Castle Lake and the surrounding area contain a wide variety of animals and plants including trout, bears, deer, otters, frogs, and osprey.[5] The area is also well-known[6][7] for early summer displays of flowers,[6] including red Columbine (Aquilegia truncata), fawn lily (Erythronium sp.), and Shasta pentstemon (Pentstemon laetus).[8]
The lake is usually reached by driving along an approximately 7mi (11km) road from Lake Siskiyou.[10] About 3mi (4.8km)[11] from the lake, along this road, are Ney Springs[6][12] and Faery Falls.[13][14] Ney Springs is the site of the historic Ney Springs Resort, a late 19th-century resort based on the mineral springs there;[6][15] this resort was one of a number of such popular resorts in Siskiyou County, including Upper Soda Springs, and Shasta Springs.[16] A short hiking trail leads to nearby Faery Falls, where Ney Springs Creek falls nearly 60ft (18m) down a granite cliff face, forming a clear pool at the bottom.[17]
Swimmer with Mount Shasta in distance
About one-quarter mile (400 m) north of Castle Lake is a campground with 6 first-come, first-served campsites.[18] At the lake itself, fishing and picnicking, as well as viewing the local plant life, wildlife and scenery, are common activities. The lake waters can be cool, so swimming is generally limited to summer months. Kayaking, rowboating and rafting are available on the lake. In the winter, in addition to cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing along the trails in the area, the lake will ice over and ice fishing is a common activity.[19]
From the parking area at the lake, a half-mile (1km) trail winds along the northern and western shore of the lake, ending at the granite face of the headwall, which forms the southern shore.[20] Along the way, hikers will pass the Castle Lake Limnological Research Station.[21]
Following the eastern shore, the Little Castle Lake Trail[22] leaves the parking area, and then climbs the adjoining ridge;[19][23] about 1mi (1.6km) along this trail is Little Castle Lake,[24] a small glacial tarn reached by passing through meadows of wild flowers in the early summer. Little Castle Lake is within the Castle Crags Wilderness Area. Heart Lake,[25] another small tarn, located above the headwall of Castle Lake, may also be reached via an informal cut-off from the Little Castle Lake Trail.[19]
At this point, the well-known Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail is one-half mile (1km) away, just over the Trinity Divide. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail stretches from Mexico to Canada, following the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada, Klamath Mountains, and Cascade Range and paralleling the Pacific Ocean by 100 to 150 miles (160 to 240 kilometres).
The Little Castle Lake Trail continues on to Mt. Bradley,[26] a locally prominent mountain with views of Mount Shasta, overlooking Dunsmuir, California and the canyon of the Upper Sacramento River. Along the way, the trail joins with a network of connections leading into Castle Crags State Park.[27]
The lake's origins date to the Pleistocene Era (more than 10,000 years ago) when a glacier carved a basin in the location of the current lake. During that era, much of North America was glaciated.[2] Castle Lake is a typical glacier cirque lake (or tarn), reaching depths of up to 110ft (34m) near the southern, granitic part of the lakeshore (the cirque face).[2] There is a terminal moraine of boulders and gravel forming a natural dam opposite the cirque face along the northeastern shore of the lake, where there is an outlet, and the lake is 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 metres) deep.[2]
The cirque where Castle Lake is found is a classic Northern Hemisphere cirque. The cirque headwall (the highest part of the mountain where the glacier began to form) was in the south or southwest, and the part of the mountain that sloped downward to the northeast was away from the prevailing winds.[28] The resulting shaded area was sheltered from direct sun, and from the evaporating effects of wind. These conditions encouraged snow which had fallen in the winter to remain throughout the summer and fall, creating a year-round snow pack which grew deeper each year.[29][30]
During initial glacial formation, snow changed into glacial ice as this year-round snow pack increased and deepened. The process of nivation followed (where a hollow in a slope was enlarged by freeze-thaw weathering and glacial erosion).[28] As the hollow enlarged and filled with snow and ice, rock debris (or till) contained within the glacial ice also began to abrade the bedrock surface – as the glacial ice moved down the slope, it had a "sandpaper effect" on the bedrock which it scraped.[29]
Eventually the hollow took the shape of a large bowl in the side of the mountain, with the headwall being weathered by constant freezing and thawing, and eroded by plucking. The basin became deeper (especially at the base of the headwall) as it continued to be eroded by abrasion.[29]
When the current warming period began, the glacier retreated and finally melted completely. It left behind a bowl shape, deepest at the base of the headwall where the glacial ice had been the deepest and most abrasive.[28] The bowl shape extended to its northeast edge, where there was a terminal moraine of smaller rocks and debris which had been deposited by the glacier. When the bowl-shaped crater filled with water, this terminal moraine acted as a natural dam, helping to contain the water in the newly formed cirque lake.[29]
