August 11, 2014

August 11, 2014

From Chiloquin, OR we drove south two hours along a river valley that cuts through the Cascades Mountains.  For most of it the snow-capped peak of Mt Shasta loomed ahead of our route.  While not the tallest of the Cascades it is the biggest since it arises out of a lower valley than the rest.  If only it wasn’t hazed by forest fire smoke.

Just past Mt Shasta, we stopped for the night at Castle Crags State Park.  After we chose an overpriced dry camping site, Aimee and I took a long uphill walk to the “cars only” vista point.  Aimee continues to heal.  She made it the two plus miles with little complaint.  The “crags” are the heavily eroded spires of a very old granite upwelling.  Interestingly I “hiked” to the base of this geologic beauty on our health club’s new elliptical exercise machines.  Castle Crags was one of the “simulated hike” videos available.