Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4.
Dunsmuir
On the way to Dunsmuir, I-5 continues alongside the Sacramento River, which courses
through brush- covered canyons beside the Southern Pacific Railroad. The trains that
steamedthroughherewereinstrumentalinthetown'sgrowth,andanoldrailroadingcenter
offers visitors a glimpse of those earlier days.
Dunsmuir is also known for its drinking water, which comes from an underground
spring and is bottled for nationwide export. Take a sip at one of the public fountains, then
decide whether or not the town's nickname, Home of the Best Water on Earth, is truly de-
served.
5.
Mt. Shasta
Shasta's great peak—visible from more than a hundred miles away—beckons travelers
along much of this drive. By day it appears as a proud monarch topped with a crown of
snow, but its slopes, smoldering in the glow of the evening's last light, have also been
likened to a giant ember. From all angles and in all guises, though, Mt. Shasta, cresting at
14,179 feet, is a delight to behold and an inspiring monument to the volcanic past. For a
closer look and an eagle's-eye view of the region, follow Everitt Memorial Highway (Rte.
A-10), which makes a relatively easy climb nearly halfway to the glacier-clad summit.
The Shasta Indians, inhabitants of this area when pioneers arrived, had a rich folklore
to explain the natural world. According to their famous Grizzly Legend, the Chief of the
Sky Spirits grew weary with the ice and snow in heaven, so he opened a hole in the sky
with a rock and in doing so formed a cone-shaped pile below. Seeing that the work was
good, the god moved his wife and children to the mountain's inner core. When the volcano
rumbled, hurtling sparks high into the air, the natives claimed that meant the Chief of the
Sky Spirits was tossing a log on the family fire.
With a lot less mythic dash, scientists explain that Mt. Shasta's great bulk—its base
spans a distance of 17 miles—has contained within it at least four separate volcanic cones.
The mountain's fairly symmetrical shape was formed over the centuries—some speculate
100,000 years were required—as one eruption after another discharged lava, with later
flows coming to rest atop earlier ones.
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