History
Castle Lake was within the range of the Okwanuchu tribe,[31] one of a number of small Shastan-speaking tribes of Native Americans who were closely related to the adjacent larger Shasta tribe.[32] The Okwanuchu occupied territory near Mount Shasta, including the nearby present-day cities of Mount Shasta and Dunsmuir, California, and the upper Sacramento River canyon (among other areas). The Okwanuchu were speakers of the older Hokan-speaking family of languages, with archaeological sites associated with their range dating back more than 5000 years. However, members of a tribe of the Penutian-speaking family of languages, the Wintu, who arrived in central Northern California about 1200 years ago,[33] were out-competing their Hokan-language family neighbors, and were expanding Wintu territory.[34] It is unclear at the time of first contact with non-Native Americans in the 1820s which tribe was living nearest to Castle Lake. Little or no information is available about Native American use or beliefs regarding Castle Lake; for example, Castle Lake is not mentioned in a published collection of Wintu tales and legends.[35]
The first non-Native Americans to pass through the area of Castle Lake were hunters and trappers of the Hudson's Bay Company, who began to come down the Siskiyou Trail from present-day Washington into Mexican-controlled California, in the late 1820s and early 1830s, in search of beaver and other pelt-bearing animals.[36] At about this same time, Ewing Young led the first group of Americans up the Siskiyou Trail, passing near Castle Lake.[37] In 1841, an overland party of the United States Exploring Expedition, the first cartographers and scientists came through the area.[38] Following the annexation of California by the United States in 1848 as a result of the Mexican–American War, Castle Lake came under the control of the U.S. Federal Government as public land.
In 1855, an area near Castle Lake, now known as Battle Rock,[39] was the site of a battle between Native Americans and California Gold Rush-era settlers.[40] The poet Joaquin Miller wrote a first-hand account of this battle, The Battle of Castle Crags,[41] in which Miller took part in the fight, and received an arrow wound through the cheek and jaw.[40] This battle was reportedly the last battle between Native Americans and settlers in which the Native Americans fought exclusively with bow and arrow.
With the development, first, of the U.S. "Forest Reserve" system in the late 19th century,[42] and then the organization of the U.S. National Forests in the early 20th century, Castle Lake came under the stewardship of the U.S. Forest Service. The association between U.C. Davis and Castle Lake began in 1957, with the first extensive study done of the lake,[43] followed by the construction of the "Castle Lake Limnological Research Station". Archived from the original on 2010-09-01. itself.[44]
Animal life
Humans introduced fish into the lake in the 1930s for sport fishing, including rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), and golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoliecas).[45] Trout were last released into Castle Lake in 2008 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife but recreational fish stocking has since ceased due to concern for other species (i.e., threatened or endangered). The brook char was also originally stocked but now has become self-sustaining, and reproduces naturally in springs found on the eastern side of the lake. Golden shiner is a bait fish minnow that was likely placed in the lake by anglers who left their remaining bait behind in the lake.[45] The fish feed on zooplankton and insects; the fish are then eaten by predators around the lake, especially osprey (Pandion haliaetus).[5] Other birds in the area include bald eagle (Haliaectus leucoephalus), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), wood duck (Aix sponsa), belted kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon), Steller's jay (Cyanocitta stellere), and sooty grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus).[46][47]
Reptiles and amphibians around the lake, including the rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa), the Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) and the garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), feed as well on insects and young fish (among other prey).[48] Many mammals can be found around the lake and in the adjacent wilderness area, national forest, and parklands.[49] These include black bear (Ursus americanus), blacktail deer (Odocoileus hemionus), river otter (Lutra canadensis), black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus), and mountain lion (also known as "cougars" or "puma") (Puma concolor).[50] Castle lake cougars have on occasion been known to crouch in the bushes and watch humans, their eyes shining in the moonlight.[citation needed] No attacks have been noted.
Although the lake (at elevation 5,574ft (1,699m)) and surrounding areas are well below local tree line (for example, on nearby Mount Shasta, the tree line is at about 7,900ft (2,400m)),[51] because of the high concentration of granite and the often exposed steep, rocky slopes, the vegetation at the lake and in the area can vary widely, from dense mixed forest near and below the lake to the appearance of near-alpine conditions above the lake.
