Day 29 Red Bluff CA to Mount Shasta CA
Saturday, May 3
We left Red Bluff around 10:00am and headed to I5, which was right down the street. This is a really nice part of California. Soon we were in Redding, and then Lake Shasta. Here's another lake desperately in need of a 'fill-up'. From what I hear on the news, the area is far below what it should be getting in rain, and the snow pack was not as much as anticipated.
The ride on I5 is quite spectacular for an Interstate. The highway snakes around the lake on the side of mountains, then climbs high into the Cascades. Off to the sides, and down steep exit ramps lie tiny mountain towns. It was a relatively short ride to our destination today, under 100 miles. Hilly, but where the climb is steep an extra is added for heavy vehicles, like us...
We arrived in the small town of Mount Shasta City and the campground. At first we didn't know what to expect, down a windy, country road, but when we got to the campsite we were thrilled. Entering the section we're in, I looked to the side and there was a doe and her two yearling walking right behind some of the campsites...I mean within a few feet of the campers!
This place looks like Hollywood's version of a campground. Huge pine trees towering over all, with the sun dappling the pine needled floor of the forest. And the smell of wood burning in campfires brings back memories of camping as a child with my best friend's family. Looking through the trees to our east is Lake Siskiou (or as Jim called i
t, Lake Shoo Shoo) and across the crystal blue lake, Mount Shasta looms in the background. Awesome.
Mount Shasta is the second tallest peak in California, a few hundred feet less than Mount Whitney. We find it hard to take our eyes off of it, it's almost mesmerizing. I guess if you live her you get used to it. The skies were perfectly clear all day, except for around the top of the mountain where there were a few clouds that hung around most of the day. Finally in the late afternoon, the clouds parted and we looked up to see the snow covered summit framed by clear skies.
We took the Jeep up the road nearby to Castle Lake, where we were told that the lake is still frozen and the snow is still 10 feet deep in places. So up the mountain we went, beautiful forests...to where the road suddenly ended seven miles later, at a frozen lake. The sun was so strong that even though it was only 60 degrees we didn't feel cold walking on the snow. We got out for pictures (I swore I'd never walk in snow again after I left RI) and climbed up some small hills to where a building with restrooms was covered by snow. Jim threw a snowball at me....good thing he missed!
Then we visited the Visitor's Center in town (where gas was $4.05/gal) where the lady who worked behind the desk was very helpful (although she was a maniac with a highlighter) and she advised us to drive up the lower section of Mount Shasta. We went up to the 7,000 foot level where there were a good number of skiers and people snow shoeing. There road continues on up the mountain for a few more miles, but it was closed and unplowed until the snow melts. The ride down the mountain was spectacular.
We came back to camp and rode our bikes for about 45 minutes in the setting sun. We rode down to the beach area on the lake, enjoying having the roads to ourselves, with only one or two slow moving vehicles passing us the entire time.
Saturday, May 3
We left Red Bluff around 10:00am and headed to I5, which was right down the street. This is a really nice part of California. Soon we were in Redding, and then Lake Shasta. Here's another lake desperately in need of a 'fill-up'. From what I hear on the news, the area is far below what it should be getting in rain, and the snow pack was not as much as anticipated.
The ride on I5 is quite spectacular for an Interstate. The highway snakes around the lake on the side of mountains, then climbs high into the Cascades. Off to the sides, and down steep exit ramps lie tiny mountain towns. It was a relatively short ride to our destination today, under 100 miles. Hilly, but where the climb is steep an extra is added for heavy vehicles, like us...
We arrived in the small town of Mount Shasta City and the campground. At first we didn't know what to expect, down a windy, country road, but when we got to the campsite we were thrilled. Entering the section we're in, I looked to the side and there was a doe and her two yearling walking right behind some of the campsites...I mean within a few feet of the campers!
This place looks like Hollywood's version of a campground. Huge pine trees towering over all, with the sun dappling the pine needled floor of the forest. And the smell of wood burning in campfires brings back memories of camping as a child with my best friend's family. Looking through the trees to our east is Lake Siskiou (or as Jim called i
t, Lake Shoo Shoo) and across the crystal blue lake, Mount Shasta looms in the background. Awesome.Mount Shasta is the second tallest peak in California, a few hundred feet less than Mount Whitney. We find it hard to take our eyes off of it, it's almost mesmerizing. I guess if you live her you get used to it. The skies were perfectly clear all day, except for around the top of the mountain where there were a few clouds that hung around most of the day. Finally in the late afternoon, the clouds parted and we looked up to see the snow covered summit framed by clear skies.
We took the Jeep up the road nearby to Castle Lake, where we were told that the lake is still frozen and the snow is still 10 feet deep in places. So up the mountain we went, beautiful forests...to where the road suddenly ended seven miles later, at a frozen lake. The sun was so strong that even though it was only 60 degrees we didn't feel cold walking on the snow. We got out for pictures (I swore I'd never walk in snow again after I left RI) and climbed up some small hills to where a building with restrooms was covered by snow. Jim threw a snowball at me....good thing he missed!
Then we visited the Visitor's Center in town (where gas was $4.05/gal) where the lady who worked behind the desk was very helpful (although she was a maniac with a highlighter) and she advised us to drive up the lower section of Mount Shasta. We went up to the 7,000 foot level where there were a good number of skiers and people snow shoeing. There road continues on up the mountain for a few more miles, but it was closed and unplowed until the snow melts. The ride down the mountain was spectacular.
We came back to camp and rode our bikes for about 45 minutes in the setting sun. We rode down to the beach area on the lake, enjoying having the roads to ourselves, with only one or two slow moving vehicles passing us the entire time.
Came back to the easiest dinner yet. My Applebee's lunch day before yesterday was so ridiculously large I took it back to the RV and tonight I re-heated it and threw in a package of Steamfresh Asian seasoned vegetables and it was plenty for the both of us.
Later we sat outside by our campfire. All that was missing was a couple of baking potatoes....or maybe marshmallows?
Tomorrow we're taking a 200 mile loop from here to the Lassen Volcano National Park.
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