Pie Social, Mushroom and Wine Festival for Memorial Day Weekend

Don’t miss the Annual Pie Social this weekend during Dunsmuir’s Dogwood Daze. The event is a celebration of the spring beauty to be found trees blossoming throughout Dunsmuir. The Pie Social is in the Dunsmuir Historic Depot on Saturday. Last year’s Pie Social was so popular that the all day Pie Social sold out: 42 Pie Bakers donated 118 Pies. Imagine all the yummy possibilities!! Be sure to get there early this year for a slice or a whole pie. Proceeds support the maintenance of the Amtrak Depot and re-establishment of the Dunsmuir Museum.

Also coming up this Memorial Day Weekend is McCloud Mushroom Festival and Wine Festival where a host of mushrooms, wines and live entertainment are on tap.

You can also pay tribute this Sunday at the Living Memorial Sculpture Garden at the Memorial Day Service beginning at 10am on Sunday in honor of veterans who have died in the line of duty. The service will take place at the Hot LZ Wall where Dr. John B. Runnells will be the Master of Ceremony and Robert Menzies will perform the invocation and benediction. Call 530-938-2218 for details.

The Living Memorial Sculpture Garden is a site to see, with a collection of metal sculpture set across several acres of high desert land outside of Weed. If you haven’t been, it’s definitely worth visiting and can be toured on foot or by car.

Mt. Shasta Lavender Farms open til July 19th!

Mom and I finally made the trip to the Mt. Shasta Lavender Farms on Saturday, and boy, what a treat – row upon row of brilliant lavender buzzing with happy bees, the scent filling the air and the mountain rising up over the Shasta Valley beyond. We went the in afternoon, when it was hot, but the lavender lemonade in the villa was quite refreshing. When we arrived the Farm was also buzzing with people – some where sitting at shaded tables outside the villa, others were set up in the rows with tripods and cameras in photographic bliss, while a few painters had staked out spots in the field where they were committing the scene to canvas. We saw folks walking the new Lavender Labyrinth, and wandering the rows looking for the perfect stems to take home. The farm is open for just one month a year – from mid June to mid July, when the public can come out and enjoy the setting and cut their own stems. You can get 100 stems for $3, as well as the many treats available in the villa. We came home with the lovely lavender-lemon cookies baked by Ms. Lynn’s Tea in Montague.

The farm is open daily from 9am to 4pm (try to go in the morning if it’s going to be a hot day). It’s located off Highway 97 – turn west onto A-12, then look for the signs. This year the farm is open until July 19th, so get out there while you can.

Veterans Appreciation Day in Yreka on May 16th, Memorial Service on 24th

The traditional event to honor veterans in Siskiyou County is the Memorial Day service at the Hot LZ Wall at the Living Memorial Sculpture Gardens, outside of Weed. But this year a new event, the Siskiyou County Veterans Appreciation Day, held on Armed Forces Day (May 16th), will be held to help living veterans to understand their benefits and available services. The event will also include a bit of show: the American Legion Post #260 of Etna will do colors, and the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors will be at the opening ceremony. The Young Marines of Northern Calif. and Southern Oregon will do the Pledge of Allegiance and a drill team presentation, to be followed by a seven-man rifle volley and the echo playing of Taps. There may even be a fly-over as Taps is playing. Barbara Ward, Deputy Director of the Women’s Veteran’s Affairs of California, will be the keynote speaker and Marge Wheeler of Mount Shasta, a Vietnam veteran and nurse, will provide musical entertainment along with the local band Rockit, who will also be performing at lunch and to end the day’s events.
The City of Yreka, Human Services, UC Davis, VA Northern California Health Care, Siskiyou Ministerial Association, Siskiyou VFW Posts and Madrone Hospice are participating in the event, and there will be informational booths from various veteran and service organizations that offer things like healthcare options and help with heating costs. One booth, called Horses for Heroes, offering horse therapy for vets, will include someone in the booth to explain their program. The Redding Outpatient Clinic/VA Clinic of Northern California will have a doctor on hand to talk to vets about a new clinic that will be opening in Yreka in the near future, and the VA in White City, Ore., will also have a booth to answer eligibility and other questions for local vets.
The Armed Forces Day event will be held at the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds in Yreka. A breakfast, free to vets and $3 otherwise, is from 8-10am. The music and resource fair is from 9am to noon with the appreciation ceremony at noon. Lunch is from 1-2pm with the closing at 2pm.

