Soaring to 14 179 feet/4 322 metres high  this magnificent volcano scrapes the turquoise-blue sky  north of Redding  a totem from almost anywhere in the northern part of the state And while some mountains climb gradually  this one rises from surrounding flatlands in such perfect  cone-shaped  snow-capped majesty that it seems almost unreal—the perfect projection of a child’s fantasy of what a mountain should be