Mount Shasta Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Loree Johnson Photography

Heart Lake, one of the world’s best hikes.

by Loree | Oct 1, 2013 | Blog, Hikes, Lakes, Locations, Mountains, Photography, Siskiyou County

I know, that’s a really big claim, especially considering how many of the world’s hikes I’ve done! But, I have a hard time imagining a hike where you get more bang for your buck, or more accurately, amazing scenery for your effort. The hike starts at Castle Lake, which is less than ten miles from the town of Mount Shasta. Note that as of this writing, Castle Lake has been designated as day use only. Camping is no longer permitted at the lake. To get there from Mt. Shasta, go west on South Old Stage Road to W.A. Barr Road, veer right and continue toward Lake Siskiyou, turn left at Castle Lake Road, which is just after you cross the Box Canyon Dam. The road is about 8 miles long and ends at the parking lot. The trail is accessed by heading left (east) along the lakeshore. The first half mile or so of the trail winds it’s way through the forest. Then, it slowly starts to get more rocky and less forested. Before you know it, you are high on a ridge with spectacular views in every direction!

Above Castle Lake

But these views are just a tease of what’s to come.

“Peak”aboo View

By this point, your legs might be feeling a little wobbly, if you are like me. While this trail is rated as “moderate,” my experience is that it’s on the more difficult side. It’s not a very long hike–a bit over a mile one way–but the elevation gain is about 600 feet, so it’s a bit of a climb. This is a good place to stop, rest a bit, and take in the view before proceeding another half mile up to Heart Lake. From here on, the trail is not very obvious, and similar to climbing in a dry stream bed.

Alpine Majesty

Once you reach Heart Lake, it becomes obvious why so many iconic photographs of Mount Shasta have been taken from here. The beauty of this location is unmatched and the soreness of leg muscles no longer matters. It’s as if you have arrived in heaven.

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The View From the Top

Heart Lake

Because of the location, high up on the side of a mountain, it’s usually somewhat windy. But, on this day I was lucky enough to experience calm conditions, and water almost as smooth as glass.

Mirror, Mirror

Visiting such a place always leaves me feeling renewed. And even with tired, sore leg muscles, I couldn’t resist stopping part way down the Castle Lake road for one last view of the mountain before sunset.

Days End

Wesak and the good fortune of the full moon

by Loree | May 27, 2013 | Mountains, Significant Dates, Siskiyou County

A few months ago, I decided that if I had the opportunity, I wanted to shoot the full moon of May over Mount Shasta. Over the years, I had heard from so many people about the Wesak moon and how important and special it is–especially at Mt. Shasta. So I marked my calendar and reminded myself to check the weather and the sunset/moonrise times.

Now, the last time I set out specifically to shoot the full moon was last November. I had this vision of an image that I wanted to get with the full moon over the mountain, reflected in Lake Siskiyou. There are only a couple of times a year when the moon is in the right spot to capture the photo and November was one of those times. That day, a huge storm blew in from the Pacific and I never saw the moonrise. But, I got some of the best images of Mount Shasta with storm clouds that I had ever gotten.

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Mt. Shasta Storm Glow

Well, good fortune smiled on me again this past Friday evening when I set out to capture the Wesak moon. I left the house a few hours before sunset, knowing that there was a good possibility that the moon would be hidden by clouds. There was a thick, dark cloud cover hovering in the spot on the horizon where I knew the moon would rise.

I went to a place where I had been wanting to shoot the mountain and the light was beautiful. I was a bit concerned about the dark clouds in the background, but when I looked at the images later, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the dark background caused the mountain to “pop,” making the image appear almost three dimensional.

Symmetry

After that, I headed over to the spot I had picked to shoot the full moon. The clouds were dissipating a little bit, but still rather thick in the area of the coming moon. It was about an hour to go before I would see the moon (or not).

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Grazing in Paradise

Then, as a surprise bonus, Mt. Shasta started to turn pink. This is something that happens once in a while, and when it does, it’s always a beautiful sight. By now, I had captured the 3D light, the peachy, golden sunset, and the pink alpenglow. It was turning out to be a fantastic photo shoot. And I hadn’t even seen the first sign of a Wesak moon yet!

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Pink Light Rising

The waiting continued, for longer than I expected. But, finally, I saw a bright spot in the clouds. It grew brighter and brighter as it continued to rise higher and higher. At last, the full moon showed itself in all its glory from behind the top edge of the cloud bank.

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Mount Shasta Wesak Moon

It seems that whenever I go out with my camera, in pursuit of the full moon, mother nature smiles on me with her beauty and I have the good fortune to capture so much more that just the moon. I will likely be chasing the moon for the rest of my days.