The Memorial Day service at the Hot LZ Wall at the Living Memorial Sculpture Garden is set for 2pm on May 24th and will include the reading of names of new veterans to be added to the Wall, a color guard, Taps and a gun salatue (bring a chair if you need to be seated). The Hot LZ Wall is part of the sculpture garden, which features poingnant sculptures created by a Vietnam vet, and can be toured on foot or by car (don’t miss this!). The Living Memorial Sculpture Garden is located just off Highway 97 13 miles north of Weed.

Dogwoods are blooming in Dunsmuir

A post from our friend Joanne (a Dunsmuir resident):
It’s the dogwood blooming season, and well worth a tour of the little town of Dunsmuir to see. The riot of pinks and whites against a dozen shades of spring greens is dressing dozens of yards from the river roads of South Dunsmuir to the quiet streets of north Dunsmuir.
Take a minute to go to Google Maps, type in “Dunsmuir, CA 96025 and get a map of the town. Starting at the south end of town, keep your eyes open for color along Dunsmuir Ave. Then, when you reach Branstetter Ave., turn up the hill to Elinore and turn left. This street has some of the most spectacular Dogwoods in town. Cross the river on Bridge St. and drive South 1st and 2nd, then take Sacramento Ave. back through town. There are several beauties right next to the Brown Trout – a great lunch and coffee stop.
From here, you’re on your own. Keep your eyes open for the startling white against the deep green of the pine forest and the lovely shades of pink gracing huge trees and enchanting tiny specimens taking center stage in beautiful gardens. Don’t miss the trees on Upper Soda and Masson just after you cross the big bridge into North Dunsmuir. And continue further past Cave Springs to Wells and Gleaves watching for the tree with both white and pink flowers. The northern most stop is Patricia Way, with some real beauties right at the end of the street.

The season for dogwoods is short, so plan a nice Mother’s Day drive this weekend, with brunch at Cornerstone or A Wild Thyme, or dinner at Sengthong’s or Café Maddalena.

Yreka graces the pages of Via Magazine’s May issue

Yreka is featured in the May ’09 issue of Via Magazine. According to the Siskiyou Daily News, “The two-page piece, by Peter Jaret, begins, “About the odd name. Some sources say it means ‘white mountain’ in the language of the Shasta Indians. Others think it arose from a misspelling of eureka. And then there’s the tale of a traveler passing through the booming California Gold Rush town who saw a canvas sign for a new bakery being hung and, reading if from behind and backward, mistook it for the name of the town. Yreka!”
The article gives a brief history of Yreka and features two photographs of West Miner Street and inside the Siskiyou County Museum. It also provides information on Yreka Gold Rush Day, set for June 20 this year, and in a section titled “If you’re going … ,” notes a number of area basics, attractions, shops, restaurants, hotels and coming events.”

Touring the Little Shasta Valley and Montague

We went for a long afternoon drive yesterday through the Little Shasta Valley, which lies well to the east of I-5. It’s secluded and full of cattle pastures and rolling hills. We headed out because my husband was in the mood for a drive and he wanted to photograph the Little Shasta Church. The Church is very well maintained and picturesque, and quite popular for wedding. We’ve got a very striking photo of it at home, and wanted to see what we could with our own cameras. We took Harry Cash Road up from A-12, because it’s so pretty (that’s where the Mt. Shasta Lavender Farms is located). We went through the old gate and walked the lawn at the church, shooting photos and admiring the curtains of spring rain (they weren’t falling on us at the time). Then we took a little side trip into Montague for snacks and drinks at the mini mart (you can gas up here too). Then we headed back out into the Little Shasta Valley. We did a loop past the Shasta Valley Wildlife Refuge, and we surprised at the amount of water in that area and the geese floating on the shallow pools. The loop out to Hart Road brought us back to Harry Cash Road, and so back to the Church. We stopped again.

