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This is a great time to explore and enjoy the wildflowers. There are many varieties. Here are a few in bloom right now!  Shasta Lily The Shasta Lily's latin name is known as Lilium washingtonianum. Lilium is the latin word for this genus, and washingtonianum is for Martha Washington. These grow all around the Mt. Shasta area.  Naked Mariposa Lily Naked Mariposa Lily's latin name is Calochortus nudus. It is endemic to Northern California and grows along the Sisson-Callahan Trail.  Mt. Eddy Lupine Mt. Eddy Lupine it's latin name Lupinus lapidicola is a rare species of Lupine and endemic to California. It can be found in the Mt. Eddy area in the Klamath Mountain Range.  Hyacinth Brodiaea Hyacinth Brodiaea also known as it's latin name Trileleia huacinthina like to grow in meadows. I saw these along Sisson-Callahan Trail.  Beargrass Beargrass known in latin as Xerophyllum tenax is a very interesting flower. Native peoples made the leaves into capes, baskets and hats. Lewis and Clark had Beargrass rain hats made for their crew. In spring, bears consume the softer, fleshy lease bases; hence the common name reference.  Great Blazing Star Great Blazing Star known in latin as Mentzelia laevicaulis has a very vivacious look to it. It grows down the street where I live. This flower is definitely a gem to see. Many people travel a long ways to see these wildflowers!
There are many wildflowers blooming including the Crimson Columbine, Tiger Lily, Arnicas, Shooting Stars and many more. . Come a guided tour for the best viewing! Everitt Memorial Highway now open to the Old Ski Bowl. Old Ski Bowl The mountain road is now open to the Old Ski Bowl. Lots of great hiking and exploring in this area. Come on Scenic Tours and learn more! Wildflower Update... When I saw this Western Azalea Bush so pink, I thought of the 4th of July. This is the most pink I've ever seen and it stood out!  Western Azaleas in full bloom.  I all I say is "WOW" Come on a wildflower hike and learn about what is in bloom and the best places to view wildflowers.  Tiger Lily  Dragon Fly Up Close A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder, Anisoptera . Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body.  Black-tail Deer There's lots of wildlife out there especially with the warmer temperatures. Please drive slowly and be on the lookout. MUSIC STREET FAIR MUSIC IN MT. SHASTA  Sunset on Black Butte Everyone have a fun and safe 4th of July Week. I still have availability for tours. Give me a call 530-926-3250.
Fossil Rock Glacier Geological Area Surprise Lake with the top of Ash Creek Butte in the background. Ash Creek Butte part of the Klamath National Forest occupies a 300 acre site and is the remains of an ancient rock glacier. It sits in a north facing glacier carved bowl or cirque. Surprise Lake is a surprise and on the way to the top! Along the way... Steer's Head-Dicentra Uniflora Ed Stuhl, for almost 50 years was a caretaker, steward of the mountain and an artist. He painted many of the wildflowers on Mt. Shasta. The Steer's head was extra special to Ed since it was uncommon to find. We saw quite a few of these on our hike.  A tarn (small mountain lake) along the way.  Spectacular Views of the East side of Mt. Shasta On the top... Break time at the top! The top of Ash Creek Butte is 8,378 ft. with incredible views all around. There's a geo cache stashed up there for you geocachers.  Looking down the glacier. I would love to ski this. Heading back down.. The clouds!  Bart, Francie and Skylar taking a short break.  Mt. Shasta showing off!  Heading down the ridge. It was a wonderful day of hiking with old friends and meeting new friends. Thank you Steve Lewis for the great hike!
The Dunsmuir Botanical Gardens located in Dunsmuir's City Park was opened to the public in 1992. It offers a little bit for everyone. The Upper Sacramento River runs along side the park. The park offers world class fishing, photography, birding and picnicking.  Rhododendron The gardens offers native and woodland plants, wildflowers and a mixed evergreen forest of oak, pine, fir, cedar tree, and my favorite Japanese Maple.  Japanese Painted Fern There are many different varieties of ferns. This fern really caught my eye!  Western Azalea The Western Azaleas are in full bloom right now around 2,500 ft. These are growing along the river and in the gardens.  Alexander Dunsmuir Fountain This is the fountain donated by Alexander Dunsmuir located at the entrance of the Botanical Gardens. I was happy to see that it has been filled with water and running. Next picture explains the history.  The Dunsmuir Family have three generations of interesting history starting with Robert Dunsmuir, originally from Scotland. He came to British Columbia, and became the strong willed coal baron, railway tycoon and the richest man in British Columbia. His younger son Alexander who worked in the states, traveled though Dunsmuir often and fell in love with the town. To learn more about Dunsmuir, order my book, "Mount Shasta Guide to Fun".  Pacific Rhododendron This time of year everything is very green, the wildflowers are vibrant and the waters are flowing. Learn more about the local wildflowers on a tour!
