Castle Lake to Castle Crags

There is not much to say about this trip. I needed to get away from Sacramento and work for a little while, I didn’t have too much time… so I sacrificed sleep and left around 12:45AM. I drove to Castle Lake, parked, and then hiked to the ridge above Heart Lake in order to watch the sun peak out from behind Mt. Shasta. It was beautiful, and even the first weak rays brought warmth to my chilled body.

I had always figured that it would not be too difficult to hike from Castle Lake to the Castle Crags, and for the most part I was able to cut over without too much difficulty. There were little dear trails, rocky patches, and breaks in the Manzanita brush here and there that allowed me to cut over without having to wade through too much brush.

10.13K round trip

While I was able to find my way through, there is no denying that the land is rough and wild out there. The Manzanita brush seemed to stymie my progress at every turn, the cold wind bit at any exposed skin while finding any chink in my armor to steal my warmth, and the thin air silently taxed my system like a parasite always demanding more and more. Granite spires would shoot up blocking my path, and I would turn only to find a cliff around the next corner. I couldn’t help but think of Saruman’s words from The Fellowship of the Ring:

“And if that fails, where then will you go? If the mountain defeats you, will you risk a more dangerous road?”

There was plenty of danger for me, and being alone, I was careful to ask myself questions like?

    -If you fell here.. would you die?

    -If you climb up that.. could you safely climb back the same way?

    -If you twist your knee or ankle here, how far is help?

It is amazing how what can be described as rough, brutal, harsh, and unforgiving can at the same time be described as beautiful and breathtaking.

“Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course He isn’t safe, but he is good. –Mr. Beaver, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

While the hike was good fun and good exercise the best part of the day was yet to come. After relaxing in my hammock at the edge of the lake and eating some typical Eric food, I headed down to my friends the Fritzke’s house. How wonderful is it to have friends and family on whom you can knock on the door unexpectedly and be invited in for meals, fellowship, and a place to rest a weary body and mind. Mt. Shasta truly is a second home for me. While I do enjoy the wild outdoors, spending time with people will always be more fulfilling for me, and it was certainly the highlight of my impromptu trip.

[As I was slapping myself in the face and biting my fingers in order to stay awake, I decided that the most dangerous part of the trip was driving back to Sacramento]