Squaw Valley Creek Trail photo by John Soares
If you’re visiting the Mt. Shasta area in early July this year and want to go hiking, you’ll need to do some research and plan to stay low. With such a big snow year the upper elevation trails are still snow-bound, so you’ll want to find trails at lower elevations or else go post holing through the snow (not so fun). The Mt. Shasta Trail Association has wonderful descriptions of area trails. So this July, you’ll want to look at trails in the McCloud and Castle Crags areas.
The photo to the right, posted by hiking book author John Soares, is of the Squaw Valley Creek trail outside of McCloud, where the Mt. Shasta Trial Association assisted in work to complete the trial. Also in that area you’ll find the McCloud River Trail, which takes you past waterfalls and through beautiful forest. If you really want to get out in the wilderness, the McCloud River Preserve Trail is way out in the woods where you’ll walk along the gorgeous river. On my hike out there we saw butterflies and tiger lilies in bloom and took a dip in the chill, crystal clear waters of the McCloud.
To the south, the Castle Crags area offers many trails, some in the state park and others outside of it. The Burstarse Falls trail is quite popular and the falls may still have quite a bit of water in early July. Indian Creek and Flume Trials offer a nice hike through the woods and connect with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) for more mileage. You’ll find thorough information about these trails both on the Mt. Shasta Trail Association website and on John Soares’ Northern California Hiking Trails blog.
If you’re interested in hiking sections of the PCT you’ll want to check in with the Forest Service (Mt. Shasta Ranger Station: 530.925.4511 or McCloud Ranger Station: 530.964.2184) for trail conditions. Aside from heavy snow, there has also been some tree fall due to heavy storms and some of the trails still have significant debris down on them. Castle Lake and the trail to Heart Lake still have snow on them in early July to the degree that you’ll want to take snowshoes if you want to attempt to get to Heart Lake. All of these things are true for the trails on Mt. Shasta as well.
If you’re thinking about backpacking trips, the Shasta Trinity National Forest just released a 13-page report on snow and debris conditions in the Trinity Alps Wilderness. You can find the report and trip descriptions on Northern California Hiking Trials.
Check out the recent post from hiking guru John Soares about the Siskiyou Wanderers April schedule. The Wanderers is an informal group of locals who schedule hikes year round – so they know where to go as we’re all waiting for the snow to melt to expose the higher trails. Visitors can join the Wanderers – just give them a call ahead of time (you’ll find contact info on their website). April’s hikes will take you all over Siskiyou County – from Lovers’ Leap in the Scott Valley to Black Mountain outside of Montague to the Carter Mountain ski/snowshoe planned for April 2nd.
You’ll also find lovely spring hiking at Castle Crags State Park. Right now the spring run off is creating numerous small, seasonal waterfalls that can only be enjoyed this time of year. You can access the Pacific Crest Trail from in the Park, or from farther up Castle Creek Road at the Dog Trail (so named because you can take your dogs there, whereas they are not allowed in the Park). From the Dog Trail you climb up to the PCT. Head northbound when you hit the PCT (that’s left if you’ve lost your bearings) and hike for an hour or so to see Burstarse Falls – a local favorite. Plan to bring a picnic lunch to savor at the falls before hiking back out. It’s a bit early, but keep your eye out for emerging wildflowers – the Crags is known for its orchids. For a complete description of the Burstarse Falls hike, go to the Mt. Shasta Trail Association’s site. You’ll also find detailed descriptions of other hikes in Castle Crags State Park.
Hiker and author John Soares recently talked with series host Cindy Summers at KSYC in Yreka for the first installment of a new Siskiyou County adventure program. He shared informationa about the Lake Siskiyou Trail, the work of the Mt. Shasta Trail Association, and exceprts from his guidebooks 100 Classic Hikes in Northern California and 75 Hikes in California’s Mount Shasta and Lassen Volcanic National Park Regions. John also mentioned one of his favorite hikes, The Pacific Crest Trail to the Deadfall Lakes and the Mount Eddy summit, which you can read about on his website. To enjoy the show, tune in to 102.3 in south Siskiyou County and 101.7 in north Siskiyou County every Thursday just after noon.
To learn more about hiking in Siskiyou County and the North State, visit John’s website.
Photo of Deadfall Lake in June 2008 just as the wildflowers were starting, by Renee Casterline (it’s one of my favorites too).
I just learned about John Soares’ www.northerncaliforniahikingtrails.com – a great resource for those looking to hike in Siskiyou County and the rest of Northern California. The website encourages viewers to purchase his books, and it also include his blog, where you can read about recent adventures and seasonal hiking options. Scroll down through recent posts to his entry on fall hiking to Seven Lakes Basin, just over the divide to the west of Mt. Shasta. You can read a description of this hike, which is also a very nice, easy overnight backpacking trip for those in the Mt. Shasta area.
You’ll find trip reports from the region – including hiking at Lassen Volcanic National Park and rafting on the Klamath River. Read about other local adventurers, like mountain climber and former multi-sport racer Laurie Bagley. John recently posted photos of folks enjoy the McCloud River Waterfalls this summer as well as photos from the Squaw Valley Creek trail outside of McCloud. You’ll find links to descriptions of those trails too. You can sort through hiking and backpacking tips and other categories of outdoor related information that will certainly add to the quality of your outings.
This is a great resource for anyone looking to get out on the trails with a bit more information and local insight. Enjoy!
Hiking/Backpacking | Visit Siskiyou July 4, 2010 | 
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