Via Oregon - September/October 2020 - 38

CALIFORNIA

LEFT: Highway 97 loops around Mount
Shasta. RIGHT: Yaks serves a popular
vegetarian breakfast burrito.

Rising more than 10,000 feet above rolling forest land, this massive, currently dormant volcano looms over large swaths of Northern
California. However you approach, you'll feel pulled to the mountain for a closer look. The Old Ski Bowl Trail, a popular and wellmaintained walkway at the end of Everitt Memorial Highway on
the south side of the mountain, offers a volcanic rockscape and panoramic views of the peak and the surrounding flatlands. The highway
also passes the trail to Panther Meadows, an easy walk through lively
expanses of mountain grasses fed by rushing streams.
The mountain towers over the scenic and serene town of Mount
Shasta, where hikers and climbers plan their next adventure and photographers capture the never-grow-old sights of the mountain soaring
above nearby Lake Siskiyou. The three-mile round-trip Spring Hill
Trail gently climbs above town for more views of the mountain. At
Mount Shasta City Park, fern- and willow-lined trails lead to a natural
spring that forms the headwaters of the eventually mighty Sacramento
River. After all that walking, grab a bite at Yaks, a local favorite famous
for its pastries, house-roasted coffee, and vegetarian fare.

CALIFORNIA

Lassen Peak
The centerpiece of Lassen Volcanic National Park is a massive dome of lava-one of the largest
such geologic wonders on earth. The underground chambers of magma that created the peak
are still keeping it active. Walk the easy 1.5-mile Bumpass Hell Trail, and you'll pass through an
otherworldly basin of hot pools and steam vents that fill the air with hints of sulfur. The largest vent, dubbed Big Boiler, gurgles and roars like an engine straining to move an old train. The
shores of Manzanita Lake in the park's northwest corner offer a reflective and highly photogenic
view of Lassen and the rugged Chaos Crags volcanoes nearby. Pictures in the small lakeside
museum document a major Lassen eruption in 1914.
A half-hour drive south along a stretch of the
Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway connects the national
park to Chester, a mountain community on the shore
of Lake Almanor. The 75-square-mile reservoir hosts
kayaks, tubes, and fishing boats on the hunt for king
salmon, rainbow trout, and smallmouth bass. The
Collins Pine Museum, open until mid-October, is
home to a beautifully reconstructed replica sawmill that
shows off the historic importance of local lumber. ●
chris woolston is a freelance science and travel
writer living in Billings, Mont.
38

V I A | S E PT E M B E R + O CTO B E R 2 0 2 0

PLAN A TRIP
Download the
AAA Mobile
app (AAA.com/
mobile) to get
information on
local discounts,
restaurants, and
lodging.

Watch the steam rise at Bumpass
Hell, the largest hydrothermal area
in Lassen Volcanic National Park.

CLOCKWISE FROM TO TOP LEFT: DAVID H. COLLIER; BRYCE CRAIG; RACHID DAHNOUN / TANDEM STOCK

Mount Shasta

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Via Oregon - September/October 2020

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