THE UPPER SACRAMENTO RIVER CANYON
The
Sacramento Rivers and its tributary streams are clear, limpid and beautifully
foliaged on their margins, and, as a general rule, furnish grand sport for the
angler. The fish of these streams are the Rainbow and Dolly Varden trout. lt
maybe remarked here that no infallible rules can be laid down as to when the
Shasta County trout will bite, or what he will bite at;
that all depends upon his whims of the season The
angler should, of course, take a good variety of flies, but he will oftentimes
find himself compelled to resort to the natural bait of the country, such as
angleworms, grasshoppers, etc. On many of the streams there is a species of natural fly of a
brown or sepia tint that is often more taking than anything in the artificial
line.
Traveling
northward from Castle Crag the canyon becomes more rugged and picturesque, the
walls are more precipitous, and the river, confined in its narrow. rocky
channel, rushes in turbulent white rapids over its stony bed. The first object
that particularly attracts the eye is Mossbrae Falls, which consist of a great
number of ice-cold rills that burst from the mountain sides in graceful tresses,
trickling down through the ferns and mosses, affording an altogether unique
variety of waterfalls. Their
fountainhead is undoubtedly located far up in the snowy slopes of Shasta.
These
aquatic ebullitions that extend for half a mile along the canyon, and the big
springs near Muir's Peak, were once looked upon as the source of the Sacramento;
but the true source of this stream is located in a chain of small lakes lying to
the northwest of Castle Crags, although, of course, Shasta adds its quota of
volume to this splendid river.
On
the tableland a few hundred feet above the river, and reached by a circuitous,
picturesque trail, a summer camping village is located, and it is safe to affirm
that, looked upon from all standpoints, it is one of the most desirable spots on
the route for such a purpose. The
Scott Mountains, Shasta and the canyon are prominent among the views from this
favored local. As regards the game laws of Siskiyou County, it shall be lawful
to fish for catch trout on a catch and release program during the open seasons
of the year.
MOSSBRAE FALLS
The
Northern California weather is particularly adapted for comfortable for fishing
and camping. The air is, as a rule,
clear and warm, with a shower once in a great while, and there is little if any
danger of catching cold in such outings. The advantages which the Shasta and
Crags country afford in this particular may be briefly summarized as follows:
First, as has been mentioned, a favorable climate with comfortably warm days and
comfortably cool nights; the great variety of locations: one may choose a spot
by the swift, rushing Sacramento at the foot of the Crags, on the margins of
the lakes, or on the borders of lovely mountain meadows.
In any and all of these locations there is to be found superb mountain
streams of the purest water imaginable, scenery to delight the eye, fish and
game to supply the table, and boundless opportunities to rest and forget the
worries and vexations of every-day life.
A
tent is, of course, indispensable; in many cases they may be rented at a nominal
figure. Plenty of clothing is also
indispensable, as nights and early mornings are always cool. Take along a small
saw, an ax or hatchet, hammer and nails, twine, a pocket tool crest, and tin or
crockery-lined dishes.
Locate
near a running stream; a change of water, whether mineral or otherwise, is
incalculable Importance. Anywhere
in the country named you can drink all the water you want; plain water from the
mountains, cool and clear and clean, in copious draughts, will do you an immense
amount of good. Go away determine to leave your cares behind.
Exercise moderately; have games and music for the evenings around the
campfire; go to bed early; get up early; make life as wholesomely enjoyable as
you can.
Making
a sharp detour about three miles north of the Shasta Springs, the road leaves
the canyon and the river, and, doubling upon itself, exhibits the wild grandeur
of the river scenery to splendid advantage.
Should the angler or explorer care to follow up the stream from the
Eighteenth Crossing, where the iron horse could not climb, he will be amply
repaid by the rugged scenery of Box Canyon and the trout pools that delight the
sense of the sportsman. After scaling the eastern wall of the canyon the road
turns again abruptly to the left, and now all eyes are bent upon the great
scenic loadstone of Northern California, Mount Shasta, the most satisfactory and
unobstructed view of which is from Strawberry Valley. From this point excursions
are made the McCloud River fishing grounds, to the summit of Shasta, and to
Castle and Picayune lakes. Then westward of this point are the Scott Mountains
(9000 feet), from the main peaks of which three large rivers take their rise,
viz.: Shasta running north to the Klamath River, Scott running west, Trinity
southwest, and then curving to the north, and, after starting within a few miles
of each other, these great streams, after draining a large portion of Northern
California, unite their waters in the second largest river in the State.
While
the compass of the present work forbids us accompanying the stranger farther on
his way, it must not be supposed that the scenic interest ends here.
Shasta Valley, the climb of the Siskiyou' Mountains, the Valley of Rogue
River, the Cow Creek Canyon, the Umpqua and Willamette valleys; are subjects
that should be treated in a separate work.
STATISTICS
AND NOTES. -The elevation of timberline is between 8,000 and 9,000 feet;
perpetual snow lines about 10,000 feet. The
latter is generally given, at 40 degrees latitude, as 9,000 feet; but in
the case of Shasta it probably runs higher Distance from San Francisco by rail
338 miles. The distance in an
airline from Sisson railroad station to the summit is twelve miles.
Perhaps
the most advantageous point from which the mountain may be seen from the
railroad is at Sisson, Strawberry Valley. There
are five glaciers on Mt Shasta, one on the south, two on the east, and two on
the north. The most extensive and interesting of these is the "
Whitney," which takes its rise near the summit, flowing down to the east of
Shastina, and clearly visible from Shasta Valley.
The
others, with possibly the exception of a glimpse of Konwakiton, on the south
near the Red Rocks, cannot be seen from the railroad.
The lesser peak called Shastina has a well-defined crater cup at its
summit about three-quarters of a mile across, and 1,500 feet deep. The trail to the summit is up the great lava trough to the
right hand of the view from Sisson. The distance from snow or timberline to
Thumb Rock (a sharp projection on the crest of the south flank of the mountain),
is between four and five miles. From
Thumb Rock to the summit is three-quarters of a mile, and from there to Shastina
or Crater Peak on the north, one mile and a half.
The,
general rule in making the ascent is to start from Sisson about noon, or in time
to reach the upper camp by nightfall, to which point there is a good saddle
trail. An early start is made the following morning while the snow crust is
strong, and after from six to eight hours of tramping the summit is reached.
This trip is of course not without its hardships, and there is as yet no
royal road to this old volcano's throat, yet the prospect from it and the
experience in reaching it overbalance the drawbacks.