So much has been written about the glacier-crowned Mt Shasta -- including accounts of its supposedly hollow interior housing refugees from a lost continent -- that one is tempted to take a skeptical attitude toward the over-exploited peak. The mountain rises 14,161 feet above the surrounding forests.
Mt. Shasta, known as "Skell" to the Klamath and Modoc natives who lived between Mt. Mazama, now known as Crater Lake, and Mt. Shasta, were in the vicinity when the two gods -- Llao and Skell -- would battle each other. Skell finally got the upper hand when he cast a lightning bolt at Llao, decapitating his foe.
One of the things I love about hanging with various and sundry members of The Committee is that we were subject to pick up and go climbing on a whim. On this particular adventure, we packed the van and headed to Lake o' the Woods at the base of Mt. McLaughlin for a campout, followed by a hike up the mountain.
Known as the "Sentinel of Southern Oregon," the mountain tops out at 9,493 feet and is the highest peak between Mt. Shasta and the Three Sisters. To the east of Mt. McLoughlin is Klamath Lake, the largest body of fresh water in Oregon. The climb is not technically difficult, but it does require a six-mile uphill trek.
