Mount Shasta

April 10th, 2025

Night

In Siskiyou County, California there’s a mountain. More accurately, it’s a volcano. Even more specifically, it is an active stratovolcano. It is arguably the most famous mountain in California. It stands at 14,161 feet. It is home to seven glaciers. Its last eruption was back in the year 1250.

It’s a popular hiking and climbing spot. In the winter it is a popular ski resort.

It is also rumored to be the location of a hidden, underground civilization.

Geology

Technically speaking, and as previously stated, Mount Shasta is an active volcano. Shasta is considered a stratovolcano and a compound volcano. It is composed of several different cones.

The Sargents Ridge Cone is the oldest of these different cones. It is over 280,000 years old. The second oldest cone is the Misery Hill Cone. It dates back 60,000-30,000 years ago. Shastina and the Hotland Cone appeared after the Red Banks Pyroclastic Eruption some 10,000 plus years ago. It was the first eruption in the Holocene era. It’s interesting to note that Black Bute was also formed during the same event as Shastina. (Solomon’s Outdoor Adventures)

It is important to mention that, as stated, Shasta is active and the last eruption was in 1250. This means the volcano continues to pose some major risk to the area and an eruption is highly possible according to geologists.

Native Americans in the Shasta Area

According to the current evidence of human habitation, Native people had been living in the area for roughly seven thousand years. It wasn’t until five thousand years ago that we began to see major human settlements. In the early 1820s, during the first European contact with the people who lived there, there were Shasta, Okwanachu, Modoc, Achomawi, Astugewi, Karuk, Klamath, Wintu, and Yana people living near the mountain.

Mount Shasta played a central role in the spiritual beliefs and practices of the tribes that settled there. Some believed it to be the home of spirits. Others thought the Great Sky Chief lived above the tree line and were encouraged to never go there.

Jack Thom, a Karuk medicine man explains in the documentary “Mount Shasta: Ancient Spirits” that there are spirits and forces that pose a significant risk to any who venture beyond the timberline. More about this and his experiences will be discussed later. (Grapevine Documentaries)

As is typical of colonization, European settlers that eventually came to the area brought violence and disease to the local populations. This eventually led to the Termination Law.

In 1922 The Bureau of Indian Affairs purchased an area of Redding known as the Redding Rancheria. This was to be used for the housing of displaced and unhoused individuals belonging to the local tribes. However, this was a half-hearted measure. The Redding Rancheria website says:

“…although the Bureau of Indian Affairs was obligated to establish and maintain a domestic water system, provide a road and housing, they built only a handful of substandard houses and failed to fulfill the other obligations. The history of the treatment of Indians in California is tragic. As recently as 1958, the California Rancheria Act expressed Congress’ intent to eradicate the cultural identity of Indians. In the area of termination, Congress unilaterally extinguished the special status and rights of tribes.”

In 1958 the Termination Law was codified. This led to the Redding Rancheria area being terminated and all lands and assets therein were redistributed. Not only this, but the tribespeople living on the Rancheria were no longer considered Native Americans. It wasn’t until the 1970s that this was reversed.

European Settlement

The first European discovery of the mountain was in 1826. A Hudson Bay Company man, Peter Skene Ogden was credited with the discovery. Nearby, Mt. McLoughlin was known as “Sasty” and “Sasties” by Ogden, and in 1841, what we call Mount Shasta was officially given the name.

In 1850 Shast County became one of the first counties in California. Miners flocked to the area after the discovery of gold during the California Gold Rush. This era of its history was fraught with fighting between settlers and the many native communities in the area. This led to both vigilantism and the kind of state-sanctioned atrocities that were common across the US at that time. (Shasta Historical Society)

In 1872 an area east of Shasta was made the terminus of the Central Pacific Railroad. It was also the site of a new town. This town would be known as Redding, California. It was named after Major Pierson Barton Redding. He was Secretary of State from 1863 to 1867 and then became the land agent for the Central Pacific. The town was named after him because he was the land agent that purchased the property. (Shasta Historical Society)

Later History

By the 1900’s iron and copper deposits had made Redding a fairly wealthy town. It also, it should be noted, caused a great deal of pollution and environmental issues. In the 1920s legal action by local farmers saw an end to the mining operations. This led to some economic hardship for Redding, however, the building of the Shasta Dam in the 1930s helped to stabilize the local economy. (Shasta Historical Society)

Since the 1940s Redding and the areas around Mount Shasta and Shasta County have been hubs of tourism, dam construction, and lumber production. Many people continue to live in, vacation in, and visit the area.

