The north of California heralded the end of my California road trip. What better way to leave this beautiful state than with a visit to the enigmatic Mt Shasta. Imposing and mysterious, Mt Shasta dominates the skyline for hundreds of miles. The last in a chain of dormant volcanoes, it’s snow covered peak towers above the surrounding forests and lakes. For centuries it has been the spiritual heart of Northern California, both for modern new age spiritualists and the Native American peoples before them, including the Shasta’s and the Modoc’s. It’s easy to see why.
A trek up the foothills of this sacred place is still and quiet. Pine trees dot the slopes and the peacefulness permeates everything around. Even the clouds seem to drift by deliberately slowly. Back in Mt Shasta City, crystal shops and Tibetan prayer flags dominate the streets, as a constant reminder of the magnetic pull many feel to the mountain above.