Doin’ The Shasta Loop

A basket of wild Shasta County mushrooms (10.19/19) Gabriel Leete

Shasta Cascade color spotter Gabriel Leete did the Shasta Loop last Saturday, driving CA-299 from Redding to Burney, then north on the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway (CA-89) to Mt. Shasta and return.

Chanterelle, Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway (10/19/19) Gabriel Leete

He found peak fall color and lots of treasures along the way, including various mushrooms (he’s an expert – don’t do this unless you know what you’re picking) and memories of Burney Falls, Mt. Shasta and the Stand By Me Bridge, famous for its role in the 1986 film, Stand By Me.

Black oak, Stand By Me Bridge, Burney (10/19/19) Gabriel Leete
Black oak, Stand By Me Bridge, Burney (10/19/19) Gabriel Leete

In the motion picture, Wil Wheaton and Jerry O’Connor, as boys, outrun a train that is quickly overtaking them on the bridge. The 80-foot-tall bridge crosses Lake Britton near Burney. It is no longer used for rail traffic and it’s barricaded, so it’s not possible to walk across the bridge, though taking photos of it is possible.