Vortexes

Mount Shasta is also claimed to house several spiritual vortices. Going back to the Native American inhabitants of the area, Mount Shasta was seen, as mentioned previously, as the home of their gods. It was seen as the center of the universe. It comes as no surprise, then, that it is now seen as a spiritually significant place.

One such vortex is Panther Meadows. An entry in the blog “This Way to Paradise” claims that it was the site of an ancient outdoor temple. It is a very pretty place to be sure. It is home to many species of tall wildflowers. It even has its own spring. It’s such a wonderful place to visit that federal regulations had to be put in place to protect it from visiting spiritualists.

The Disappearance of Carl Landers

So with the history discussed, let’s get into the really juicy bits.

On May 22, 1999, a 69-year-old man from Orinda, California by the name of Carl Herbert Landers was on a climbing excursion on Mount Shasta. His goal was the summiting of the volcano. He was an experienced climber and was fully equipped for the endeavor.

Unfortunately, on the day in question, Mr. Landers disappeared in the area around Lake Helen. He was noted as telling his companions that he was not feeling well. Regardless he trekked on towards the summit alone. This was the last time his friends saw him.

To this day, not a shred of evidence remains of him. Nothing, despite exhaustive searches, has ever been recovered of his body or his gear. His exact location of disappearance has never been discovered. (Gomez)

Rosemary Kunst

According to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons website, Rosemary Theresa Kunst, a 70-year-old woman from Siskiyou, California went missing on August 18th, 2000. She was last seen by Spirit Lake, a lake important to the Karut people and associated with death ceremonies.

Kunst was visiting Klamath National Forest. She was an experienced hiker and had decided to do some solo hiking. She took some provisions (a sandwich, trail mix, and a journal). She was never seen again. It is believed she got lost or was injured and succumbed to said injuries.

Unlike Carl Landers, this time a tuft of hair known to belong to Rosemary was discovered at some point during the following searches of the area. However, no further clue or evidence of her demise or whereabouts has ever been found.

The Disappearance and Rediscovery of a Small Boy

Due to the age of the individual in question a the time the story takes place, the monacres of “John Doe” and “The Boy” will be used.

In early fall, 2011, a family took a trip to Fowler’s Campground. It is located near McCloud Falls just below Mount Shasta proper. John Doe, a three-year-old boy, was playing near this encampment. A little bit later, John’s family couldn’t find him anywhere.

Naturally, a search party was formed with the help of the county sheriff’s deputy and a canine unit. This is also where it’s important to note that the boy had a dog as well when he went missing. The dog was found fairly quickly, but John remained missing.

Also, the dog was in poor condition. It was wet and cold. It had been found curled up on the banks of a dangerous river. This led searchers to suspect the worst. However, at 12:45 am the boy was found hiding in a bush. All concerned were elated and relieved.

But this is where things get weird. Later on, John Doe was visiting his grandmother. At some point, The Boy said “I don’t like my other grandma.” Normally, this wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows. A lot of people have two sets of grandparents that they have relationships with. However, this was not the case for John.

His grandma said “What are you talking about? I’m your only Grandma.”

The Boy replied “Don’t you remember when I was lost in the woods? Well, the other grandma grabbed me and took me to a creepy place. She’s really a robot.”

The Boy then went on to recount a story about a grandma who came to him as he was playing and wandering in the campground. The other grandma (Robot Grandma) grabbed John by the arm and took him to a cave. The cave, according to The Boy, was full of guns, purses, and other bags. The cave and all the objects within were covered with spiders and webs.

In that cave, the robot grandma (a phrase that never ceases to induce a chuckle) asked John Doe to lie down. She then proceeded to examine his stomach. After this, she produced a piece of sticky paper and asked John to defecate on it.

The Boy told the Robot Grandma that he didn’t have to. After which she got upset and demanded that he do so. John again explained that he couldn’t. She explained that John Doe had been “put in your mother’s tummy” and that he was “from outer space”.

The story alone frightened John’s Grandma (called “Kappy” by John Doe). What else unnerved her was that earlier she had had a strange encounter of her own. It happened a few weeks prior to John going missing.

“Kappy” had been camping in that same area and she woke up face-down in the dirt. What’s even more alarming was that she noticed she had a puncture wound on the back of her neck near her spine.

