God's Country

In this edition of God's Country, we revisit one of my favorite areas in the world, the vicinity of Mount Shasta in lovely northern California. And like I always say, if you only look at Mount Shasta itself and ignore the surrounding area, you are missing out. I took this photo from an exit off I-5, about three or four miles north of the city of Weed. You are looking in a westerly direction at some low hills that are a part of the Siskiyou or Klamath mountain range - I can't remember which. Mount Shasta is to my left. The Shasta Valley is a beautiful expanse that runs from just north of Weed, to the city of Yreka, about 25 miles away to the north. The valley is full of volcanic rock and hummocks that have been spewed from Mount Shasta over the centuries. The volcanic rock was used during the 1800s by Chinese laborers to build property boundaries in the valley. Many of these low rock walls still stand today; visible from your car as you zoom along on I-5.

Good Day to You, Sir