Fiesta Days in McCloud

Locals came out this weekend to celebrate McCloud’s lumber town heritage at the 61st Annual McCloud Lumberjack Fiesta. It was one of those events with a strong local showing – softball teams, horseshoe throwing partners, little kids to skilled veterans participating in the logging show. Kids were playing on the giant slide and small water slides, adults were sitting in the shade chatting it up. On the two softball fields, teams were playing hard in the Papa Anderson Memorial Softball Tournament. You could stuff yourself in the morning at the American Legion pancake breakfast or watch the kids stuff themselves later at the watermelon eating contest. It was one of those small, local events that is all about community. Sometimes that’s hard for visitors to tap into, but if nothing else, the logging competition was mesmerizing.

The adult logging competition on Sunday featured axe throwing, with a beer can stuffed in a hole at the center of bull’s eye painted on the large round folks were throwing at. The crowd called out for a “splash” as each contestant tried to nail the beer can, thus spraying suds everywhere. Several were repeatedly successful and six-packs of Keystone were strewn about the base of the target. It was fun to watch.

Below, the axe throw champ, who had 3 splashed in 4 throws in the final round, takes aim and then nails the Keystone.

The ladies got into it as well, with little girls to grandma’s chucking an axe at the target.

Elsewhere in McCloud, people were shopping and dining at the Mercantile, and wandering into the Brown Dog Gallery. Below, the brown dog for which the Gallery was namd stays cool on a side porch. At the Gallery I marveled at the remarkable selection of hand-made rugs by Burney weaver Lana Magnuson. Brown Dog owner Claudia Ellis says she sells those rugs like hotcakes – they’re quite beautiful, incredibly durable and reasonably price.

Next up for McCloud is Heritage Days on August 15th, 16th, and 17th. This time ’round they’ll have antique logging equipment on display, excursion train rides on the historical McCloud River Railroad, wood carving, and a performance of the original McCloud melodrama. There will be a street fair, classic car show and home and business tours so you can get a peak into some of the buildings that were constructed back in the days of Mother McCloud. The Shasta Sunset Dinner Train will run Friday and Saturday evenings, so you can book a tasty dinner on the train as you ride to Mt. Shasta and back. For more info visit the McCloud Chamber website or call 530.964.3113.

Backpacking in the Russian Wilderness

Here’s what the Forest Service has to say about the Russian Wilderness area: “The 12,000 acre Russian Wilderness spans the major ridge dividing the Scott and Salmon River drainages. It contains 22 lakes, most set in glacial bowls surrounded by granite peaks. This area is of national botanical significance because of the great diversity of trees and other plant species. An extensive trail system, including the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), accesses many high mountain lakes in the Russian Wilderness. ”

Kinda dull. We just went to the Russians for the first time and the images that come to mind are great sweeping ridge lines, pockets of wildflowers, faces of white granite, the jumble of granite slabs and boulders as we neared Bingham Lake, the pristine waters of this little lake snuggled into a steep-walled glacial cirque, the communities of salamanders (or were they newts?) we saw in the evening, the mish-mash of thru hikers and shorter distance backpackers and hikers we met along the Pacific Crest Trail. We chose to hike into Bingham Lake the long way, along the rolling up and down of the PCT for 4 hours. There is a shorter hike, around 2 hours, but what can I say, we like to walk. You’ve got to know what to look for to find the lake from the PCT (we didn’t, and got lucky). Once you’re there take the time to scout around for a suitable campsite (there are a few).

This is a beauty of a lake. It wasn’t quite warm enough to swim in for long, but the fish were biting. We talked to a father & son who had good success and ate a fish dinner that night. They’d been at the lake for a couple of days and had hiked to the top of Russian Peak. We just did a quick in and out, so we didn’t get to check out the surrounding area.

Bingham Lake is just one of the destinations in the Russian Wilderness, a tiny little designated area pushed up against the lower boundary of the much larger Marble Mountains Wilderness area. If you’re looking for a summer backpacking trip, the Russians and southern Marbles are a fairly good bet (so far) with this fire season. We saw some smoke, but not much. To learn more visit the Klamath National Forest’s webpage.

If you do head out for some day hiking, backpacking or fishing in the area, be sure to visit the folks at the Callahan Emporium. If you’re going to the Russians it’s on your way, in fact, it’s the only thing on the way. They’ve got a selection of food supplies, fishing tackle, cold drinks and bug spray. You can also order lunch from the bar or stick around until the bar opens up for the night. They’re located on Highway 3 as it passes through Callahan – you can’t miss it. Be sure you bring cash (no ATMs in Callahan) and a tank of gas (you’ll have to go on to Etna to refuel).

