou. As usual it felt more like winter than summer by the time the first colorful burst light up the night sky. Huddled in coats under blankets we ooed and awed as the multi-colored fire flowers blossomed in the dark.

One last event before the group departed for home on the 5th -- a big breakfast at the Black Bear Diner. No sooner had we taken our seats than a flash of lightning and clap of thunder announced a summer storm was rolling in over the western mountains. In minutes a cloud-burst of hail made July look more like January -- another dash of spice added to the Mount Shasta Fourth of July.

*Some quite odd people believe that a civilization known as Lemurians lives inside Mount Shasta.

** The town of Mount Shasta was named Sisson before 1925.

Photos of the visit: