White Christmas!

It’s a snowy Christmas here in the land around Mt. Shasta. Yesterday, Wed, Dec 17th, the skies cleared in the Mt. Shasta area and we got to see a mountain freshly draped in snow. Out in the Shasta Valley it was foggy and cold, with a blanket of snow on the ground. With snow levels down to 400 feet forecasted for the storm coming today, Thurs, Dec 18th, the whole of Siskiyou County should be enjoying a white Christmas.

While we do love the white stuff, be sure to be careful and prepared if you’re traveling through Siskiyou County. With a series of storms coming through Siskiyou County, check the weather report before you travel and come prepared. You can check the Siskiyou County road report (530.842.4438), which gives detailed info for Highways 97, 89 and 3, as well as Interstate 5. Carry chains, extra food, water and clothing in your vehicle in case you get stuck in traffic or parked due to bad road conditions.

Do your best to enjoy the snow and Happy Holidays!

Things to do in the days before Christmas

In the days leading up to the holiday there are plenty of festival things to do in South Siskiyou County. Here are a few suggestions:

• Acoustic Bluegrass Thursday night at the Weed Alehouse: Sample the tasty Mt. Shasta Brewing Co. brews, now famous for their “Try Legal Weed” bottle caps.  Friday night is Blues Band Friday. Live music Thurs and Fri evenings from 6-9pm at 360 College Ave in Weed. Call 938.2394 for info.

• Open Mic Poetry night: Thurs, Dec 18th at the Stage Door in Mt. Shasta. Readings from 7-9pm. If you’d like to join in with the local poets, arrive at 6:30pm to sign up to read.

• Christmas Carol Sing Along: At this traditional family event you can join your voice with the choir to sing Christmas songs. Well know local musicians Kathy Zavada, Anton Mizerak and Erik Burglund will lead the group event. There is also a silent auction that will benefit an unnamed local family  for the holiday. Fri, Dec 19th at 7pm at St. Barnabas Church at 701 Lassen Lane in Mt. Shasta.

• Mt. Shasta Downtown Merchants open Friday night: Businesses will be staying open until 7pm for extended holiday shopping. The Girl Scouts will be caroling to add to the festival atmosphere.

• Kids gift making in McCloud: Kids can make their own holiday gifts at the Kids Holiday Gift Making Day and Lunch at the McCloud Resource Center on Sat, Dec 20th from 10am to 2pm at 304 W. Minnesota Ave. For ages 5-12, includes pizza and a movie. Call 964.3250 for info.

• Santa on Ice: Saint Nic will take to the ice at the Siskiyou Ice Rink in Mt. Shasta on Sat, Dec 20th for Santa on Ice.  Kids can get their photo taken with Santa, who will arrive at 2pm. Siskiyou Ice Rink is located at 800 Rockfellow Drive in Mt. Shasta.

• Kid’s Factory Holiday Gift Making offers kids another opportunity to make gifts, and includes pizza and a movie. For age 5 to 12, from 10am to 2pm at the Kids’ Factory at 4103 Pine Street in Dunsmuir.

Shopping locally for Christmas gifts

Lately everyone has been talking about shopping locally, and we all know we should. After all, it keeps dollars in our local economy, and that benefits all of us. Now that it’s the official high holiday shopping season, let’s look at what you’ll find in some of our Siskiyou County shops where the inventory was personally chosen by owners and staff to fit the character of their shops. When you look at it that way, browsing these unique stores is just another way to come to know our communities better.

South County –
Heart of the Mountain Rustic Country Gifts is home to Mountain Essentials, a growing line of soaps, lotions, candles, bubble bath, foot cream and face crème. Varieties include Mount Shasta Mint, Alpine Sunflower, Avalanche of Apples, Cranberry Crags and Summit Spice. The shop also carries Ritzy Rag Bag handbags, handmade washcloths and soap bags and Suzi’s Handcrafted Rag Rugs that come in some really vibrant colors that remind you of spring.
Heart of the Mountain – 209 N Mount Shasta Blvd, 926-3905

At the Brown Dog Gallery in McCloud you’ll find all kinds of locally made products, from fine art to functional pieces, like hand-woven rugs by Lana Magnuson of Burney. Jim and Claudia Ellis own and operate the gallery, which features Claudia’s paintings, along with a bunch of other regional artists. They’ve also got a selection of homey gifts, from hand-made birdhouses and garden art to Bonny Doon Lavendar Soaps.
Brown Dog Gallery – 307 Pine Street, McCloud, 964-2662

Ruddle Cottage in Dunsmuir is the outlet for the creative energy of artist Jayne Bruck-Fryer, whose curiosity has led her to many unique projects. Fish sculptures made of drier lint, a whole line of jewelry crafted from Java Jackets and decorative pieces made of recycled glass are just part of her collection, along with her watercolor paintings. Be sure to take a close look at the garden cabin walls, which are covered in her handmade glass, pottery and mirror studded mural.
Ruddle Cottage – 5815 Sacramento Ave, Dunsmuir, 235-2022

North County –
At the Tasty-Q in Yreka’s Chamber of Commerce you’ll find a delightful selection of locally made foods. Wini, of Tradewinds along with Terry of Willow Creek Foods, have created a colorful display of gift boxes filled with goodies like peanut brittle, peppermint bark, chocolate covered bananas, toffee peanuts, Miner’s Munch and peanut butter pretzels. Towards the back of the store you’ll find sauces from the Klamath River Barbeque Company, Jefferson State Foods, Willow Creek Foods jalepeno jams, Biancia’s Spreads, Hot Lips Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, and “strawberry horsebite” – a strawberry horseradish sauce.
The Tasty-Q is on the corner of Broadway and Miner Streets, 842-9729

