November 12-18,2014
We were very sad to leave Bend so quickly, but very happy to be in Mount Shasta. This holy mountain has been pulling us to her for some time now. And she didn’t disappoint!
Upon arrival, Wade set to work fixing the thermostat. I am very blessed with Wade’s handyman skills. Not only does he save us a lot of money, but also fixes the essentials when we are in a bind. So after pulling apart most of the wiring in the RV we once again had a functioning thermostat and electric heater! Just in time to bunker into the polar vortex.
Mount Shasta is a very cute, artsy, new age town. We thoroughly enjoyed all the local art, crystal shops, bookstores, and coffee shops. We even stocked up on more crystals, I mean rocks, and loved hearing about the local lore of the Lemurians. I think we even saw several Lemurians ourselves during our weeklong stay. If you are interested in alternate Earth culture and history you should look into Lemurians and Telos!
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]
Our real reason for visiting Mount Shasta was not to shop, but to explore this beautiful mountain. Mount Shasta is one of the southernmost volcanoes in the Cascade Range and the second tallest of this range. She sits like a diamond amongst all the surrounding low hills. And much of this area is national forest land. It is true beauty!
Our first hike was to Horse Camp, which is a base camp for Mount Shasta mountain climbers. We chose a day that was very cold and snowy to climb this trail, which created a very magical hike! The forest was quiet and the top of Mount Shasta was shrouded with clouds for our climb. We enjoyed our packed lunch in the historic building, as it was too cold to eat outside. Despite the cold and clouds we had a fantastic hike!
After hiking we descended the mountain and found a lovely Peace Garden to reflect in. We each felt compelled to leave a mantra in this soulful garden. As we were exploring the Peace Garden the clouds started to disperse and the top of Mt Shasta showed her glorious self! We took in the beauty and then hopped back in the car to ascend the mountain once again. We wanted to look at this lovely lady up close! We were rewarded with amazing views.
Our next adventure was to explore the local dog park with Wizard and the surrounding area. Wizard had fun running free and we had fun tasting the local microbrews in the town of Weed.
Then we had another epic hike in the Mount Shasta. This time we set out to find Heart Lake. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were in immersed in the beauty of northwest California. We hiked up many boulders and followed a narrow path until we came to a Y in the road. According to our iPhone GPS Heart Lake was to the left, so we blindly followed to the left. Shortly, we both looked at each other puzzled until we heard a lovely flute playing in the distance. We took this as a sign and followed the music to a beautiful lake! Whether the music was coming from the one couple near the lake or fairies we will never know. The lake was heart shaped and we happily explored it shores until we found a cliff edge to sit and admire the scenic beauty. Mt Shasta was visible in the distance and we couldn’t have been happier. After filling our souls with nature we headed back to the car. On our descent we noticed a partially hidden sign that said that Heart Lake was in fact to the right of the Y. As it was late in the evening we decided ‘our’ lake was in our hearts and Heart Lake would have to wait until another day.
The next couple days were spent in search of waterfalls. The first two we found were in the Mt Shasta Wilderness, McCloud River Trail Lower and Middle Falls. We were the only human souls walking this path, but we could feel the presence of wildlife. Wade was sure we were going to run into black bears or mountain lions, but alas we made from and to our car safely. Only the hills know who walked that trail with us, but Wade has a stiff neck from being so alert.
The third waterfall was in the nearby town of Dunsmuir. Hedge Creek Falls was just a short jaunt away from the highway, but impressive in its hand art. We indulged and left our mud hands in the walls of the canyon too. Legend has it that outlaws hid under these falls, now all that lives there are the handprints of the many who visit it. We ended that day with a cold microbrew, fresh local food, and a lovely conversation with like minded RV travelers at Dunsmuir Brewery.
We had a very nice week in the magic shadow of Mount Shasta and we will definitely return again in the future to further gather the wisdom of this mountain.