At and in the area below the lake, mixed forests of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), red fir (Abies Magnifica), white fir (Abies Concolor), lodgepole pine (Pinus Contorda), incense cedar (Libocedrus decurrens), and alder can be found.[8][52] Alders play a particularly important role, as alders establish symbioses with the nitrogen-fixing Actinomycetota (Frankiella alni). This bacteria converts atmospheric nitrogen into soil-soluble nitrates which can be utilised by the alder, and favorably enhances the soil fertility generally. Alders benefit other plants growing near them by taking nitrogen out of the air and depositing it in the soil in usable form; fallen alder leaves make very rich compost.[8] The rarely-seen Brewer spruce (Picea breweriana) exists in a few small locations on the igneous slopes behind the lake. Other deciduous trees at lower elevations in the area may include such species as bigleaf maple, vine maple, black oak and Pacific dogwood.[4]
At higher elevations above the lake (especially in rocky or exposed locations), the pine and fir tree forests are thinner, and the trees grow in a more stunted fashion; instead, shrubs and bushes, such as green manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula), dwarf mountain manzanita (Arctostaphylos nevadensis), and tan oak (Lithocarpus densiflorus) find areas and niches to grow.[8] Other shrubs found around the lake are Sierra laurel (Leucothoe davisiae), and the lake is ringed with western azaleas (Rhododendron occidentale), which bloom mostly in June.
↑ Durham, David L. (1998). California's geographic names: A gazetteer of historic and modern names of the state. Clovis, California: Quill Driver Books. p.208. ISBN978-1-884995-14-9.
↑ Boschetti, Tiziano; Toscani, Lorenzo; Iacumin, Paola; Selmo, Enricomaria (2017). "Oxygen, Hydrogen, Boron and Lithium Isotope Data of a Natural Spring Water with an Extreme Composition: A Fluid from the Dehydrating Slab?". Aquatic Geochemistry. 23 (5–6): 299–313. doi:10.1007/s10498-017-9323-9.
↑ Marlow, Will A. (1900). California sketches. Cincinnati: Editor Publishing. LOC control no. 00001469.
1 2 3 Bowen, Ann; John Pallister & A. Bowe (2001). Advanced geography for AQA specification A. Oxford: Heinemann Educational Publishers. p.134. ISBN978-0-435-35282-0.
1 2 3 4 Nagle, Garrett; Kris Spencer (2001). AS and A Level Geography Through Diagrams (Oxford Revision Guides). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp.45–58. ISBN978-0-19-913432-8.
Mount Shasta is a potentially active volcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. At an elevation of 14,179 feet, it is the second-highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth-highest in the state. Mount Shasta has an estimated volume of 85 cubic miles, which makes it the most voluminous stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. The mountain and surrounding area are part of the Shasta–Trinity National Forest.
Siskiyou County is a county located in the northernmost part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,076. Its county seat is Yreka and its highest point is Mount Shasta. It falls within the Cascadia bioregion.
Dunsmuir is a city in Siskiyou County, northern California. It is on the upper Sacramento River. Its population is 1,707 as of the 2020 census, up from 1,650 from the 2010 census.
McCloud is a small town and census-designated place (CDP) in Siskiyou County, California, United States. Its population is 945 as of the 2020 census, down from 1,101 from the 2010 census.
Mount Shasta is a city in Siskiyou County, California, at about 3,600 feet (1,100 m) above sea level on the flanks of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark. The city is less than 9 miles (14 km) southwest of the summit of its namesake volcano. Its population is 3,223 as of the 2020 census, down from 3,394 from the 2010 census.
Weed is a city in Siskiyou County, California, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a total population of 2,862, down from 2,967 in 2010. There are several unincorporated communities adjacent to, or just outside, Weed proper, including Edgewood, Carrick, and Lake Shastina. These communities generally have mailing addresses that use Weed or its ZIP code. Weed is about 10 miles (16 km) west-northwest of Mount Shasta, a prominent northern California landmark, and the second-tallest volcano in the Cascade Range.
Yreka is the county seat of Siskiyou County, California, United States, near the Shasta River; the city has an area of about 10 square miles (26 km2), most of it land. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,807, reflecting a meager increase from 7,765 counted in the 2010 Census. Yreka is home to the College of the Siskiyous, Klamath National Forest Interpretive Museum and the Siskiyou County Museum.