Once we stopped at the Church we decided to head off onto some side roads, and what a wonderful afternoon that made for. We drove past the old Soule Ranch, with it’s glorious 120-year old Queen Ann Victorian that, while in need of refurbishment, just pulses with life. We stopped at the Historical Marker on the corner of Soule Lane to read about Tailholt, a town started in the 1880s that survived up into the 1930s. According to the marker, Tailholt had a post office, grist mill, saloon, blacksmith shop, race track, ball field and a few houses, until it disappeared. All you see know is an open pasture where the Soule’s cattle used to graze.

Then we wandered out Willow Creek Road, passing Table Rock, Solomons Temple and Temple Rock. The road took us up and down many hills, through a narrow drainage in these hills touched with the subtle green and pick of lower growing spring grasses and flowers. We simply enjoyed being out in the spring weather, seeing the new growth of spring and exploring roads we’d never been on. There weren’t any attractions to stop for, no tourist shops or interpretive signs, just wide open country that felt remote and protected. On our way out to Airport Road we stopped to take photos of a small heard of bison, and then later we saw antelope.

We headed north, thinking about going up to Hornbrook, but turned aside at Ager-Beswick Road, which goes out to Copco Lake. We saw the marker for the old stage stop that reads “All Roads Lead to Ager” and the old Ager Hotel. Again a very hilly, remote setting; although certainly more houses out here. We turned back after awhile, not wanting to drive all the way back to the lake. We passed Shasta View Vineyards, then stopped in Montague, thinking of dinner. The Corner Club was advertising fettucino alfredo as its dinner special, and that place is always good for a steak. We thought about visiting our friends at Shepherds Dream, where we got our super comfy wool comforter, but it was late in the evening, so we headed south back to Mt. Shasta.

For any of you yearning for a nice Sunday drive (no matter what day of the week it is), I highly recommend this drive. The country is beautiful and kinda lonesome, and there is something new to see over every hilltop. Keep your eyes in the fields and hills where you’ll all kinds of beauty (and maybe some buffalo). Take a map, if you’re not the sort to trust your sense of direction and luck. We found a northern California map that has all of the little side roads on it, although a Klamath National Forest map will help too. You can find suggestions for other scenic drives in the area at VisitSiskiyou.org. If you’re doing this drive in the summer, you can even contemplate taking a road over the hills and into Butte Valley for a longer adventure (be sure you’ve got a full tank of gas for this one). It’s a wonderful thing, driving around with no destination in mind, and something we’re lacking in our fast-paced world. Sunday drives are a thing of our childhood, and it was with child-like delight that we explored the Little Shasta Valley.

Mutton Busting at the Pleasure Park – May 3rd

The Siskiyou County Mutton Busting Series kicks off next weekend at the 62nd Annual Pleasure Park Rodeo, starting at noon on Sunday, May 3rd just outside of Etna. This the the first of the local junior events that will lead to the championship contest that will be held at the Siskiyou Golden Fair on Saturday, August 15th. The junior events start the day, with the professional rodeo starting at 1:30pm with bareback bronc riding.

The pro rodeo brings cowboys from around he West for traditional events like saddle bronc, team roping, calf roping, bull riding, steer wrestling, girls barrel racing and girls breakaway roping. This is a long tradition in the Scott Valley and rodeo weekend is big fun.  Saturday evening is jackpot team roping, starting at 6pm, and you can watch for free. Sunday morning starts with the Jobs Daughters all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast at the Masonic Hall in Etna from 6-11am. The parade starts at 10:30am, giving you plenty of time to watch, before heading out the rodeo grounds for the pre-rodeo at noon with kids calf riding and mutton busting. Events for local adults are saddle cow riding and junior steer riding.

