Winter in the mountains

We’re still at my in-laws in Mount Shasta, about an hour south of the Oregon border. This small town of 4,500 is nestled against the base of Mount Shasta, at 14,179 ft. the fifth highest peak in California and considered a dormant volcano although it may erupt again in the next several hundred years.

Contrary to where we live just west of Sacramento, they do have snow here, as evidenced by the pictures below. Enjoy my photographic impressions of early winter in the Northern California mountains.

Black Butte, a 6334 ft. cinder cone. When Mt. Shasta is hidden by clouds, travelers driving by on I-5 often mistake Black Butte for the much larger volcano.
 

Mount Shasta rises abruptly from the surrounding terrain and seems even more imposing since there are no other mountains nearby. In New Age circles, Mount Shasta is considered a major power vortex.
 

To me icicles are the most beautiful harbingers of winter
 

Ice crystals forming on the hood of a car—beauty can be found in the most unlikely places
 

Japanese maple leaf encased in ice
 

A vivid reminder of a season gone by
 

Bleeding heart leaves
 

Still life with bottle and oregano
 

The last of the deciduous trees in my
in-laws’ yard
 

11/27/10 update: Woke up to gently falling snow—and a winter wonderland. Here are some new photos from today.

Falling snow and pine trees in my in-laws’ back yard
 

Exploding tree
 

Fresh snow clinging to tree bark
 

Rhododendron bud
 

Back yard idyll
 

Potted plants in garden window
 

Mount Shasta in all its glory