Driving Through The Cascade Range

BK Enjoying The Sun On The Front Dash

The other day we drove through northern California and hit southern Oregon. Then a couple days later we drove back the same route. What a beautiful drive! Actually, beautiful does not even begin to explain it.

Driving on Interstate 5 in Northern California and Oregon you have a wide range of scenery. We started out last Saturday with San Francisco in our rear view mirror. Tall buildings and crazy streets. We did an overnight on the outskirts of Redding, CA at a lovely RV Park called Mountain Gate RV Park. When we left there to head into Oregon, BK was soaking up the sunshine in the front window.

Driving to Oregon we knew we’d be going through some mountains, but that didn’t worry us too much. We were on the main highway, I-5. A major truck route and the only route through the mountains. It was a lovely day with blue sky and upper 40 degrees. No worries.

Once we rounded our first corner, WOW! What a sight. We were not expecting anything like this. I really don’t know what we were expecting. But seeing this live and in person really is awe inspiring. Sorry to say the pictures do not do it justice. But do pictures really tell the whole story when it comes to Mother Nature?

Shasta Lake, Northern California. Picture Taken While Driving 55 MPH.

Northern California is the beginning of the Cascade Range. The Cascade Range runs through northern California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Canada. It’s simply awe inspiring. I know I’ve said that before, but really no words can sum up this beautiful countryside.

Once we started into the mountains their were pull-offs and signs on the side of the highway to put your chains on in bad weather. Their were also places for truckers to pull off and check their brakes before heading into and out of the mountains. Glad to see their were a few truckers that took this seriously and pulled off to do just that, test their brakes.

Shasta Lake, Northern California. Picture Taken While Driving 55 MPH.

This is what we saw when we got a little further into the mountains.

Snow Above Our Heads, Not Making It To The Ground.

No worries though. The snow was very light by the time it hit our windshield. We barely had to put on the wiper blades.

The Snow Is So Beautiful When It Dusts The Trees.

Heading Into A Snow Topped Mountain

Once we got through the mountainous area we got our first glimpse of Mt. Shasta.

What We Thought Was Mt. Shasta. It Actually Is Black Butte.

Or should I say what we thought was Mt. Shasta. Upon further investigation, it actually is Black Butte which is a lava dome. Mt. Shasta as David discovered because I was driving, was actually off to the side and behind us.

It actually makes Black Butte look like a small hill. The top of the Mt. Shasta is in the clouds, so you really can not get the entire scope of how big it is.