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The first house guests of our second year in Mount Shasta were Amy and Curt Huber and their pets, Buster, a Springer Spaniel and Penny, a Welsh Spaniel. Amy worked with Jennie her entire 15 year career at Apple. They arrived on Friday, September 18, a crisp, clear, and breezy autumn day. After Buster and Penny had gotten aquainted with Holly and Marcy and all four had raced around the back yard 'til their tongues hung out, The Hubers and Georges took a pleasant walk up Hill road into "Bigfoot Country" as the sign proclaims. Back home we watched the Mount Shasta alpine glow from the patio until the chill forced forced us inside for one of Jennie's delicious suppers.
Saturday morning dawned clear and cool. While Curt fished the upper Sacramento river, Amy, Jennie and Wes drove up on Mount Shasta for a hike above timberline. The mountain protected us from the cool north breeze making for a most comfortable jaunt up the glacial valley for some spectacular views. We met Curt back home for lunch and all toured the two blocks commercial center of Downtown Mount Shasta. The highlight of the shopping trip was a birthstone ring for Amy from our neighbor's jewelry store.
After doing downtown Mount Shasta, we drove to McCloud to check out the restored hotel; the dinner train; the three shops; Jennie's Wednesday home, the McCloud Golf Course; and finally the lower McCloud falls. We arrived back home in time to clean up and rest a little before our reservations for dinner at Lily's which the Hubers generously treated us to. That evening after dinner, Curt taught us a new card game -- Spades. It was lots of laughs.
Sunday the destination was Castle Lake on another perfect fall day. We took the inflatable boat, and while Amy, Jennie and Wes hiked over the east ridge and down to pretty Little Castle Lake, Curt paddled the boat over to the base of the granite cliffs at the far end of Castle Lake and hooked three nice size trout. When the hikers returned Wes rowed Curt back to the cliffs where he caught two more beauties in about 10 minutes. We had a delicious fresh trout supper that evening and more hands of Spades. The women won consistently because, as Curt put it, the cards the guys were dealt weren't hands they were feet.
The Hubers departed Monday morning for several more days of vacation at Bucks lake near Quincy, with the vow that they would return, maybe for some ice fishing and snow shoeing.
Jack and Judy Runnels Just Beat Winter
Jack and Judy Runnels are friends from University of Kansas days. Jack was a fraternity pledge brother of Wes and an usher at our wedding. They now live in Palo Alto, CA. We had been trying to work out dates for their visit for a year. It finally came to pass on Halloween weekend, 1998.
They arrived after dark on Friday, October 30 and had to depart midday Sunday, November 1, so there was a day and a half to give them the three-day tour. As you will read, we made the most of their time especailly considering the weather.
The night they arrived was the only totally clear weather of the visit. It was a perfect night for stargazing and we picked out the Pleiades, Orion, Jupiter and its moons -- and Mount Shasta in the light of a nearly full moon.
Saturday morning the clouds of a cold front were moving in fast, so without delay we headed up Everitt Memorial highway for a walk on Mount Shasta. The clouds looked ominous as we steped out on the trail leading up the mountain from the end of the highway. In contrast, to the south, beyond intervening layers of blue mountains, Lassen's dome stood bathed in sunshine. Jack and Judy are both serious hikers and the pace was brisk, but there was time to take in the vistas, made more dramatic by the scudding clouds moving over and around the jagged ridges. We had been out about 20 minutes when the clouds lowered over us and fine, dry snow started to fall. It was tempting to hike on, but without knowing how much worse it would get, we voted to save the rest of the hike for another visit.
As we drove back down, the snow changed to light rain. It was a perfect day for a round of cappuccinos at Village Books. Before reaching the book store, we checked in at the infamous Vets Club to see if by some miracle Vic Martin and Sound Advice were performing that night. They were! We'd be able to introduce more people to Vic and Mount Shasta's colorful nightlife.
After warming ourselves with the frothy coffees, we set off to show Jack and Judy Mount Shasta's retail emporiums. Judy found a nice outfit at our best boutique. We checked out the outdoor gear at The Fifth Season and viewed the art at the Black Bear Gallery.
After a hot lunch back home, we drove the residential neighborhood tour, visited the Sisson museum and the fish hatchery, and made a stop at Berryvale market for a supply of Etna beer.
