Burney Falls & Mount Shasta

It was a long but uneventful day as we rolled into the town of Mount Shasta (at the foot of the actual Mount Shasta).   Even though Mount Shasta is a bit shorter than Mount Whitney at 14,179 vs 14,505 feet it strikes us as more impressive since it stands alone -- Mount Whitney mostly blends in to the massive wall that is the eastern face of the Sierras.     In any case, it's a tremendous sight from all angles.

Earlier in the day we had a bit of good fortune.   Yesterday, we'd elected to take the 10 mile (net) detour into the town of Burney to spend the night since the next campground along our route, Burney Falls State Park, was listed as being reservation only and we were also unsure what sort of resupply options it had.   Well, we should have researched a bit more.    As we rolled by the park entrance about 10 miles into our ride this morning we'd planned to just roll on by but instead decided to duck in to use their restrooms.   

As we rolled in we noticed that it seemed to be a beautiful spot generally but then as we headed back out we saw a sign saying that the falls overlook was just a few feet away.    We stopped the bike and walked over.   Wow!   We were witnessing the most movingly beautiful falls we'd ever seen.   Our pictures do it no justice of course -- for a bit of scale perspective when you look at the one I've included here know that it's 129 feet from the top of the falls to the bottom.    That's not what makes them what they are .. I don't know how to describe them really .. just know that if you're headed up Highway 89 between Mount Lassen and Mount Shasta, stopping in to see Burney Falls is an absolute "must do".  

Tomorrow we hope to make it all the way to Ashland, OR -- and by 5pm when the P.O. closes.   That'll be a record distance for us at 77 miles -- if we make it!

All the best, David

p.s. Jay, our bird man bicyclist from Bishop reports that our last mystery bird was a Blue Grouse.   More specifically, my mother adds that it is most likely a Sooty Grouse, one of two species that once shared the label "Blue Grouse".