January 2022 turned out to be a very beautiful month here in Mount Shasta. Admittedly, there was not nearly as much precipitation as we hoped for but, despite the frustratingly dry conditions this month, it has a been a spectacularly scenic month.
It began with the last legs of the storms that dominated December, with snow still piling up. Less than a week into the month, the weather system broke and warm, sunny weather set in. The beautiful conditions meant it was time to get out and hit the trails as much as possible. Most of our activity has been at Truchas Ridge, but I did manage to get to a few other locations around Mount Shasta to photograph the mountain and enjoy some snowy conditions.
There were a few lenticulars this month and, while some had potential to be great, none ever rose to the level of truly memorable. In spite of this, there have been some really incredible sunrises and sunsets. Clouds, the moon, and brilliant colors all added together to make for a magical spectacle time and again on the mountain.
Naturally other mountain areas, particularly Mount Eddy and the Castle Crags, stamp their own beauty in the minds of those who can manage to break their gaze away from Mount Shasta. Moreover, the individual details on the mountain dry the eye just as the totality of the mountain can. This was a good month for both, as conditions were magnificent not just on Mount Shasta but in the Trinity Divide as well.
The beauty can be fleeting, and is certainly always in motion. When out trying to capture the awesome light displays on Mount Shasta, I was able to capture enough images to put together a couple of time-lapses of sunset and sunrise on the mountain. The beauty was immense.
It was a beautiful month out at the ridge too. Though the fresh snow eventually gave way and got a little sparser on Mount Shasta, the mountain still looked majestic and there area remained stunningly beautiful. I am really looking forward to spring out there, when everything turns lush and green.
Ultimately, the month of January was drier than we wanted but a spectacular one. Although there is another week of dry weather on the horizon, we can hope that the precipitation that dominated December will return and we can enjoy some more snow soon. Until that happens, we can be grateful for the beauty we were blessed with this month!