What a Neat, Easy Hike . . .

Sal and I decided to take a day off. Huevos Rancheos at Lalos in Mt. Shasta, walk the new Lake Siskiyou Trail, and then wash the car. Wow, what an agenda . . we're more tired now than if we'd worked all day.

But back to the trail. What a neat walk. Almost completely level it begins at the first parking area on the north shore road which you access from W A Barr Road leading to Lake Siskiyou which is before you get to the dam.

We had already walked the first mile or so and this time we kept driving to the second parking area to take the second leg. It follows the lakeshore to almost where the Sacrameto River enters the lake. There was a third parking area there and we turned around.

Most of the reason was because of the eye-flies . . . those bb-size varmits that buzz around your eyes and ears. They never land or bite but they targeted Sal and my oak-branch switch nonwithstanding, drove her to annoyance. I think it's because of her natural sweet nature.

So if you go, take a repellent. Sal thinks they followed us home, though.

Lake Siskiyou

Sally and I were getting burned-out studying for our brokers' exams so we went over to this beautiful lake just outside Mt. Shasta city. We've been there many times as we lived just over the ridge in the old Brown Shasta Ranch for 34+ years and we had hiked, boated, and fished this deep lake for years. It's fed by the three branches of the Sacramento River coming down off the Eddies and was created to control flooding downstream.

The water level remains near-constant year-round and the temperature is quite cold at depth, allowing good stocks of trout and, some say, even sturgeon near the deepest parts by the dam. You can rent patio boats, kayaks, paddle boats, fishing boats, and even an excursion canoe to enjoy the lake's many coves. There is a large campground with store, cafe, swimming beach, and marina to serve the many tourists that come every year. Our 4th of July fireworks are done over this lake every year, too.

Anyway, we took the North Shore Road which takes off W A Barr Road before you get to the dam itself and before the west entrance to the Mt. Shasta Resort, a championship golf course with rental chalets on the lake. The reason we did this is that there is a trail a-building that begins near this Wagon Creek arm of the lake. The trail will someday encircle the lake but for now you can walk on a comfortably level grade for almost three miles along the north shore.

It was so peaceful and quiet. No crowds. No parking problems. Not many people, either. Just the cure.