Road Trip Into The Unknown:The Enigma of Mount Shasta.

Perhaps one of the most enduring legends of our strange world is the belief that at one time beyond the mists of time a continent known as Atlantis was destroyed by a great cataclysym almost ten thousand years ago. The knowledge of this lost civilization was brought to us by the great Greek philosopher, Plato who wrote of the doomed culture in his dialogues, “Timaeus and Critias.” Plato claimed to have received the story of the once great civilization from a family member, Solon, who learned of it from Egyptian priests while living in Egypt. For the most part the story of Atlantis and it’s fall from grace is regarded as nothing more than a story that imparts a moral message to the ancient Greeks warning them not to become to power hungry and live a modest life. However, many thousands of miles away in the Pacific ocean just off the California coast another continent, Lemuria or Mu was said to have met the same fate as their Atlantean brothers a couple millenia earlier. It would be easy to dismiss the story of Lemuria/Mu out of hand if it were not for the widely held belief that survivors of this doomed continent made their way to our shores and took up residence on and inside one of our most scenic mountains, Mount Shasta. are the strange stories that have filtered down from Mount Shasta over the last century nothing but pure bunk? Or are we to believe the tales of white garbed strangers and strange lights seen on the mountain? You be the judge.

Rising more than twelve thousand feet above sea level in Siskiyou county, California, Mount Shasta is considered to be the jewel of Northern California. Shasta, has long been held in awe by the Native American population who believe that the mountain is home to the Great Spirit and various other spirit entities. Shasta is also believed by many a New Age enthusist to be a place of great healing power and the home to one of the root races of immortals that are said to watch over the affairs of mankind and will one day descend from their mountain lair and usher mankind into an age of enlightment. Me personally, I really don’t know about that but hey that is what they believe.

Getting beyond the new age factor, folks from the surrounding towns and cities have reported strange things on the mountain such as mass sightings of UFOs, strange chanting in an unknown language and the occassional sighting of a group of hairy bi-peds believed to be associated with Sasquatch. However there have been reports of locals coming into contact with strange humans that come down from the mountain every once and a while dressed in long flowing white robes and attempting to buy and barter goods with the local merchants. Some believe these odd folks are nothing more than hippy cultists living out a wild SciFi fantasy, but many believe that they are the descendents of the survivors of the lost continent of Lemuria/Mu.

Those who believe in the Lemuria/Mu connection believe that many thousands of years ago the 25, 000 survivors of the doomed continent came to our shores and built a gigantic city of peace and prosperity deep within the rocky walls of Mount Shasta. The Lemurians are believed to be technologically advanced to the point have having intergalactic and interdimensional craft called the “Silver Fleet” that is said to make runs in and out of the mountains at all hours of the day and night which some people believe is responsible for the multitude of UFO sightings over the years. Can these stories be true? Are their any people who have had experiences with these alleged Lemurians and lived to tell the tale? Yes, if we are to believe them.

In 1896, a local man was climbing Mount Shasta when he became tired and took up shelter inside one of the many caves that dot the slopes of the mountain. Later the man told a strange tale of being awakened by a group of peaceful men and women dressed in long white robes and who appeared to be well over seven feet tall. The mountain climber would later tell his friends and family that the strange people took him down a long path that led deep into the mountain carrying strange glowing crystals that led the way through the darkness. When they came to the end of the path the man’s eyes were greeted with a gleaming white city that was lit by a gigantic ball of light that not only gave off heat and light but also gave off a sense of well being. The citizens greeted the awe struck man and took him on a breathtaking tour of their amazing city on an airship that did not need any balloon to keep it afloat and the ship made no noise. After the tour the citizens imparted wisdom to him and a stern warning that mankind must let go of their warfarring ways before it was too late. The man was then taken back to the cave where he climbed down the mountain and told all that he knew of the fantastic sights that his eyes feasted upon.

This sounds like a nice tale, however many researchers regard the story with a great deal of skepticism since the man in question had no name and it sounds as if he may have been a victim of alien abduction or a very vivid dream. However just a few years later in 1904 all that would change.
JC Brown a geologists for the Lord Cowdray Mining company of London England was sent to take surveys of the strange mountain for some business concerns. While surveying the surrounding area from a bluff on the mountain Brown literally stumbled upon a cave in the side of the mountain that was previously unknown to him. Always the adventurous sort, Brown entered the cave.

After many hours of traveling down a path that led deep into the mountain, Brown came upon an opening and was shocked by what he had seen. A vast city of abandened buildings and homes greeted his eyes. Brown, was incredulous by what he had found and decided to take a walk around this amazing city buried deep in this Northern California mountain. While exploring, Brown saw 13 statues cast in gold and copper around what he believed to be a park. He found other artifacts such as shields and swords and chalices made from gold. Brown was so ecstatic of this amazing archeological discovery he quickly made his way out of the chamber and hightailed it to Stockton California where he fell off the radar for thirty years.

In 1934, JC Brown resurfaced in Stockton California at the age of 79, claiming to have immersed himself in the hidden histories and the wisdom of Atlantis and Lemuria and felt that it was time to launch an expedition into the mountain to bring this alleged lost civilization to the light of day. And I’m sure the fact that many of the artifacts made of gold played a big role in Brown wanting to return.

Over the next several weeks Brown, convinced 80 citizens of Stockton to accompany him on this amazing journey. Among the citizens were newspaper reporters and scientists from various disciplines who believed the eccentric old gent and could not wait to be part of the find of this and any century. Leading up to the expedition, Brown warned his fellow adventurers that there were shadowy figures who wanted to keep his mouth shut of the lost civilization and the impact it could have on mankind. On the morning of June 19th, 1934 the 80 citizens gathered at the foot of the mountain and earnestly waited for their leader who never showed. Local police were contacted and an investigation was launched into the dissappearance of the eccentric old man and no trace of him was ever found. Did the shadowy figures that he believed were out to get him drag him away to cover up a great secret? Or was JC Brown just some crackpot who’s bluff was called when the citizens of Stockton came out to help him investigate the alleged lost city of the Lemurians burieds deep within Mount Shasta? The world will never know.

Today Mount Shasta is still believed to be a sacred place but the phenomenon that once ignited the fertile imaginations of the locals is all but quiet. Sure, locals still claim to see the ocassional strange light issuing from the mountain side and some folks have claimed to have witnessed Bigfoot like creatures, however as for the mysterious strangers that were once believed to be somehow related to the citizens of a lost continent, no such luck no one has seen hide nor hair of these white robed people of great beauty for many years.

Rick E. Hale

t_seeker@hotmail.com