Mt Shasta

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Six friends and I decided to drive to Mt Shasta near the Oregon border for a little quiet time. We spent three days in the area, exploring the mountain and the surrounding areas.

We visited near the top of the mountain. It is a very peaceful place... we sat and contemplated and meditated for a long time. The area is above the timberline, and is very rocky with few trees... feels barren. Yet, bees and butterflies were dancing here and there, hovering over the many plants that were growing on the ground. The mountain is powerful though; you can almost taste the raw energy that the mountain gives off.

We then went down to the lower Panther Meadow. The meadow is very lush with green ground plants and wildflowers. A little murmuring brook cuts through the meadow. The energy here feels a lot more mellow, and thus, the stay here feels more soothing to me. We were told by the ranger that we were a little late, as many of the wildflowers have come and gone already. It is still full of life and color, and something to be marveled.

We wanted to go to a larger body of water, so we could soak our feet in the pristine water. We decided against Lake Siskiyou, but kept on going on the same road to Castle Lake. There, we met many dragon flies (which are neon blue in color), butterflies, and yeah, many people too. Oh, we met a snake swimming right by us on the lake shore. It slithered too fast for us to get a picture.

More water to visit... we went to the headwater of Sacramento River. The water was a lot colder than that of Castle Lake. But it is really refreshing. Many people were taking large bottles of water home, so we did too!

We also visited a lavender farm near Weed. We saw an advertisement that we can pick 100 stems of lavender for $3, everybody was excited to go there. They also have essential oil, bath gels, lotions, and other lavender products for sale. When we got there, and got out of the car, a rush of hot dry air bombarded us. Even in the shade of an umbrella, the breeze was hot and searing. We didn't really want to faint from heat exhaustion from picking lavender stems, so we just went inside to the shop, had some lemonade, and bought some of their products.

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Photos

Near top of Mt. Shasta
Smoky skies from California wildfires

Butterfly dancing in flowers
Near top of Mt. Shasta

Dragon Flies at Castle Lake
There are three dragonflies sitting on the rock.

Mt. Shasta in the Background
Mt. Shasta can be seen through the smoke haze, through the doorway, behind the rows of lavender.