 The last running mill in South Siskiyou County Weed is the melting pot of Siskiyou County. Back in the beginnings, Weed was known for its lumber industry and manufacturing facilities. Many Italian immigrants came at this time. In the 1920's many African-Americans migrated to Weed after their mill closed in Louisiana in 1922. In the 1980's, many immigrants from Mexico and Laos came to this area. As a result, Weed has a much more ethnically diverse population than Siskiyou County as a whole. The Father of Weed Abner Weed Abner Weed known as "the Father of Weed" arrived in Siskiyou County in 1889 with his family. He built and operated the first lumber mill in Weed, becoming one of the most prominent lumbermen in the area. In 1901 he set up a post office in town and Weed Station officially became Weed. In Abner's early years, he was a soldier during the civil war and also watched Robert Lee's surrender to President Grant. In Abner's later years he was a California State Senator in 1906 and spent two terms in the states legislation. September 9, 2001 the residents of Weed dedicated the Weed Centennial Plaza marking the town's 100 birthday, the plaza was built from bricks salvaged from Weed's old sawmill powerhouse. The Boles Fire
September 15, 2014 Weed had a devastating fire sweep through the town burning over 158 structures in a very short period of time. Amazingly, no one was killed and the community came together like one big family. Weed was put on the map! Donations came in far and wide from all over the country. Today the town has recovered with new structures and a new sense of spirit! Two of the main churches that burned have been rebuilt. A lot of new houses have been rebuilt and still in progress. Weed High School Weed High School My daytime job for the past 25 years has been a substitute teacher in Siskiyou County. It's given me the opportunity to know all the schools in South Siskiyou County. They all have their own uniqueness and specialities about them. What I love about Weed High School is the pride the students have. Their enthusiasm and participation in school events are lively and exciting!  Construction Students This tiny house project began at Weed High School in November of 2015. It was a two year project by the classes of 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. Mr. Damon Zeller, the construction class teacher and his students put many hours of dedication, hardwork and pride into this amazing project. The Tiny House will be auctioned and will begin tomorrow May 19th and end on Friday May 26th. The Tiny house will be on display Saturday the 19th at the Weed Rotary’s Hops & Vines event at Bel Air Park. Stop by and take a tour of our Tiny House. Videos, pictures and descriptions can be seen at http://www.weedhighschool.com/tinyhouse and the auction will be conducted at www.bidcal.com. The starting bid of $39,999.00 covers the cost of our materials and will be invested right back into the program so students can build our second tiny house. On a Personal Note... Mort Kaer Sr. My landlords for fifteen years was Mort and Virginia Kaer and family. Who was Mort Kaer? There was first Mort Kaer Sr. born in Nebraska in 1902. He was a world famous athlete as a track star in the Olympics and a professional American football player. He was very well known in Weed. He was Weed's football coach from 1945-1972. He accumulated a record of 187-47-7 over 28 years in which he won 17 conference championships. Mort Kaer Jr., my landlord was following in his father's footsteps as a top notch athlete. He went to USC on a football scholarship, but hurt his knee and had to give up football. He went to Weed High School for a short time before transferring to Red Bluff where his family had property. He became a high school teacher and met his wife Virginia. They had four children who were also very athletic through their high school years.  I would personally like to thank the Kaer's for renting me their cozy little house in Mt. Shasta and never raising my rent! Weed and the future  Mt. Shasta Brewery Weed still has it's charm as being a small town. It has the last running lumber mill in South Siskiyou County. Driving through the town of Weed offers many attractions including the Weed Museum, Weed Souvenir Store and other fun stores, Mt. Shasta Brewery, coffee shops and the College of the Siskiyou.