New Traditions Dulcimers and Wood Works just opened in downtown Yreka, and the display in the window will pull you in. Operated by craftsman and musician Dan Daniels, the shop features a selection of stringed instruments and Dan’s wood products, like turned pens, candle snuffers and boxes, made with local woods. This is a great place to visit to appreciate craftsmanship and slip into the bluegrass, folksy feeling of the shop. If you’re interested in music, but don’t count yourself a musician yet, Dan offers lessons on guitar, banjo and dulcimer.
New Traditions Dulcimers and Wood Works – 327 W. Miner St., Yreka, 842-6140

Local art for Christmas in Mt. Shasta and Yreka today!

It’s snowing lightly here in Mt. Shasta – just the kind of flakes that feel nice drifting down onto your cheeks. So get out and about. Today in Mt. Shasta there is an open studio show at 108 Old McCloud (from 10am-2pm) where a number of local potters are selling their wares. The Holiday Craft Fair continues today in Yreka as well, at 412 S. Main Street in the Bottling Works Mall from 10am to 5pm.

These shows offer a great opportunity to buy locally made goods. The show in Mt. Shasta is strictly art -  abstract and realistic paintings, jewelry and lots of pottery: teapots, mugs, bowls, display pieces, spoon holders, decorative plates and more by a group of four local potters. At the Yreka show you’ll see a broader selection, with locally made foods and arts and craft. So get out there and shop – it’s great for all of us!

PS – the Mt. Shasta studio show will be open this coming Mon-Fri, Dec 15th-19th from 3-6pm.

Family Christmas tree cutting – do it at least once

An outing into the woods for a Christmas tree is a wonderful family tradition, and an experience the kids will remember for a lifetime. The peaceful quiet amid the dark trunks of pines, firs and cedars and pale, crisp blue sky create the setting – and if you hurry you can cut in woods free from snow. Going into the woods to pick out and cut a Christmas tree is an experience a family shares and kids remember for a lifetime. It’s something everybody should do once in their life (then you can go back to a plastic tree to conserve).

Finding the best tree is all about elevation. You’ll want to get above 5,000’ to find silver tips, the fir tree with short, upturned needles that is the holiday standard. Above 6,000’ you can find the Shasta red fir – this is a great year for red firs because the typical deep layer of snow hasn’t set in yet. Ponderosa pines live at lower elevations, and a mid elevations you’ll find white pines, which have shorter needles than the ponderosa.

Most Christmas tree cutting is done in the vicinity of Mount Shasta, with the Military Pass Road off Highway 97 being the most popular area for cutting. To the west of the city of Mt. Shasta, the South Fork Road and Castle Lake area are also popular. If you’re heading up Everitt Memorial Highway on the slopes of Mount Shasta be sure to get details from the Forest Service about the cutting restrictions in this area. Outside of McCloud there are a few areas for tree cutting, which see much less traffic. Pilgrim Creek Road is maintained to the snowmobile park and is a good area for white firs. If Forest Service Road 15 to Medicine Lake is plowed, this can be a good area as well. Farther north, on the Klamath National Forest, the Goosenest area has long been a destination for Christmas tree cutting for folks in the Yreka area.

To make this a special family outing, come prepared for anything, especially changing weather. While out in the woods, use the buddy system for kids and adults. As you’re traveling through the forest look ahead and behind for landmarks so you can find your way out, as roads tend to look the same after awhile. Make sure you bring plenty of warm clothing, hat and gloves, warm drinks and food to keep everyone warm and happy in your search for the perfect tree. Finding just that right tree can be an all day event.

Additional tips:
• Prepare for cold weather when going Christmas tree cutting: bring emergency food, water, warm clothes, flashlight, tire chains, shovel, and have a full tank of gas in your 4-wheel drive vehicle.
• Bring a bow saw, rope and tarp to transport the tree.
• Know Forest Service regulations: do not cut within 100-feet of any road or campground, only cut a tree that has a main trunk diameter of four-inches or less, cut trees within 12-inches of the ground and do not top trees.
• Cut your tree early in the season before many of the popular cutting areas become snowbound.

Christmas tree cutting permits ($10) are available from any Ranger Station on the Forest. The Mt. Shasta Ranger Station will be open on the three Saturdays following Thanksgiving, but expect a line. You can also mail the Forest headquarters in Redding to obtain a permit.

If you find yourself in Mt. Shasta with bad weather closing in, don’t worry. The Boy Scouts sell trees in town at The Fifth Season, on the corner of Lake Street and Mt. Shasta Boulevard, on the three weekends following Thanksgiving.

To learn more about winter recreation, lodging and dining services in these areas, go to www.visitsiskiyou.org or call the local visitors bureaus: Mt. Shasta Visitors Bureau 530.926.4865; McCloud Visitors Bureau 530.964.3113; Yreka Visitors Bureau 530.842.1649.

Contact info:
Shasta Trinity Forest Headquarters: 3644 Avtech Parkway, Redding, CA 96002-9241, 530.226.2500.
Mt. Shasta Ranger Station: 204 West Alma St., Mt. Shasta, CA 96067, 530.926.4511
McCloud Ranger Station: POB 1620 McCloud, CA 96057, 530.964.2184.
Klamath National Forest Headquarters: 1312 Fairlane Road, Yreka, CA 96097, 530.841.4569 or 841.4476