We were back home in time to rest up and refresh before the evening's entertainment. We ate a pleasant dinner at our favorite restaruant, Lily's and then it was on to the Vets Club. Now the Vets Club is colorful on any Saturday night, but this was HALLOWEEN! Nearly everyone but the four of us was in costume -- and there were some pretty amazing, creative costumes. One couple was a very cute lion and whip-weilding lion tamer. The Blues Brothers were there. Several "dudes" were in drag. Many gouls, vampires, bordello broads, cowpokes, witches, and a number of weird, but un-namable charachters came and went. On top of all this visual entertainment there was the swingin' music of Vic and his pals. We not only watched the scene and listened to the music, but got out on the dance floor and shook our booties. In short we had happy Halloween.
The next morning was the first Sunday of November which meant "First Sunday Breakfast" was being served at the community center. It's a monthly fund raiser for the local Masonic lodges. They serve all you can eat of a couple dozen breakfast items for $4.00. How could we pass that up. A real cross section of Mount Shastans turns out for these breakfasts. As we remarked, it was like being in a Norman Rockwell painting set in the far west.
By the time we finished our huge breakfasts, the clouds were parting and most of Mount Shasta was visible again. We made a swing by the city park to see the big springs that constitute a major part of the Sacramento river headwaters. Then, after a brief stop at home, we drove up to Castle Lake. There was a beautiful view of Mount Shasta, Black Butte and the town from the Castle Lake road. Time was running short, but we did take a brief walk on the lake shore trail. It was sunny, quiet, and fresh as an alpine lake in November, which of course it was. On the way back to the house we passed by Lake Siskiyou and the Golf Resort.
Jack and Judy departed at about one o'clock. Their visit had been brief, but we'd met the goal of giving them a sense of what makes Mount Shasta attractive and by luck enjoyed a couple special events. It had been a most enjoyable visit by good friends who said they looked forward to returning.
Happily, Bob joined us for Thanksgiving, so Jennie and I didn't have to eat the Turkey all by ourselves. He road up with a friend who was driving on to Oregon.
Thanksgiving morning, Jennie and I took Holly and Marcy to the Care Center for their bi-monthly pet therapy jobs. Then it was home to prepare the feast, and a delicious and bountiful feast it was.
Friday we drove up to Bunny Flat for our annual Thanksgiving week check of the scene. The flat itself lay under a deep blanket of fresh snow with the peak rising above it, but what made the vista truly stunning were the thousands of snow-adorned trees. See the photo at the end of this entry for a hint of that elegant panarama and, as an added bonus, Bob in his cool shades.
Saturday we introduced Bob to Yreka, the county seat, and then drove over the hills to mountain-ringed Scott Valley, passing through Fort Jones and stoping in Etna for a brief look around. In Yreka we visited a large antique store housed in an historic Victorian house and toured the district that contains the other Victorians. While on this drive we encountered three deer casually sauntering down the middle of the street. After a quick walk along Yreka's historic main street we ate a harty lunch at "Grandma's Restaurant" before taking the drive to Scott Valley.
Saturday night and Sunday morning it snowed enough that Bob got to see the snowblower in action. He passed on the opportunity to pilot it down the driveway, but he had been up early to enjoy the silently falling snowflakes accumulate on every twig and fence rail. It really was a beautiful snow, but as it begain to build up there was some concern that his friend might have trouble getting down from Oregon. The concern was well founded as he didn't arrive until almost midnight. We offered an overnight stay, but both Bob and his friend had to be at work on Monday, so off they drove into the snowy night. Yes, they made it safely back to the Bay Area, but Jennie and I didn't sleep all that well and hope they can manage a daylight trip when they return for Christmas.
For an account of the highlights of Bob's Christmas visit of 1998 -- with photos Click here.
Denise, Tom, Larua and Dan Come to Ski and Experienced a Blizzard
The above Kendalls plus "little black Mia", their new dog, drove up late Thursday, Feb. 4, 1999 -- our first visitors of the new year. The next morning they headed for Mount Shasta Ski Park and spent a crowd-free day on the slopes. The weather was overcast and chilly, but no snow fell. Dan opted for snow boarding and looked very good for only his second time on one wide ski. Laura handles herself gracefully and only took one big tumble when, looking back at Denise, she strayed from the trail. The four line up for a photo linked below.
We all awoke the next morning, Feb. 6, to a full-out blizzard. It kept it up most of the day and by the time the snow and wind let up there was over a foot of snow in our neighborhood. Of course there were drifts twice that depth. No skiing that day but plenty of giddy snow play. You can get some idea of the depth from the photo of Dan and the Villager linked below.
