Shasta Valley Wildlife Area Field Trip on May 7

Shasta Valley Wildlife Area

In celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, the Klamath National Forest will be sponsoring a bird watching field trip on Saturday, May 7th at the Shasta Valley Wildlife Area, located approximately 3 miles East of Montague, at 1724 Ball Mountain Road. This event is open to everyone and will be a day of bird watching led by local biologists and bird experts. For more information contact Sam Cuenca at 530-468-5351.

The Klamath-Siskiyou bioregion is noted for having a diversity of geology and vegetation. It is an area of overlap of the Cascade, Sierra Nevada, and coast ranges and has plant communities representing each of these zones. This contributes to the wide range of bird species that occur here. Any season of the year is good for bird watching in our valleys and mountains. We are now approaching spring and early summer when many long distant migrant species are showing up from points south to breed in Siskiyou County. This is the time of year when warblers, osprey and turkey vultures make their long journeys to spend the summer months in the various habitats of the Klamath Mountains.

There are many bird watching opportunities on the National Forest, wildlife areas, local parks and even backyards. This is a very enjoyable and inexpensive activity for curious people of all ages. Birdwatching skills could be developed with a simple walk along a creek or trail. All that is needed is a pair of binoculars and a bird identification book (which are available locally), and a sense of wonder. For more information please contact your local Forest Service office.

(From a Klamath National Forest press release)

Go caving: Plutos Caves outside of Yreka

Pluto's Cave in Klamath National Forest

Pluto’s Cave was one of the spots I went as a kid: school trips, church groups, friends – we all loved to go. I remember getting to a part of this cave once where we were crawling on our bellies in fine volcanic dust. That may not be your preference, but the larger chambers at the openings are fun to explore. Now this is recognized by the Klamath National Forest, and there are some picnic tables near the parking area and signs to help you find the cave. Despite the signs, you’ll still have to hunt around to find the right opening (there are a few collapses near the parking lot) that will provide access to the long reaches of the lava tube. If you’re there in the summer or fall, keep an eye out for rattlesnakes while you’re above ground.

In reading about Pluto’s Cave, I learned that it is larger than many of the lava caves in the Hawaiian Islands. It certainly feels big as you are creeping through the dark and coolness of the underground world. If you go, be sure to bring extra batteries for your flashlight or headlamp. I can tell you from experience that it adds an unexpected layer of adventure to be in a cave in the dark and have to find your way out. There is a trail through much of this cave, so you can pick your way down an established route through the crumpled, rocky floor of the cave. It’s fun thing to do and an interesting way to experience the volcanic history of the area. You can see various layers of lava flows in the walls and get a sense for the massive forces that shaped this area.

The Klamath National Forest website does provide information about how to find the caves, but it’s an easy turn to miss, so you might want to call the KNF (530-842-6131) before heading out, just to get some idea of what to look for along the road and what to look for to find the right entrance to the cave.

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.

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