Some have speculated that this puncture mark could have been the point where whatever forces or beings were behind this whole affair withdrew a sample of DNA to clone or make the Robot Grandma. If this were true, it would match reports of a technologically advanced race residing within Mount Shasta. That kind of procedure and construction would be far more advanced than what we are currently capable of.

This is, of course, assuming the report is true. The facts we know are true is that the camping trip happened. John Doe really did disappear along with his dog. The dog was found. Then John Doe was found safe. Everything else could be chalked up to The Boy’s imagination. However, the concepts he described seemed to be far too advanced for a three-year-old to make up.

Michael Falvo

In this next story, the events might not seem mysterious. A man tries to climb a mountain barefoot and succumbs to the elements. Seems like a tragic, yet explainable and understandable event. Right?

It does until you bring up why the man tried to climb a mountain barefoot and what mountain he was trying to climb. Then things take a turn for the odd.

In 2011, Michael Falvo, then 19, was participating in a spiritual retreat for an 11-11-11 celebration and meditation getaway on Mount Shasta. At 3 o’clock that afternoon, Falvo reportedly took off his shoes and told his friends he wanted to place a rock at the top of the volcano. This would be the last time anyone saw him alive.

Reports from locals who saw Michael said he was very much ill-equipped to climb Mount Shasta. He reportedly was only wearing his shoes, a T-shirt, and sweatpants. In fact, Jacques Bleisae who managed the Fifth Season shop at Mount Shasta said as much and claimed that Mount Shasta is a “serious mountain”. He should be believed because he has made the climb over 100 times.

To make matters even worse, the time of year Falvo was on the mountain was known to be the least favorable as far as trails and climbing go. The temperature Saturday 11-12-11, dipped into the low 20’s or high teens. This places anyone without sufficient cold-weather gear in serious risk of hypothermia, which is exactly what happened to Michael.

What nobody seems to understand is why Falvo felt the urgent need to carry a rock up to the summit. Was it something calling to him, Lemurians perhaps? Was it maybe some unfortunate death wish? Or did it just seem like a good idea at the time? We’ll never know.

What is Telos?

If you look into Mount Shasta in any depth at all, you will hear of the hidden city of Telos and the lost continent of Lemuria. So what does this refer to?

Let’s go back in time for a minute. Depending on who you ask, we either need to go back to the Younger Dryas period of glacial flooding, or much, much further back (4,500,000 B.C. E. according to one website).

The lost continent of Lemuria got its name from, well, lemurs. You know, those furry little, monkey-like animals? Let me explain.

In 1864 a zoologist proposed a huge sunken land mass that allegedly existed as either a part of or just on the Pacific Ocean side of another supposed lost continent of Mu. Some believe Mu and Lemuria are the same thing. Either way, This zoologist, Philip Sclater, noticed that there were Lemur fossils on Madagascar and the Indian subcontinent. However, they weren’t in Africa or the Middle East. He suggested the lemurs migrated from India to Madagascar via this sunken subcontinent. Hence, Lemuria.

This is where it should be pointed out that Sclater’s hypothesis was discredited once plate tectonics and continental drift were discovered. This provided plenty of reason for the presence of the fossils.

So what do primates and Mount Shasta have in common? Well, nothing really. Nothing, that is, Except that Lemuria was supposedly the home to a lost pre-human civilization. This civilization supposedly existed around the same time as Atlantis. It was inhabited by giants who, as some claim, were our true ancestors. They possessed powerful mental abilities as well as far superior technology than our own. At some point in the past (timelines differ), Lemuria suffered the same fate as Atlantis (some suggest this was actually due to a war between the two civilizations). Regardless of the cause, Lemuria sank beneath the waves.

There were survivors, of course. And these survivors, just as the Atlantean survivors did, spread to various parts of the globe. Some of these survivors are believed by some to be residing inside Mount Shasta in the underground city of Telos.

Telos is said to be an incredibly advanced, beautiful city with artificial lights and other such mechanisms. Some have claimed to have visited the city. Others, as we’ll soon discover, have claimed to have found remnants.

A Dweller on Two Planets

In 1894, Frederick Spencer Oliver (FSO) published the book “A Dweller on Two Planets”. This book, as Oliver states, was channeled from a being named Phylos the Thibetan. It was revealed over 3 years. (Wikipedia)

According to FSO, the work was channeled by Phylos the Thibetan over three years, which is why you will see the book as being “by Phylos the Thibetan.” FSO began the work in 1883 or 1884 (dates vary) and completed it in 1886. Sadly, Frederick Spencer Oliver died in 1899 at the age of 33. It was his mother who published the book in 1905.

