After a quick stop in the North Bay to clean up and refill the cooler (and grab some ice cream), we headed inland, jumped on the 5, and headed to the next stop on the August Adventure: Mount Shasta. We had the same issues in the planning phase – campsites were either closed, booked, or on a first come, first serve basis. Equipped with offline map data, a list of potential spots, and 4WD, we hunted and pecked around Gumboot, Cedar, and the South Fork of the Sac until we found a spot. I was a little skeptical at first but it ended up a perfect place that the kids dubbed Cannonball Camp.

We settled into camp, explored the creek, found our own swimming hole for later, then went to work making dinner. After our bellies were full, we recharged the wine glass and grabbed the cards as the sun dipped below the horizon.

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The following day we left Cannonball and headed out to explore the Shasta area. First stop was a hike that started at Castle Lake and climbed up some 1000 vertical feet past Heart Lake to a fantastic overlook of Castle Lake and Mount Shasta in the background.

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After a snack, we headed back down to the car and drove down to the Upper Sac in search of trout. With temps in the high 90s, a shady spot was a must to keep the kids happy and have even the slightest chance at a bite. After solving a bit of a riddle, we found the spot and dad got to work with the Tenkara. We didn’t catch much more than a couple of nibbles, a good time, and a chance to dip our toes in the river but we went back to Cannonball Camp with a smile. Back at the camp, the adults enjoyed a cold one while the kids took a dip in the Cannonball swimming hole.