When the snow stopped falling in mid-afternoon, it was time to get busy with the snowblower. We had to get out to pick up the pizzas for dinner. Dan and Denise each tried their hand at weilding the snow blower and all pitched in to break-down and remove the snowplow berm at the end of the driveway. Eventually we got out and into town for the pizzas. You can see what downtown Mt. Shasta looked like in the photo linked below.
The next morning we were looking forward to the famous Mt. Shata institution -- "First Sunday Breakfast", however when we arrived at the community center it was obvious that it wasn't to be. The parking lot was unplowed and there was no aroma of biscuits and gravey, hashbrowns, and Belgian waffles. The backup plan was to breakfast at The Black Bear Diner. You can get the same fare there; but but not the community atmospher or the low price. If you like to eat big, hearty breakfasts, amid Mt. Shasta townfolk, be sure to schedule your visit over the first Sunday of the month. But don't be too disappointed if a blizzard cancels the affair.
Fortunately, by the time the gang was ready to return to Pacifica, the sun and snowplows had rendered the streets, roads, and interstate fit for travel. They had come to play in the snow; nature had been more than generous, but she knew when to quit so they could have a safe journey home.
Janet and Glen Hubbard were our neighbors in Sunnyvale for nearly 20 years until they built a house at Sea Ranch and moved there a few years ago. They arrived on March 1, one of the rare clear days in a couple weeks, so they got a good look at Mount Shasta before clouds moved back in. We took a nice walk up Hill Road; had a hardy chili supper and caught up on each others activities. March 2 we drove up Everitt Mem. Highway for a look at the snow. There was so much that we found ourselves following a road-size snow-blower part of the way. See photos linked below. After coming down from the snowbound world of Bunny Flat, we conducted a walking tour of Mt. Shasta's retail district. We had fine dining that night at the world famous Lily's. On March 3 we took the McCloud & Dunsmuir tour. Janet and Glen seemed most impressed by the restored McCloud Hotel and the Shasta Dinner train. We ate lunch at the McCloud Cafe and the Hubbards, gourmets that they are, admitted that they'd seldom had more delicious burgers and fries. That evening we had a cake and opened gifts in celebration of Jennie's birthday. Our friends and long time neighbors departed early the next morning after scraping frost off the windshield -- the first their van had ever experienced.
Jack and Judy arrived late on a sunny afternoon when you could see Mt. Shasta for the first time in several days. We had time to take a walk up Hill road which runs between the ostrich and the horse ranches. The highlight was seeing four very new colts testing their long, wobbly legs. Upon return we sipped wine and watched the sunset glow on Mount Shasta. It would be our last glipse of the mountain for the rest of their stay as over night a warm, cloudy, wet front moved in.
Although Mt. Shasta was invisible the next morning we decided to try the planned snowshoe trek anyway as prospects for better weather was nil. When we reached Bunny Flat gray clouds rested on the surrounding ridges and light snow was falling. We'd hoped for one of the brilliant white, blue and conifer green days Jennie and I had experienced up there, but it wasn't to be. We strapped on the snowshoes and headed across the broad expanse of Bunny Flat toward the lower end of Horse Camp trail. As we reached the trail head, the clouds lifted a bit and the snow stopped. This respite was brief; for most of the outing we were in the clouds from which the snow fell. It was an interesting change for Jennie and I -- an arctic adventure -- but not the kind of experience we'd hoped to give Jack and Judy. By the time we turned back visibility was just good enough to follow our tracks back to the Jeep. Despite the unpleasant weather, it had been a good workout with good friends. To make it even more memorable Jennie, Judy and Jack had serenaded me with the birthday song as we climbed into the snowy clouds on the slopes of Mt. Shasta. It's a birthday I will not soon forget. That night we shared the traditional cake and watched the Academy Awards and as a special treat for the old fan of the Bard, "Shakespeare in Love" won the Oscar for best picture.