The channeling was through what is known as automatic writing. This is where the channeler begins writing nonsensical doodles until words start to form. Oliver claims that his hand would start to shake and when he put pen to paper, sections of this book would come out.

A Dweller on Two Planets is a story told in first person narrative. It details the life of Phylos during his lifetime in Poseid, Atlantis’ capital. During this period, Atlantis was far more advanced technologically than we are today. Yet, it describes devices and concepts we would find very familiar; flat-screen TVs, mass transit, flying vehicles, high-speed rail, wireless phones, submarines, air conditioners, and water generators to name a few.

The text deals with spiritual concepts such as karma and reincarnation. Phylos talks about his final incarnation in 19th-century America. There he fulfilled the karma from his time amongst the Atlanteans (Poseidi).

According to this account, there was (is) a temple inside Mount Shasta where Pylos astral projected to Hesperia, Mars. Hesperia refers to a time period and place on Mars when volcanic activity and flooding ravaged the surface of the planet. There, Phylos studied with the ascended Heperian masters.

The work is largely seen as a work of speculative fiction for obvious reasons. But as such, it remains a fairly entertaining, if not expertly written, book.

J. C. Brown

Does the name J. C. Brown mean anything to you? If it’s not, then that’s not at all surprising. You see, no one knows what happened to him. He wasn’t one of those that went missing on the mountain. His disappearance seems to have been planned.

Mr. Brown was a prospector from the UK. He was employed by the Lord Cowdray Mining Company. His job was to prospect for gold. In 1934 he told people from Stockton, California that, 30 years prior, he had found some tunnels filled with ten-foot-tall skeletons, the mummies of a king and queen, gold shields, and other treasures. He claimed that these artifacts were Lemurian in origin.

He was reportedly going to mount an expedition to fully explore these tunnels. So, on June 9th, 1934 a group of some 80 Stocktonians awaited the arrival of boats. When asked why they were waiting for the boats, they said they were going to explore Mount Shasta and the Lemurian tunnels that J. C. Brown had allegedly discovered.

The problem was that J. C. Brown was nowhere to be found. He would never be seen again. This, of course, leads to the question of who was he really. Where did he go? Were these caves real?

Now, it’s easy to laugh and call these eager people suckers. However, it’s important to note that many of these people had sold their belongings, even their homes, to fund their place on the trip. They were expecting to become rich off of the gold that was inside Mount Shasta. So you see, there were victims in this tale.

Reporters soon discovered that Brown was not who he said he was. They could not, however, find out who he actually was and Brown faded into obscurity. An article on record.net reports that a paranormal researcher from New York, Stephen Sindoni, claims to have solved this mystery.

Sindoni says that J. C. Brown is actually John Benjamin Body. J. B. Body was actually a miner, he was retired, however. He also had really worked for the Lord Cowdray Mining Company, just in Mexico. No one seems to be able to say why he would pull this hoax. That’s the real mystery it seems.

Guy W. Ballard

Guy W. and Edna Ballard
Courtesy of The Catholic Herald: https://thecatholicherald.com/

Guy W. Ballard was an occultist from Chicago, Illinois. Depending on who you ask, Mr. Ballard was either a spiritual leader, an ascended master trained by St. Germain himself, or a con artist. As always, make your own decisions. However, there is plenty of evidence for one of those conclusions.

In the 1930s, immersed in new-age ideologies such as spiritualism, theosophy, etc., Ballard moved to Mount Shasta. This is where he claimed to have met St. Germain (more on him in an upcoming article).

While in the Shasta area, he, along with his wife Edna, began his “I AM” movement (some might say “cult”). While involved in this movement Ballard began using the assumed name Godfré Ray King. He would claim to teach his followers and students how to tap into the “I Am Energy”. (Louise)

He claimed that St. Germain was one of the Great White Brotherhood, a group of ascended masters. They collectively guide humanity and control our destiny. This Great White Brotherhood was first mentioned by Madam Blavatsky in the 19th century. (Melton)

In 1934 Ballard, writing as King, published his book Unveiled Mysteries. This was allegedly a collection of experiences he had while on the volcano. Later he would claim to receive his discourses with St. Germain directly.