Mountain worship…

by Loree | Feb 12, 2013 | Legends and Folklore, Locations, Mountains, Photography, Siskiyou County

As long as I’ve lived in this area, it’s been well-known that many people come here, and often end up staying, simply to be in close proximity to Mount Shasta. I remember when I first moved here, hearing many of the locals laugh about the “mountain worshippers.” No doubt Mount Shasta attracts a certain number of new-age folks who are interested in the spiritual and mystical aspects of the mountain. There is something about Mt. Shasta that is inexplicably compelling and attractive. Yesterday, I had my own experience with mountain worship.

It started when I noticed an interesting lenticular cloud beginning to form over the peak. So, I loaded up my camera gear and headed down the old highway to a place I had scouted a while ago that I thought would make an interesting shot. When I got there, it was sunny and pleasant, actually quite warm for February. I set about finding a good spot and set up my tripod. I watched in fascination as the cloud swirled and changed minute to minute while the rest of the world went about their business hardly noticing me or the cloud. Even the cows were oblivious to the beauty unfolding right before them.

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Lone Tree and Mount Shasta

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Whipped Topping

I shot hundreds of exposures, close and wide, while the sun was slowly going lower on the horizon. The next thing I knew, it was getting dark, I was shivering and my hands were nearly numb from the cold. But, I couldn’t tear myself away not knowing what that cloud was going to do next. Then, just as I was about to pack up and go warm myself with the heater in my car, the wind at the top of the mountain suddenly changed and the peak revealed itself above the cloud. The last light of the day was still present at the highest altitude, which made it appear as though it was glowing.

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“Peak” A Boo

It’s moments like these that reaffirm why I became a photographer, and why I will continue. And now I suppose I am a mountain worshipper, too.

Mother Nature is more creative than I am

by Loree | Nov 30, 2012 | Locations, Mountains, Photography, Siskiyou County

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Beautiful Turbulence

Often times, I find that my best images come out of an intention to shoot something else entirely. Tuesday was one of those days. For nearly a year now, I have envisioned a shot of Mount Shasta at sunset, reflected in Lake Siskiyou, with the full moon rising over the mountain. I have decided on the location, but the shot I envision requires all the elements to come together at the right time and place. There is only one day each month when the moonrise coincides with the sunset. On top of that, there are only two or three months out of the year when the position of the rising moon makes it possible to capture it in the same frame with the mountain and the lake. What that amounts to, is only 2 or 3 days per year when the shot I envision is possible. Add to that, the uncertainty of the weather in this area and it may be a long time before I actually get that shot I dream about.

This past Tuesday, all the elements were in place, so I tried again. But, there was a big storm heading in from the Pacific and the moon was not to be seen for the clouds. Then again, maybe Mother Nature knows better than I do what makes a beautiful image. So I let go of my intentions and instead, gratefully accepted what I was offered. And now I am not even a little bit disappointed that the moon did not make an appearance. That doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying for the shot I dream about, though…..

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…Before the Storm

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Fire on the Mountain

The Legend of Two Faces

by Loree | Nov 29, 2012 | Legends and Folklore, Locations, Mountains, Siskiyou County

UPDATED: I created a composite image to illustrate the legend.

The Legend of Two Faces

I recently learned of one of the many legends of the Wintu people in the Northern California area, known as the Legend of Two Faces. I love myths, folklore and legends, so this story piqued my interest and sent me on a quest with my camera. According to the information I have been able to find about this legend, there was once a beautiful maiden by the name of Rippling Water. Although her heart belonged to the son of the chief and future leader of the tribe, Lakadowa, there was another brave who sought her attentions. When Rippling Water made her love for Lakadowa known, the traitor murdered her with an arrow through her heart. As she was dying, Lakadowa vowed to avenge her death. He sought out the traitor, and a fierce battle ensued. Lakadowa was successful in ending the life of his enemy, but sadly, he was mortally wounded in the battle.

His dying wish was that his beautiful maiden, Rippling Water, could spend eternity on Mount Shasta, the home of the Great Spirit. And, that he could forever remain nearby to gaze upon her beauty and protect her from evil.

Today, the maiden Rippling Water can be seen reclining over the top of Mount Shasta.

The Maiden Rippling Water

Outline of the maiden

And the Warrior Lakadowa can be seen on the face of Castle Dome, at Castle Crags standing watch over his maiden.

Lakadowa

Spotlight on Lakadowa

Many thanks to my friend Dustin Naef for introducing me to this local legend. Now, I always see Rippling Water when I look at Mount Shasta, and Lakadowa when I look at Castle Crags.