The Shasta Cascade region of California is located in the northeastern and north-central sections of the state bordering Oregon and Nevada, including far northern parts of the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The McCloud River is a 77.1-mile (124.1 km) long river that flows east of and parallel to the upper Sacramento River, in Siskiyou County and Shasta County in northern California in the United States. Protected under California's Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1972), it drains a scenic mountainous area of the Cascade Range, including part of Mount Shasta. It is a tributary of the Pit River, which in turn flows into the Sacramento River. The three rivers join in Shasta Lake, formed by Shasta Dam north of Redding.
The Trinity Alps are a mountain range in Trinity County and Siskiyou County in Northern California. They are a subrange of the Klamath Mountains located to the north of Weaverville.
Upper Soda Springs is on the banks of the Sacramento River in Dunsmuir, California, USA. It consists of approximately 15 acres of level ground on both sides of the River, the surrounding hillsides, and continues north along the eastern bank of the Sacramento River to the Dunsmuir City Park. The State of California and the City of Dunsmuir oversee a public park on this historic site. The Upper Soda Springs site contains a riparian ecosystem and includes its namesake mineral water springs. In large part because of its location on the Siskiyou Trail, the site mirrors the history of the state and of the American West.
Portuguese Flat was a California mining camp of the early 1850s during the California Gold Rush, consisting largely of Portuguese miners. It was located about 35 miles north of Redding, California near what is currently now the unincorporated community of Pollard Flat. It is in the ZIP code area of 96051 and the area code 530.
Castle Crags is a dramatic and well-known rock formation in Northern California. Elevations range from 2,000 feet (610 m) along the Sacramento River near the base of the crags, to over 6,500 feet (2,000 m) at the summit of the tallest crag.
The Siskiyou Trail stretched from California's Central Valley to Oregon's Willamette Valley; modern-day Interstate 5 follows this pioneer path. Originally based on existing Native American foot trails winding their way through river valleys, the Siskiyou Trail provided the shortest practical travel path between early settlements in California and Oregon.
The Shasta–Trinity National Forest is a federally designated forest in northern California, United States. It is the largest National Forest in California and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The 2,210,485 acre forest encompasses five wilderness areas, hundreds of mountain lakes and 6,278 miles (10,103 km) of streams and rivers. Major features include Shasta Lake, the largest man-made lake in California and Mount Shasta, elevation 14,179 feet (4,322 m).
The Trinity Mountains are a subrange of the Klamath Mountains, one of the ranges within the California Coast Ranges and part the greater Pacific Coast Ranges, the coastal mountain system extending from Mexico to Alaska. The Trinity Mountains subrange rises in Siskiyou County and eastern Trinity County, Northern California.
Castella is a small, unincorporated community in the upper Sacramento Canyon of Shasta County, California. It is located 46 miles north of Redding on Interstate 5, and is home to Castle Crags State Park. Its population is 214 as of the 2020 census, down from 240 from the 2010 census. It has a Chevron gas station/store and a post office. The ZIP Code is 96017. The community is inside area code 530.
The Castle Crags Wilderness is a 12,232-acre (49.50 km2) wilderness area in the Castle Crags rock formations of the Trinity Mountains, and within the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, in northwestern California. It is located in Siskiyou County and Shasta County, 40 miles (64 km) north of Redding and south of Mount Shasta City.
The Russian Wilderness is a wilderness area of 12,000 acres (49 km2) located approximately 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Eureka in northern California. It is within the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County and is managed by the US Forest Service. It was added to the National Wilderness Preservation System when the US Congress passed the California Wilderness Act of 1984.
North Yolla Bolly Mountain is a 7,868-foot (2,398 m) peak in the Klamath Mountains of the Coast Ranges located in Trinity County, Northern California. The mountain is located in an isolated part of the Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness, in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, about 50 miles (80 km) west of Red Bluff. It is situated about 13 miles (21 km) from Mount Linn, the highest point of the Coast Ranges south of the Trinity Alps.
References
Ballenger, Craig G. (1998). Shasta's headwaters. Portland, OR: Frank Amato Publications. ISBN978-1-57188-136-6.
Durham, David L. (1998). California's geographic names: A gazetteer of historic and modern names of the state. Clovis, California: Quill Driver Books. ISBN978-1-884995-14-9.
Miller, Joaquin (1892). Alan Rosenus (ed.). Selected writings of Joaquin Miller (1977 ed.). Eugene, OR: Union Press. ISBN978-0-913522-05-9.
Nagle, Garrett; Kris Spencer (2001). AS and A Level Geography Through Diagrams (Oxford Revision Guides). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-913432-8.
Soares, Marc J. (2000). 100 classic hikes in northern California. Seattle: The Mountaineers Books. ISBN978-0-89886-702-2.
External links
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