First place mutton busting winners from the Scott Valley Pleasure Park Rodeo (May 3), the Montague Junior Rodeo (May 23-24), the Scott Valley Junior Rodeo (May 25), the Sheriff’s Posse (June 27) and the Scott Valley Pleasure Park Old Timers Rodeo (July 25) will compete at the championships at the Siskiyou Golden Fair Rodeo. Saddle cow riding winners will also advance to a championship to be held at the Fair in August. After an afternoon at the rodeo grounds you’re bound to be hungry, so sit down with the locals and the cowboys at the Annaul Ham Dinner at the Grange Hall out in Greenview. Or stop by the suggested Etna options described below.

This event is a hoot! And it’s a great excuse to head out to the Scott Valley, about 30 minutes drive west of I-5 from Yreka. Scott Valley is home to a lot of agricultural land – right now the alfalfa is being irrigated and it’s just beautiful over there (great for cyclists). The little towns of Fort Jones, Etna, Callahan and Greenview don’t see a lot of traffic from visitors – you’ve got to be willing to slow down, look around and talk to the locals if you’re really going to get a sense for the place.

You’ll want to stop at the Etna Brewery for lunch, then walk up the hill to Scott Valley Drug to savor a big, fat delicious ice cream sundae. You can also check out pizza or the Western Burger rodeo special at the Etna Deli on Main Street. Bob’s Ranch House, out towards the north end of town on Highway 3, is a favorite place to get a big dinner. Have a look around town, and if you’re an outdoor lover, start asking the locals where to hike, fish, horseback ride and backpack come summer. The Scott Valley is the jump off point for more backcountry trails than you’d care to count. With the Scott and Salmon Rivers nearby you’ll want to talk about swimming holes and spring rafting; with the Russian and Marble Mountain Wildernesses ringing the Valley you’ll want to talk about trails. Stop in at the Ranger Station in Fort Jones to hear about which trails melt out the earliest and high mountain lakes with the best fishing. Take this opportunity to plan, because seriously, you’ll want to do it all, and most of us just don’t have time for that.

Now, back to the May 3rd rodeo. The rodeo grounds are just out of town on Highway 3, if you ask around you’ll find it easy enough. You’ll notice there is another rodeo coming up at the Pleasure Park on July 25th – come on back for that one too! The Scott Valley Bluegrass Festival July 18th & 19th is a two-day, family-friendly event that is a great time in the Valley. This place is so beautiful it’s real easy to fall in love. You’ll wanna come back.

Do your snow dance at the Snow Ball Jan 24th

The Snow Ball is the annual celebration of winter fun – a chance to get out and boogie. So come join the locals at the 7th Annual Friends of the Avalanche Center Snow Ball on Jan 24th at the Mt. Shasta City Park. Doors open at 6pm for socializing and perusing the wonderful selection of raffle and silent auction items that includes backcountry and avalanche related hardware, clothing and local business gift certificates with a grand prize of a complete avalanche safety package including beacon, shovel and probe.

Dinner is served at 6:30pm with chicken, beef and vegetarian selections from the fab team of barbecue-ers from the Mt. Shasta Supermarket. At 8pm The Bucky Walters Band brings it mix of modern Bluegrass to the stage. Be sure to bring your dancing shoes, because this crowd likes to boogie. You can dance till midnight in this winter festival that always draws a crowd.

The Snow Ball will be held at the Mt Shasta City Park, 1315 Nixon Road, in Mt Shasta. You can find tickets at The Fifth Season, Shasta Base Camp and Village Books. $27 includes dinner, band and raffle; $15 for band only after 8pm. Beer and wine will be for sale, and drinks are available for all ages.

Be sure to visit the  Friends of the Avalanche Center website for dates of the last of the Avalanche Awareness Presentations and Transceiver clinics to be held in February.

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!

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