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This is a wonderful way to enjoy the snows of winter. You’re tucked under a warm blanket on the sled, where you sit back to enjoy the views. A dog team gets excited and noisy before it starts running, but when given the command to head out, they go silent. It’s a surprisingly peaceful way to tour the winter woods.
Dog sled rides leave from Ski Park Highway, near the Mt. Shasta Ski Park. Contact Pat to book a ride – 530-467-3009 or 530-340-3647
dogsledexpress.com

Even as a local this is a fun thing to do: take the kids, the family, whoever is visiting and a handful of quarters. You can get fish food out of a gumball machine with those quarters and then throw it into the pools of young trout. They jump out the of water, dimpling the surface of the long ponds. It’s fabulous fun, both for little kids and grown up kids. Spend some time deciding whether you prefer to huck it all in at once, or drop single bits of food pellets to watch the shiny fish try to get there first.
You can get tours of the fish hatchery as well, by going into the Sisson Museum (www.mountshastasissonmuseum.org).

The Sisson Museum has cool photos that show the creation of nearby Lake Siskiyou, which was created for recreational purposes. You can see pics of the old farm that now lies at the bottom of the lake, and the course that the Sacramento River used to take through that valley. While you’re there, be sure to go feed the fish at the hatchery.

I live in Mt. Shasta, so I get to see this glorious mountain every day. People interact with the mountain in lots of ways: hiking in the meadows or up to the Sierra Club cabin at treeline, climbing to the summit, alpine ski touring in the winter, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, the list goes on. The mountain draws people, and they all find their own way of connecting to it.

Gorgeous! This lake sits in a glacier carved bowl, and it’s beautiful. There are hiking trails around most of the lake and cool spots to picnic. If you hike up above the lake you will see wildflowers and a view of the surrounding mountains.

The Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort is a great place for families who aren’t looking to really rough it when they go camping. The resort has tent camp site and cabins, so you can choose your method of getting close to nature. The resort is based around the lake, with a beach for swimming and paddling water toys. They’ve also got lake kayaks and paddle boats. It’s a good place to taking visiting family if you live in the area.
Oh yeah, it books up early for the 4th of July, so call months in advance if you want to go for the fireworks. Check it out at www.lakesis.com

Sunday brunch on the patio in the sun next to the golf course with a view of snowy Mt. Shasta – what a great place to eat.

The Billy Goat is the place to go in Shasta for a beer and good eats. During the summer the deck seating is fabulous and a fun place to enjoy very intimate live music performances. The Goat prides its self on its beer selection – over 100 labels with a rotating dozen on tap. This is the place for beer lovers and tired mountain climbers.