Category: Mt Shasta

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Castle Crags on MLK Day 2026

Castle Crags late Spring

Admission to Castle Crags State Park in Castella was free for the January day we celebrate the life of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. I captured some images.
Castle Crags in the high country

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice”.
I hope so. Things look bleak in the moral universe lately.

Here is a 360 view taken from just outside the park.Click on the image to look around:

This wonderful park is less than an hour’s drive north of Redding. The campground is small, and it all seems understaffed. It wasn’t crowded that day, even though it was free to get in. It’s only around $8 on any normal day anyway, I think. But it would be unfortunate to see it overwhelmed by some viral social media post. That does indeed happen. One must be careful what one posts, but I don’t know how to entirely avoid that calamity that without just keeping it a secret. It is very beautiful in any event. A lovely hike or picnic spot that’s ReallyRedding.

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The lady of the mountain

Just another spectacular Autumn day in Northern California. The relatively high lake level seems extra fortuitous for this time of year, perhaps heralding another bountiful water year, climate permitting. The lady of the mountain wearing a skimpy, powdery negligee in anticipation of her dense white winter cloak to come. Meanwhile, these balmy days grow shorter. Make the most of them.

Mt Shasta from Shasta Lake Mt Shasta from Shasta Lake

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Wide view of Mt Shasta Ski Park on an epic Saturday!

A gorgeous 60 minute drive north from Redding will deliver you to the Mt Shasta Ski Park. It has always had a great family atmosphere, with parents dropping kids off for the day, and where you often met your neighbors and acquaintances.

 

This year, they added a new quad chair lift to the 8,000 ft Gray Butte, opening miles of new terrain. And in the process, this will make it much more of a destination ski resort. The ski park has had some rough years recently, fraught with drought and pandemic woes. So delicious to see it on an epic Saturday, with hundreds of people reveling under blue skies with perfect snow conditions! Let’s hope this terrific weather continues.