Healing Labyrinth in Weed

Located just 9 miles out of the town of Weed on Hwy 97 is a healing labyrinth at the Living Memorial Sculpture Gardens. What is a healing labyrinth?

Labyrinth patterns, originally built into the floors of medieval cathedrals, are comprised of a single, winding unobstructed path, usually from the outside to the inside of a circular shape. Although labyrinths take a circuitous path, they do not have the dead ends found in mazes; thus they are often viewed as a metaphor for our life journeys. Many cultures and religions throughout history have used labyrinths to bring more spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical well being into their lives.

You can reach the healing labyrinth by taking Hwy 97 approx 9 miles to the Living Memorial Sculpture Gardens. It's free of charge, has picnic tables, a restroom, and fabulous views of Mt Shasta to reconnect with nature.

Black Butte looks impossible to climb but surprisingly, is a moderately graded trail can take you to the summit of this volcano where spectacular views await. It is located at the base of Mount Shasta in northern California about halfway between the towns of Weed and Mount Shasta City. This 6,325 foot plug dome is often confused for Mount Shasta by travelers along Interstate 5 when Shasta is covered in clouds. Black Butte formed at about the same time as Shastina, the "other" peak of Mount Shasta, about 9500 years ago and is a "cluster of dacite plug domes." The cooled lava rolled down the slopes forming the steep, rocky sides of Black Butte. Prior to the formation of Black Butte as we know it today, several domes of both Shastina and Black Butte exploded producing pyroclastic flows composed of ash, rocks, and gases. Weed and Mount Shasta City are built on these "block and ash" flows.

For any fans of John Muir, American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of U.S. wilderness, you'll be interested to learn that the original name of "Black Butte" was Muir's Peak and it was the only thing he ever named after himself. John Muir loved this area and spent alot of time here and on Mt Shasta.

Climbing Black Butte is a favorite pasttime for many local residents and visitors. The 2 1/2 mile trail climbs nearly 2,000 feet from the trailhead to the summit. The road to the trailhead begins a short ways up Everitt Memorial Hwy. in Mount Shasta City, located to the south of Shasta Valley on I-5.
A 2.5-mile (4.0 km) long trail leads to the summit from a trailhead accessible by dirt roads off the Everitt Memorial Highway. The summit boasts an outstanding view of the southwest side of Shasta and Shastina, and on clear days Mount McLoughlin is easily visible 70 miles (113 km) to the north in Oregon.

Why is there an Alaskan Totem Pole in Weed?

In the middle of Ray’s Super Market parking lot, just as you head off to I-5 or Hwy 97 you’ll see a large Alaskan Totem Pole sprouting right out of the middle of the parking lot. The reason is that Hwy 97 is the beginning of the Alaskan-Canadian Highway.
That’s right! If you were to stay on Hwy 97 you will eventually find yourself driving through Canada and into Alaska. And when you reach Alaska there is an identical totem pole there!

Weed California in Classic Story Of Mice and Men

All high school students read “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. Did you know the author of Mice and Men speaks in the beginning of the book about Weed California? It’s true. The story is about two migrant workers, George and Lenny. Lenny is mildly retarded and George watches over the gentle giant. They have been let off a bus miles away from the California farm where they are due to start work. In the first chapter of the book, George reminds Lenny that “he does not want any trouble of the kind they encountered in Weed, the last place they worked.”
He uses the incident that got them chased out of Weed as a case in point. Lenny, a lover of soft things, stroked the fabric of a girl's dress, and would not let go. A misunderstanding leads to the locals assuming the worst, and ran them out of town. Steinbeck wrote the book in 1937 and went on to create a Broadway play and successful movie about the book, and later wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning book Grapes of Wrath. Weed, California, however, will forever be immortalized in a classic book “Of Mice and Men.”

Little Old Country Town

What a town!! There is something for everyone here, I love living and working in Weed. I am minutes from the city, and yet I live on the edge of nowhere! The national forest is in my backyard, with rivers, waterfalls, lakes, wildlife, and great neighbors!

Come visit our little old country town~ check out the Weed Chamber of Commerce web page at http://www.weedchamber.com/ for local event listings, and the business directory.