Born From Ancient Flames: The Astonishing Mount Shasta
The Chronicles Of Shasta
Famed naturalist John Muir once said, “When I first caught sight of Mount Shasta, my blood turned to wine”. This is about California’s famous mountain that grew stories just as naturally as it grew ice.
A Towering Giant
Mount Shasta stands as the fifth-highest peak in California, measuring 14,179 feet in Siskiyou County. This stratovolcano is part of the Cascade Range with a huge volume of about 85 cubic miles, which makes it the biggest volcano in the range.
Cones And Glaciers
This mountain is characterized by its four overlapping cones, featuring a notable satellite cone called Shastina, which rises to around 3,760 meters. The mountain also displays several glaciers on its northern and eastern flanks.
inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Volcanic Birth
Around 500,000 years ago, andesitic lava outbursts caused Mount Shasta to first develop. The groundwork for the stratovolcano was laid by these early volcanic episodes that took place on the mountain's western face, close to the present-day McBride Spring.
Ancient Inhabitants
Indigenous people lived around Mount Shasta for over seven millennia. Hence, the mountain was sacred to numerous tribes, such as the Shasta, Okwanuchu, Modoc, Achomawi, Atsugewi, Karuk, Klamath, Wintu, and Yana, who maintained cultural connections.
