Locomotoring

I adore dogwood tree flowers. Perhaps because the tree in my backyard only blooms for a month. And it does so in early spring, even before the tree bears leaves. It the middle of the green of spring foliage in the yard, the bright white flowers of dogwood look like stars, more so during dawn and dusk. The Pacific Dogwood, aka Mountain Dogwood, are native to the area around Mount Shasta. Catching the Shasta-Trinity region is early spring has also meant that the dogwood is in bloom. It is one thing to have a tree or two in bloom and it is entirely another to walk a trail where dogwood trees are blooming everywhere. It doesn’t hurt if the trail is by a river, and the river is gushing with newly melted snow.

The river in question is near the town of McCloud and is known as McCloud River. The McCloud river trail has three waterfalls. There is an entry for cars at the upper falls as well as the lower falls. The hike up and down is a shy of 4 miles. It is a shaded trail, flat except for a short climb between the middle and upper fall.

Long before Mr. McCloud, for time immemorial, the land belonged to the Pit River Tribes people. Later in our travels, we would see Pit River winding through the valley, looking luscious and gorgeous in the spring. Today, the federal government recognizes eleven different tribes in this Shasta-Lassen region. In the native language, the river is known as ‘Ith ‘atcumma (Mt. Shasta River) and the people are known as the River People. Collectively, they are known to have spoken two languages, one of which is extinct already and another in approaching extinction. The stories of Modoc wars will appear later in the travel as well.

For now, it was simply time to enjoy the mesmerizing river and the accompanying dogwood trees in bloom.