Ballard died in 1939. Later several former members accused the movement of teaching sham religious teachings. This led to the indictment and conviction of Edna Ballard and several other prominent figures for fraud. However, the conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1946.

Despite the setbacks and death of its leader, the I AM movement would continue, though in a more underground capacity, through the 1950’s. Today there are over 300 known members of the movement.

Conclusion

Mount Shasta is an awe-inspiring geological formation in its own right. The stories mentioned in this piece are but a few. There have also been UFO sightings, sensational cloud formations, encounters with giant beings, and even a Bigfoot encounter thrown in for good measure.

It has been the topic of countless YouTube videos, blog posts, and articles (such as this one). It’s been mentioned by the likes of Ancient Aliens and David Hatcher-Childress. For eons, this majestic volcano has served as a center of spiritualism, fascination, and even relaxation for thousands of people.

Are the stories true? Are there aliens flying over a hidden Lemurian city? Is the mountain the home of the supreme creator? Who’s to say? In the end, it’s what we don’t know that keeps us fascinated after all.

It is this author’s recommendation to go and see for yourself. At least you’ll take in some breathtaking views and who knows, maybe you’ll meet some people from a long-lost civilization.

Sources:

“Medium.” Medium, medium.com/@Cristina_Gomez/a-history-of-ufos-and-strange-disappearances-at-this-mysterious-mountain-e65c0bd361.

“Mount Shasta: Ancients Spirits | Full Documentary.” YouTube, 26 Aug. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAUwimspm7s.

SC History Pre 1900 – Shasta Historical Society. shastahistorical.org/about/sc-history-pre-1900.

SC History 1900-1940 - Shasta Historical Society. shastahistorical.org/about/sc-history-1900-1940.

SC History 1940-Today – Shasta Historical Society. shastahistorical.org/about/sc-history-1940-today.

“Missing Person / NamUs #MP29586 | NamUs.” NamUs, namus.nij.ojp.gov/case/MP29586.

Wikipedia contributors. “Agartha.” Wikipedia, 7 Apr. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agartha.

“Legends of Mount Shasta.” Wikipedia, 11 Feb. 2025, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legends_of_Mount_Shasta.

Telos Lemuria Israel. “Telos Lemuria Israel | טלוס למוריה ישראל.” Telos Lemuria Israel, www.teloslemuriaisrael.com/en.

Magnetic Reversal News. “The Legend of J.C. Brown - the Lost City of Giants - Mt. Shasta - Nephilim - Anunnaki - the Watchers.” YouTube, 22 Sept. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp1VBGA4Lx4.

Fitzgerald, Michael. “Stockton and Lemuria: Case Closed.” The Stockton Record, 3 June 2017, www.recordnet.com/story/opinion/columns/2017/06/03/stockton-lemuria-case-closed/985655007.

Melton, and J. Gordon. “I AM Movement | American Spiritualism and New Age Beliefs.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/topic/I-AM-movement.

Wikipedia contributors. “A Dweller on Two Planets.” Wikipedia, 18 Nov. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dweller_on_Two_Planets.

Dweller on Two Planets Index. sacred-texts.com/atl/dtp/index.htm.

Phylos, and Frederick Oliver. A Dweller on Two Planets. California, United States of America, Baumgardt Publishing Company, 1905.

“A Dweller on Two Planets; : [Oliver, Frederick Spencer], 1866-1899. [From Old Catalog] : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive.” Internet Archive, 1905, archive.org/details/dwellerontwoplan00oli/page/n9/mode/2up?ref=ol&view=theater.

Missing Boy’s Bizarre Tale of Robot “Grandma” in Mount Shasta Forest. squatchable.com/article.asp?id=12070.

Missing 411: The Robot Grandma Story | Unexplained Legends. 6 Nov. 2024, shows.acast.com/unexplained-legends/episodes/missing-411-the-robot-grandma-story.

Schultz, Jim. “Man Tries to Climb Shasta Barefoot, Dies.” Times-Standard, 29 Aug. 2018, www.times-standard.com/2011/11/15/man-tries-to-climb-shasta-barefoot-dies.

Paradise. “Sacred Sites and Spiritual Experiences at Mt. Shasta - This Way to Paradise-Beaches and Islands.” This Way to Paradise-Beaches and Islands, 30 July 2024, thiswaytoparadise.com/spiritual-experiences-at-mt-shasta.