On Suday the 22nd, we set out on the "Tri-Cities" tour of McCloud, Dunsmuir, and Weed, the three small towns that with Mt. Shasta make up the population center of south Siskiyou county. In McCloud we visited the beautifully restored Hotel, the Dinner Train, the MIlkyway Gift shop, the General Store, had a snack at the Soda Shoppe, and had an informative private tour of the Historical Museum conducted by Bob Gray a retired Forest Ranger. After a quick swing through the rest of McCloud and a swing past the snow covered McCloud Golf Course; we were off the Dunsmuir. While McCloud and Weed were logging and lumber towns, Dunsmuir's reason for being was the railroad. All three have seen their supporting industries decline to mere remnants of what they were. In Dunsmuir the sights to see other than the quaint canyon village itself the River Center and the Brown Trout gallery. The River Center is an environmental education facility funded by the settlement with the Union Pacific Railroad for the toxic spill into the Sacramento River a few years back. Leaving Dunsmuire we headed north on I-5 past Mount Shasta to the town of Weed. The main feature of Weed is the College of the Siskiyous -- the education and cultural center of the area. We took in an art exhibit at the college and made a quick swing through "downtown." That evening we dined at the Mount Shasta Resort where on a clear evening the view is spectacular. Alas this eveing the rain fell steadily. Once again the bad weather was overcome by the good companions.
Monday morning, Judy prepared us a delicious sour-dough pancake breakfast. Then it was time for our friends to pack up and depart. Despite the inclement weather we'd had a good time and I'd had a very special and memorable birthday thanks to Jack and Judy. Here are some photos that capture highlights of the visit.
Pat Starrett worked with Jennie at the Mid-peninsula Open Space District. She and her son Daniel arrived from Palo Alto on June 10 -- a beautiful late spring day. Using the new telescope we watched Shasta climbers arrive and settle in at the Helen Lake base camp as the setting sun slowly changed their snowy perch from white to pink, orange, violet and finally blue.
Dan is researching a book he plans to write about his grandfather Starrett who directed the building of the Empire State Building. So, after dinner we used the Internet and World Wide Web to find information about Dan's grandfather including two other major high-rises his firm had constructed in New York City.
The morning of June 11th was perfect for the new-visitor ride up the mountain to Bunny Flat. As you can see by the photo linked below, despite all the snow that still remained, the temperature made tee-shirts the garb of choice for Jennie, Pat and Dan as they trudge across the snow field.
After a tour of the town's shopping district, we returned home for a pleasant lunch and some rest before our next outing -- Castle Lake. You may be wondering if Jennie and I get bored going to the same places with each visitor. The answer is, not at all. Every time we take visitors to Bunny Flat, Castle Lake or the McCloud River falls it is always different. For example this visit to Castle Lake delighted us with the sight and sound of multiple waterfalls cascading down the granite escarpment that rises above the south end of this classic cirque lake. I didn't have a long enough lens to capture the falls, but you can see the cliffs over which they tumbled and the snow they flowed from in the photo linked below.
The next day, June 12, Dan traveled to Redding on his own business. Pat, Jennie and I toured the two neighboring towns of McCloud and Dunsmuir with a stop at the lower falls of the McCloud river and a short hike up the river. The Forest Service contractor has just about completed the new steel and concrete observation deck and stairway at the lower falls. Hopefully this construction won't be destroyed every few years by a big spring runoff as the old wooden structures were. That night, Dan was back to join us for dinner at Lily's.
Pat and Dan departed on the 13th noting that Mount Shasta was no longer just a point on a map, but a region of diverse natural beauty and civilization without all the traffic.
Bob and Danelle join us for our second Mount Shasta Fourth of July
celebration
Bob and Danelle pulled up in Bob's new Honda Del Sol about noon on July 2. After lunch we picked up all our walk/run tee shirts -- the 20th anniversary model; toured the downtown flea market booths and picked up our Prather ranch steaks.
July 3 dawned crisp and clear. We drove to the McCloud river and hiked up to the Middle Falls. It's always a treat to see the reaction of visitors when they first see this gem of nature (You get a hint from the photos linked below). After savouring the sight and sound from the base of the falls we continued on a trail that rises to a spectacular bird's eye view of river and falls. We returned home for lunch and then Jeeped up Everitt memorial highway to the old ski bowl. Holly and Marcy were with us for this experience. They joined us in a walk across the snow that still lingered at timberline, it seemed to echo the masses of white clouds that had began to form in the vivd blue sky. By the time we arrived home the cloud cover was nearly complete, but the light was just right for some photos of Bob's new pride and joy -- the Del Sol now dubbed Gemini capsule for its snug fit and two-seat configuration. You can see the clouds above Mount Shasta and Mount Shasta above the Del Sol in photos linked below. When we got around to grilling the steaks that evening the cloud cover was complete and the temperature had dropped to a chilly 50 degrees. It felt more like fall than the third of July. A few drops of rain even fell. We suspected that it might be a rather gray Independence Day.