My book, "Mount Shasta Guide to Fun" has a tour of the Weed area or hire me as your personal tour guide. Enjoy Weed!  Squaw Valley Creek Squaw Valley Creek Trail is a gentle hike mostly following the creek passing through pine and fir forest and many different wildflowers throughout the spring and summer season.  Scarlet Fritillary Scarlet Fritillary also known as its scientific name Fritillary recurva. I only saw a couple of these. They bloom June through October.  Squaw Valley Creek Falls This small waterfall is 3 miles down the trail and a nice place to take photos. What I was really looking for was the beautiful cliffmaids  Cliff maids Cliffmaids, Lewisia cotyledon, is a spectacular sight in early spring. This species in the Purslane family is geographically restricted to the mountains of northwestern California and adjacent Oregon.  Umbrella Plant Umbrella plant or Indian-rhubarb grows thickly along the rocky shores shading the water beneath ad dark formations of basalt hem the stream and provide spectacular bluffs and obstacles to the water's flow.  Arnica cordifolia (heart-leaf arnica) I'm not sure what wildflower this is. I'm still working on it. It may be in the arnica family. Thanks Rhonda at the Forest Service!  Wild Ginger Wild ginger also known as Asarum canadense grows along the creek. Wild ginger has some interesting ethnobotanical uses as well. Native Americans and early Euro-American settlers have used wild ginger as a spice. The root is harvested dried and then ground into a powder. Early settlers also cooked pieces of the root in sugar water for several days to obtain a ginger-flavored, candied root.  Bear Scat This bear really had a berry ole time! It's that time of year with warmer temperatures and the wildlife waking up. Please pack in, pack out and respect the wildlife. Nature will thank you.  Lake McCloud known as a reservoir is looking pretty full right now with its beautiful turquoise waters. This is the only lake in our area where jet boats are allowed and water skiing. It's also known for fishing, swimming and just having fun!  Interesting Geology! Stalactites in McCloud! There are still a few mysteries left here. Wanna learn more...come on a scenic tour.
 Picture taken from City of Mt. Shasta. Seen from a far and a challenge to get to.This waterfall is a (kinda) hidden jewel in our area. Not only is this a strenuous hike but getting to it is a challenge too. Starting with a no trespassing sign and a locked gate, makes it a bit interesting.  Wagon Creek Falls, Mt. Shasta This beautiful waterfall is located in the Rainbow Ridge area in Mt. Shasta. The trail, mostly a very steep road goes to the falls. The last 1/4 is a little bit of a scramble with creek crossings. WILDFLOWERS COMING OUT!HERE ARE A FEW WILDFLOWERS AND SIGNS OF EARLY SUMMER SO FAR...  LARKSPUR I saw lots of these starting to come up. Larkspur is part of the Buttercup Family. It's scientific name Delphinium nuttallianum. I was hoping to see the yellow lady slippered orchid but a little too early yet.  Lovely Dogwood-  Oregon Grape  It looks this weeks weather will be warm temperatures, partly sunny, clouds, showers...sounds like Mt. Shasta!
SUN, RAIN & SNOW Castle Crags State Park Castle Crags State Park is wonderful during Spring and offers lots of fun! Hiking, rock climbing, wildflowers, photography, history and more.  Castle Lake Castle Lake, a alpine lake located in the Mt. Shasta area is starting to melt out. A great time for a winter hike.  Avalanche Gulch, Mt. Shasta Skiers Report~The best corn day this season~April 9. Winter is coming back bringing snow. More powder and corn skiing to be had! Book a tour now!  Beam of Light... So far April has not been disappointing bringing a little bit of everything. Enjoy the beginnings of Spring.
Now is a great time to book a tour for Spring and Summer! IT'S SNOWING! It's Snowing!!! We finally have a low pressure system bringing snow showers throughout the week. This is good for the mountain, ski park, rivers and our souls.  Bunny Flat, Mt. Shasta It's nice to see Bunny Flat covered with SNOW!  Pow-Pow!  Lenticular Cloud on Mt. Shasta from Weed, Ca. Lenticular Clouds are unique cloud formations that happens on Mt. Shasta. They usually occur before a storm. This one was on Friday.  Sunset Glow Come on a Sunset Scenic and Sacred Site Tours.
This is a great time to book a tour~ Enjoy the Winter while it's here! ON MT. SHASTA! Mt. Shasta received a little bit of snow at the higher elevations from the last storm. It's not enough yet but looks like more coming over the week!  Bunny Flat, Mt. Shasta Bunny Flat, Mt. Shasta~ Friday January 12, 2018 Even though it looks pretty low on snow, there is enough to start your snow activity from Bunny Flat. It got its named because it was originally an area where beginner skiers would come and practice their turns.  Road up to Old Ski Bowl The road up to the Old Ski Bowl is covered with snow. This road is fun to ski, snowshoe or just take a nice walk. Wanna venture off the road for some fun backcountry travel~come a tour!  Avalanche Gulch, Mt. Shasta Mt. Shasta forms it's own clouds. Today was no exception!  Clouds... Clouds hovering over the top of Green Butte Ridge also known as Broadway.  ICY CONDITIONS This is known as very ICY conditions! This is what it was like above tree line today. This is when I turn around!  Bunny Flat Meadow It looks like the weather is going to be sunny for this weekend and then the next storm will be arriving! Here's what the weather will be looking like at Bunny Flat for the next week~http://www.shastaavalanche.org/weather/forecasts/current-bunnyflat Have a great day!
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We Would Love to Have You Visit Soon!
All tours and trips are operated through Shasta Vortex Adventures under special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service, are fully insured and operate on a non-discriminatory basis.
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