A Shasta Valley sunrise view of storm clouds around Mount Shasta.
As usual, I was up early this morning and, seeing the clouds about, decided to head out and see what the sunrise offered. Yesterday was warm but large clouds persisted around the mountain so I was not surprised to see that they had grown significantly during the night. As I set up my camera, I realized that not only was it cloudy, it was actually getting rather stormy. The wind was blowing swiftly and rain began falling.
I know thunderstorms are a common occurrence no matter where one goes but for some reason the feeling in the air and the rain falling reminded me of being back in the Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico. Though that particular wildland is high elevation and alpine, the land at it’s feet is high desert, much like the Shasta Valley. This was not a landscape that I was initially attracted to but I came to have an immense love and appreciation for it during my time in Texas. I am thankful that the Mount Shasta area has a good portion of this kind of terrain.
The sunrise this morning was not unusually spectacular. Rather, it was a demonstration of how mundanely exceptional the landscape around Mount Shasta is. The clouds around the mountain were alight with the rising sun but the really interesting views were further north. The sun rose in between Sheep Rock and Whaleback, dramatically illuminating the lands beneath the peaks. The juniper-studded hills were glowing from the dawn light while the Goosenest rose dramatically above the valley. There was nothing particularly memorable about it but it was all typically amazing.
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