This is a great option for a quick backpacking trip. We’re already looking at the map to find our next destination in the Russian. For more on backpacking throughout Siskiyou County, visit our hiking page.

Salamander in Bingham Lake

The PCT heading southbound out of Bingham Lake towards the Russian Wilderness boundary

The Callahan Emporium – check it out, the folks in Callahan are great!

Old Time Rodeo July 26th in Etna

Plan a visit to the Scott Valley for the 32nd Scott Valley Old Time Rodeo on Saturday, July 26th at the rodeo arena just north of Etna on Island Road. The Pleasure Park hosts a pro rodeo earlier in the season, and this later rodeo is a chance for locals to strut their stuff. The little ones get the festivities started at 4pm with Mutton Bustin’ for kids 7 and under and Kid’s Calf Riding for ages 8 to 12, followed by the junior events of Steer Riding and Steer Dobbing – that’s where they chase down a steer on horseback and dab paint on it with a long stick.

The rodeo kicks off with a Grand Entry of Siskiyou cowboys and cowgirls at 5:30 p.m. – you’ve got to see this entrance. The the rodeo gets underway with with Bareback Bronc, Saddle Bronc, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Bull Riding, Girls Barrel Race, Girls Breakaway Roping, and Pole Bending filling up the evening.

The popular team events of CowHide Race and Saddle Cow Riding will also be featured, with the finale of the evening, Bareback Rescue Race.

The infamous Dance-in-the-Dirt follows the rodeo at the concession stands until midnight.

A variety of food is available to purchase at concession stands. You might think about bringing some kind of shade umbrella or maybe even your own lawn chairs.

Admission is $8 for ages seven and older; children six and under are free; senior citizens at $5.

For more information, call Liz Bowen at 530-467-3515.

the 61st Annual Scott Valley Pleasure Park  Rodeo was held on Sunday, May 4, 2008 in Etna.  Pictured below is Siskiyou County Champion Cowboy, Daniel Ferreira, from Fort Jones.   He won the Steer Wrestling.   The weather was perfect — not too hot and not too cold.  Photo taken by Janet Vreeman.

Nicole Luiz, a 5th generation rancher in Fort Jones, won the Scott Valley Pleasure Park Rodeo Queen contest in April 2008.  Nicole reigned over the 61st Annual Pleasure Park Rodeo in Etna on May 4th and will be on-hand for the 32nd Old Time Rodeo on July 26th. 

Weed Carnevale coming up – July 11-13

Weed’s annual summer celebration is coming up this weekend, with carnival rides, music and dancing, a parade, a K9 show, the traditional bocci ball and softball tournaments and the Top of the State Run. It’s all on tap at Bel Air Park, just down the street from the Mt. Shasta Brewery, which has been national press for the controversy over its bottle caps that read “Try Legal Weed”.

The Top of the State, a 5 ml run and 2 ml walk, kicks off the weekend events with an 8am start at Son’s Park, near the high school. The 5ml run offers a part pavement/part trail course. View a map of the course, or download a registration form and join in the fun.

At 11am on Saturday the parade begins in the historic downtown area with local floats and entries. The bocci ball and softball tournies, a local favorite, will follow at Bel Air Park. The Park will have a number of food booths operated by local high school teams promising goodies like fruit smoothies, ice cream, Mexican food, and tasty desserts. There will be other food and commercial vendors on hand as well, to satisfy your cravings when you take a break from the carnival rides.

The Carnevale’s live music schedule starts Friday night with a show at 5:30 pm with by Kanybl Kaow, followed by the Ted Tafaro Quartet at 7pm. Music continues with Los Homely Boys at 8:30 and Rockit playing from 10pm to midnight. Saturday the stage gets going at noon with Wild Blues Yonder. Mt. Shasta Martial Arts and Siskiyou Dance Company will give performances through the afternoon, followed by the Foot Stompin’ Line Dancers at 3:15. The rest of the day includes Pangia with Troupe Mandala California, The Grossi’s, Jesse & Friends, Somethin’ Funky at 7pm, DJ Reunion and Surface Rising from 10:30pm to midnight. Sunday afternoon Ravin’ Moon will play until closing.

Presale tickets for $17 get you a one-day pass for all the carnival rides you want, while it’s $20 at the gate. Go to the Weed Chamber website for more info and to buy tickets.

