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The last few days have been trying. For about 3 miles I had patchy snow and hillsides gushing with water, followed by a 5-6 mile ridge walk completely covered in snow. GPS came in handy again, and the crampons were adorned to help with some tricky side-slopes. After the snow, the sun and the trail really heated up. The volcanic rock soaks up the heat of a full sun and radiates it back - baking me from the top and the bottom. The foliage was lush with green ferns, poison oak, and a dozen new plants - creating a virtual sauna that was difficult to breath at times (I don't do well in high humidity).
Mount Shasta, the city, sits beneath Mount Shasta, the mountain. It's a giant, beast of a mountain looming over the town and still covered in snow. I think the spirit of the mountain manifests itself in the local grocery store deli counter where I just had the most delicious wrap I have ever had. Yes, Andrea, possibly better than that wrap we had in Hawaii. Maybe the high elevation (or hunger) enhances my taste buds, cuz I swear this is the best white hot chocolate I've had too. Hrm, maybe I should give mushrooms another try while I'm here.
Anyway, I've been crossing paths with more hikers lately (one outside Lassen, two outside of Burney) so it's starting to get crowded. :)
Congratulations! You've made it to Mt. Shasta and almost halfway. The sound of 1000 plus miles is so encouraging. I bet you've seen some gorgeous scenery! It sounds funny to have white hot chocolate in the summer, but then again you've been hiking in snow so you're probably all confused about what season it is. Good hiking and stay safe.
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