On the morning of the 13th, I racked my two-wheeler and headed north on Highway 89... with yet another mountain looming in the distance, Mt. Shasta, the fifth tallest mountain in California at 14,179 feet. More significant, perhaps, is that Mount Shasta is not connected to any nearby mountain and, therefore, dominates the northern California landscape. It rises abruptly and stands nearly 10,000 ft above the surrounding terrain. On a clear winter day, Mount Shasta can be seen from the floor of the Central Valley 140 miles south. Though my destination was Crater Lake in Oregon, I was compelled along the way to marvel at Shasta from the south on 89, from I-5 north to see the west side of the mountain, and then northeast on Highway 97 to see its north side... three distinct faces of Mt. Shasta...