“Kulcha” in Dunsmuir Sat night

Jim Gilmore, author of the Jefferson Agrarian, likes to refer to culture in the State of Jefferson as “kulcha” and last night in Dunsmuir we certainly had some “kulcha” on hand. Bill Owens, famed photographer of the late 1960s and 1970s was on hand at the Rostel Gallery for the opening of his “Suburbia” show. Owens’ work of documenting the shift from rural America to the suburbs has been compiled into a number of books, and his work was also very influential on young photographers. Gilmore, a photographer himself, was very excited to talk with Owens at the opening, and to see so many art patrons at the show. Owens’ work inspired Gilmore to pursue photography as a young man, he said,  when he saw that photos of regular life could be art.

Owens gave a brief talk about the photos on hand to a packed room at the Rostel. Gallery owners John Rickard and Rika Noda have been bringing quality shows and workshops to the area since they opened the gallery a year ago. John said he was honored to have such an influential photographer showing his work on the anniversary of the Gallery’s opening.

As Owens signed copies of his books and folks chatted, some chose to head down the street to the Brown Trout Gallery & Cafe, where Gilmore was playing with Kanzango Jazz. This entertaining six-piece brought all kinds of diversity to the performance, shifting from gypsy swing to music with a Russian flare. The band’s accordion player strolled among tables, serenading couples.

These two venues on California Avenue in Dunsmuir are  working to bring “kulcha” to Siskiyou County. It’s a great place to enjoy a mellow atmosphere with local folks who are so very grateful for the infusion of art and music. Thanks go out to these local businesses who bring so much to Siskiyou County.

Bill Ownes talking about his work –

Kanzango Jazz playing their gypsy swing at the Brown Trout –

Mt. Shasta 4th of July festivities

Mt. Shasta knows how to throw a 4th of July celebration. It all kicks off with the annual 4th of July run/walk, which drew some 4600 folks this year, I believe. 700-800 adults and kids participated in the run (5mls for adults, 2mls for kids) while the majority of people enjoyed walking in the “parade in reverse” where they passed entertainers and foods booths. This year roving street performers added to the gaiety.

This year’s celebration goes all weekend, so if you’re still in town get down to the main street area for the street fair and live music. Check the big purple bus for the Elv-o-lutionaries’ performance that includes a sword fight and acrobatics from suspended swathes of cloth that hang above the bus. They’ll be starting around noon on Sunday. This was a brand new attraction for the 4th of July, and the folks in the crowd today really enjoyed the performance.

Sunday the downtown vendors open at 10am, with live music on the Castle Street stage beginning at noon. You can also catch the Day in the Son program at the Mt. Shasta City Park from 10-5pm, where you’ll find music, food and family fun.

If you weren’t in town for Mt. Shasta’s celebration, check out this pics and plan to come see us next year. You’ll find info from the Mt. Shasta Chamber of Commerce about the 3-day celebration and info, results and pics from the run/walk from Mountain Runners.

More of the Elv-o-lution show:

Scenes from the 4th of July street fair and run/walk awards presentation:

4th of July music in Etna

The Etna Brewery and Pub was the scene of a fairly impromptu performance by local band Slapshoe Fly on Independence Day. Plenty of folks were in town to hear the band, a favorite from last summer. We enjoyed a nice evening at the Brewery, where you can get a slew of locally made beers from the favorite of the night – the double IPA – to my favorite, the pale Blackberry Blonde. The Brewery fills growlers, so you can take home your favorite if it happens to be one of their in-house specials that they don’t bottle. The Old Grind porter and Mossback IPA are award-winning beers and local faves. We’re talking true microbrew here – the Brewery turns out just 700 barrels of beer a year. There are a number of beers on tap that aren’t bottled for distribution, and you never know when the master brewer will share a new creation.

The return of Slapshoe Fly to the Brewery was well received by their fans. The Brewery is one of the few live music venues in the Scott Valley, where the locals love their music. If you’re in the area, check out Corrigan’s and the Callahan Emporium for live music (see details below).

Coming up later this month people come from all over northern Cali and southern Oregon for the Scott Valley Bluegrass Festival on July 18th, 19th and 20th. The Festival kicks off Friday night with Jammin’ on Main Street, when anybody with an instrument can sit down and play with the bands. Saturday and Sunday feature music all day long under the shade trees of Etna’s City Park. Visit the SV Bluegrass Festival site for a list of bands and info on purchasing tickets.

If you plan on heading over the Scott Valley for a getaway, check out the Gold Country page of VisitSiskiyou.org for area attractions, or click through to Western Siskiyou County lodging info.

Corrigan’s Bar (412 Main Street, Etna, 467.5899): Tuesday night open mic
Etna Brewery & Pub: (131 Callahan Street, Etna, 467.5277): Thurs night music
Callahan Emporium: (Main street of Callahan – can’t miss it, 467.3395) occasional music on Saturdays and Sundays, call for info.