Castle Peak (Siskiyou County)

First time summiting Castle Peak, an unofficially-named high point above Castle Lake in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, not to be confused with the Castle Peak above Donner Pass in the Sierra. The route starts at the Castle Lake trailhead and climbs the Heart Lake Trail before breaking off-trail up the ridge to the summit, a short but genuinely rewarding scramble for the payoff at the top.

Castle Lake itself made for a stunning foreground the whole way up, its deep blue water framed by granite cliffs and dense conifer forest, with patches of lingering snow still clinging to the surrounding slopes. The jagged spires of the Castle Crags stood out sharply across the valley, another reminder of just how much rugged scenery is packed into this corner of the Trinity Divide.

The summit delivered exactly what it promised — Mount Shasta rising enormous and snow-capped directly across the basin, Castle Lake and Heart Lake both visible far below, and the Castle Crags completing the panorama to the south. Absolutely blown away by the views up there.

One of those hikes that sticks with you — short by most standards, but with a summit view that rivals hikes many times longer. Already looking forward to doing it again.