Castle Crags
Recently my wife and I spent the weekend at Castle Crags State Park. We spent most of our days exploring the rocky trails and steep cliffs. There were many beautiful views of Mt. Shasta that were worth an extended indulgence and we took full advantage of them.
If you are ever traveling through Northern California, visiting the Castle Crags would be a must. There are many trails ranging from beginner to intermediate and a large selection of faces to rappel and rock climb. There is a campground at the entrance of the park just a short and beautiful hike from the action. The park is unique to me, each campsite is exclusive from its neighbor. We have spent weekends here where we have worn holes in our shoes and also spent weekends when we never put our shoes on at all.
Our gear was simple on this trip. We use a heavy four person tent, large enough to fit an air mattress and bags inside. I brought our BBQ which is a personal must for car camping trips (there is no passing up top sirloin and bacon cheeseburgers). The bear threat here is very minimal and there are bear boxes at every site. I have a set of GCI Trail Slings to sit on that I got from the Hut. I can’t say enough about how everyone should have those! On our hikes we take minimal equipment. I use an Osprey Stratos 18 pack and stuff it with food, water and jackets. We both have Golite jackets. Mine is the Paradigm and Jenn’s is the Phantasm.
I am hoping to attempt a summit of Shasta in the next couple of weeks to retrieve some lost rental gear up near Red Banks. A very interesting story that will soon be told.
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