We were wrong. July 4th in Mount Shasta was one of those days that will stay in the memory for years to come. They don't come any fresher, clearer, or more vivid. It was a perfect day for a run or walk along the base of Mount Shasta. Following the walk or run the tee-shirted throng gathered along the main street to watch the old fashioned small town parade. The final event each year is the fire-works display over Lake Siskiyou, with seating for the big crowd on the rolling green fairways of the Mount Shasta Golf Resort. By the time of the grand finale the crisp day had become a cold mountain night and we were glad to end another memorable Mount Shasta Fourth of July and follow the milky way home. Bob and Danelle departed the following day looking a bit less like harried Silicon Valley high tech workers and thinking about how they might create jobs that would permit them to live up here.
A Special Visit with Denise and then Tom, Dan and Laura
-- July 24 - August 1
We picked up Denise in Pacifica on July 24 and took her to Mount Shasta for a long anticpated solo visit. On the way we encountered a traffic jam just east of the Bay Bridge due to a light plane that had made an emergency landing on I-80. It had been pushed to the side of the Interstate when we passed it. The drive from then on was uneventful and we arrived in plenty of time for a neighborhood walk, supper outside in back and then had coffee on the front porch. Denise grew to like this routine.
July 25th started early with a hike on Mount Shasta at the old ski bowl. The weather was perfect and there were gardens of wild flowers to marvel at and identify. We even hiked high enough to reach a snow bank. After lunch we drove to McCloud and took in the annual lumberjack competition. We all agreed that the axe toss with the beer can bulls eye was the most entertaining event. We again had supper with the Mount Shasta view and coffee with Mount Eddy.
The following day we were back in the McCloud area to visit the classicly beautiful middle falls of the McCloud river, both from the river level and from the cliff high above the falls. After a brief visit to the lower falls we returned to the town of McCloud for lunch at the Soda Shoppe; a visit to the cluttered but fascinating museum; and finally a stop at the wonderfully restored McCloud Hotel where the owner told us the fasciating story about how she and her husband had acquired and rehabilited this remarkable building. Back home we picked some strawberries for desert.
On the 27th we left early for the drive over the mountains to Scott Valley via the Gazelle / Calahan road. Midway there we turned off for a side trip to jewel-like Kangaroo Lake where we had a picnic lunch. Back down from the lake we drove through a lush little valley of cattle ranches to the neglected, but historic little town of Calahan. After a brief stop there and chat with the post mistress, we headed north through Scott Valley to the valley's largest town -- Etna. Here we toured the warm second floor musem and had cool drinks at the old fashioned soda fountain. Denise found Eta a most charming town as do most visitors. We stopped briefly at an antique shop at a handsome old ranch complex a few miles north of Etna. From there it was quickly through Fort Jones and over the hills to the county seat, Yreka. A brief tour of the Victorian neighborhood; a stop at a big antique store housed in one of these ginger bread houses and we were ready to return to Mount Shasta via I-5.
The next day Denise and I drove to Lower Panther Meadow and hiked up Grey Butte trail from there. Since our time was restricted we had to turn back before reaching the summit of Grey Butte; but we did make it to a large snow bank and enjoyed the sweeping view from the narrow saddle connecting Grey Butte to Mount Shasta. In Lower Panther Meadow we observed a group of "natural" yogi practitioners and some remarkable balanced rocks. After a quick lunch and lawn mowing chore it was time to load in the Jeep and drive to Davis to meet Tom at the local In'n'Out and pick up Dan and Laura. This made for a late arrival back in Mount Shasta.
We slept in a bit on the 29th but got going soon enough to take Dan and Laura to Lower Panther Meadow to see the balanced rocks and balance some of there own. This is where Laura had snow coastered last summer. Not a cup of snow here this time. We followed the stream up to beautiful Upper Panther Meadow and then came back down, hopped in the Jeep and went on to the end of Evrett Memorial Highway to the old ski bowl. We at lunch at a picnic table there and then Denise, Dan and Laura climbed back up to where we had found the snow before. In less than a week it hand nearly all melted. One last stop before supper was at the Cantara Loop section of the Sacramento river to cool off a bit in its icy water.
On the 30th we spent a sunny afternoon at the Lake Siskyou beach with its impressive view of Mount Shasta. Dan and Laura got plenty of water borne exercise with the super big doughnut float. Denise joined them for a while. I took photos and Jennie caught up on her reading. That evening we were treated to a spectacular sunset.
