For the second year, the Monday AHG had a new hike on Mt Shasta. This time we started at the Lower Panther Meadows TH and hiked up to Gray Butte (8,100') for views and lunch.

After leaving Ashland at 8:00 AM and a group pit stop at Bunny Flats, we gathered in a circle at the TH parking to announce our names to our big group of 20 hikers.

We stopped at a sign reporting that we were on the sacred lands of the Indigenous People. For centuries, the tribes of the Shasta, Wintu, and Modoc had taken their dead up Gray Butte to pass their bodies into the Spirit World through The Gate to the NE of the trail. We were following their trail.

We 20 had traditions, too. To climb the rocky trail to the summit, find just enough space for lunch, pass around chocolate to the successful hikers, and squeeze together to get our group photo with the south side of Mt Shasta as our backdrop.

On the way up and on top, we had views of the Trinity Alps and Mt. Eddy, Mt Lassen to the south, and Mt Shasta up close.

After an early lunch, we had time to explore both the Lower and Upper Panther Meadows. The Meadows were green and still flowering, it was still Spring at 7,500'. Creeks irrigated the ground from snow melt and underground springs.

From memory, we saw white Pasque flowers or Mope Heads after the Fab Four, and Buckwheat in the arid areas, as well as Rabbit Brush, red Indian Paintbrush, yellow Mimulus or Monkey Face growing near the streams, and long-stemmed Allium or Wild Onion growing near the clear underground spring in the Upper Meadow.

From TH to the top of Gray Buttes was 3.2 miles with 680' of gain, adding our exploring in the Panther Meadows gave us 4.4 miles and 1,000' of gain.

I took a stumble on the way back down from Upper Panther Meadows, but thanks to my hiking friends and doctor Susan and nurse Gretchen, whom we had just met on the trail, I was patched up and good to go!
Happy Trails,
Rich