Tom arrived in the wee hours of July 31st. Later that morning, he, Denise and I went back to the the old ski bowl so Tom could share the experience. That afternoon we all did the hot, dusty hike to the McCloud Middle Falls. Following that, Dan and Laura were ready for a plunge into the deep, cold pool at the base of the Lower Falls. Tom demonstrated first and then both Dan and Laura made the scary jump from the cliff into the icy water. This was a refreshing end to a hot hike and put smiles back on Laura and Dan.
August first was a Sunday, so the Kendalls got a second shot at savoring an all you can eat Mount Shasta "First Sunday Breakfast." As you can read previously, they were snowed out the first time we tried to take this in. Following the big breakfast we drove to Shastice Park so Laura could demonstrate her newly acquired tennis skills. Denise marveled at the view of Mount Shasta from the courts. Back how we played some Jarts; shot some hoops and before long it was time for the Pacificans to pack up and depart. All good things must end and this had indeed been a great visit, producing lots of pleasant memories which I hope can be rekindled by reading this account and looking at the photos linked below.
PHOTOS FROM DENISE'S VISIT
Charles visits -- August 14 - 20
Long-time friend, Charles Schimmel, arrived for his third visit to Mount Shasta on August 14 in time to enjoy an al fresco supper with mountain view and humming bird antics.
On Sunday the 15th we enjoyed a pleasant morning at an art and music festival in the beautiful riverside park in Dunsmuir. That afternoon, Charles and I drove to the McCloud River and hiked to and above the beautiful middle falls. It was a warm day and we were treated to the sight of water nymphs splashing in the pools below the falls.
The following day Charles and I drove up Everitt Memorial Highway and hiked in magical Upper Panther Meadow and climbed above the old ski bowl to some snowbanks where we had a light lunch with a panaramic view. When we returned to the valley we stopped at the Sisson museum and viewed the one man show of local artist, 85-year-old Jaime Carlberg. Charles can vouch that it was an amazing display of talent.
On Tuesday the 17th Jennie joined us for a drive up the canyon of the south fork of the Sacramento river to Gumboot Lake. It was the first time for any of us and the canyon was impressive. A little above the lake we came upon a large stand of the rare California pitcher plant. This unique plant devours insects to provide its need for nitrogen. You can see what this unusual plant looks like in the photo linked below. A short hike above Gumboot lake brings you to upper Gumboot, a smaller, and less visited spot. While circling the shore of this little lake we came upon bear scat and decided not to delay our departure. Back at the larger lake we ate a little lunch while watching two fly casters try their luck. On the way back home we stopped at the Mount Shasta resort so Charles could get a good look at the clubhouse and course in order to give his brother Walt a first hand description.
On the 18th we took a break from hiking and nature expiditions. We checked out the "main street scene" on Mount Shasta Boulevard; and took care of some chores like mowing the lawns. That evening we ate in a real dining car at the Railroad Park south of Dunsmuir. It's owned by Jennie's golfing friend Del Murphy and her husband. It was Charles's treat and the food was delicious. This is a unique and very creative resort with more than a dozen cabooses serving as motel rooms. It's situated in a beautiful stream-side location with a view of Castle Crags.
On Thursday the 19th Charles and I tackled our most ambitious hike. The Grey Butte trail starts at Lower Panther meadow amid babbling brooks and wild flowers, then climbs through towering conifers and car-size boulders to a narrow ridge that connects Grey Butte to Mount Shasta. The trail then follows this ridge until it reaches the butte where it swings around and up to the summit. Along that section you can see the town of McCloud far below. When you reach the top of Grey Butte you're rewarded with a spectacular view of Mount Shasta looking down on the old ski bowl. We could see where we had hiked to the snow fields on Monday. That afternoon we drove to the College of the Siskiyous campus in Weed and visited the farmers market there. An ensemble of stringed instrumentalists provide a melodic background for the mellow scene.
Before Charles departed on the 20th we visited the springs that form at least part of the headwaters of the Sacramento river. These waters pour from the base of the appropriately named Spring Hill and course through the city park and eventually into Lake Siskiyou. Charles departed about 2:00 for his intermediate stop in San Jose. The weather had cooperated with perfect temperatures and clear skies, helping to make this another pleasant visit with a good friend.
Photos from Charles's visit
