Lassen Volcanic National Park

   The first time we went to Lassen Volcanic, in northern California, we thought it was an undiscovered gem. Lassen receives far less attention than it deserves compared other national parks in the region--Yosemite, Redwoods, Sequoia, and Crater Lake. And that was a shame. The second time we went, judging by the much larger crowds, it was no longer undiscovered. And that was a shame, too.
   In 1914 three men went to view an extinct volcano. It blew up in their faces. Flying rocks hit one in the head and knocked him out. Fortunately, all escaped without serious injury. It just goes to show that sleeping quietly does not mean dead. Lassen Peak continued with a series of more than 150 eruptions until early 1915. Steam and ash rose 30,000 feet. There was another, smaller blip in 1921 as the mountain went back to sleep. Other than the huge cataclysm of Mt. St. Helen's in 1980, this was the most recent eruption in the Lower 48. Ecologists study Lassen Peak to see what the future may hold for Mt. St. Helen's.
   Shirley and I think of Lassen Volcanic as a sort of miniature version of Yellowstone because of the hydrothermal features. (Don't take that comparison too literally. Yellowstone is far more magnificent in every way.) At Bumpass Hell, there is a boardwalk out to mud pots and fumeroles similar to those in the more famous national park. The Hell is named for Kendall Bumpass who visited in 1864. Bumpass fell through thin crust covering boiling water and lost a leg. There were no signs warning him not to go out there. Now, there are signs all over Yellowstone (Lassen Volcanic, too) saying don't do that. But you can count on a certain number of tourists every year who don't notice the signs. I blame it on cell phones that distract people who just wander aimlessly while checking their messages.
   There are about 150 miles of trails in the park including something for just about any fitness or ability level. A portion of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, that runs along the ridge tops from Mexico to Canada, crosses the park. We are fond of the trail that follows a mountain stream 2.8 miles to Paradise Meadow. The trail is pleasant enough in its own right but has the special attraction of allowing us to claim that we have been from Hell to Paradise.

A boardwalk leads to the hydrothermal features of Bumpass Hell. It is a fairly easy three hour walk to Hell and back. (Dante might disagree.)

The Devastated Area is a mile wide and three miles long where lava and ash tore up the landscape, (The trees have grown back since 1915.)

We camped at Manzanita Lake.

Fallen logs in the lake sprout seedlings that become saplings that send roots through the logs to the lake bottom. Before you know it, lots of tiny islands.

An old coot--or mud hen.

 Lassen Peak rising beyond Manzanita Lake.

Columbines and other wildflowers bloom in every small patch of sunlight.

Mostly easy trail out to Paradise Meadow. Mostly. Elevation gain is about 700 feet in 2.8 miles.

The trail parallels a lovely mountain stream.

Snow melt from the surrounding ridges forms the stream up in Paradise Meadow.

We had hoped to repeat our hike down the Cascades Trail because it winds along a cliff face parallel to the creek. More scenic than the horse loop.

So we had to make do with this.

There was still snow at Lake Helen in late August.

 

Crater Lake National Park

   Mt. Mazama in central Oregon, one of the string of volcanoes that includes Mount St. Helens, has been dormant since about 5700 BC. During that last great explosion, so much ash and pumice were shot into the sky that the center of the mountain collapsed forming a massive caldera. Over the following centuries, rain and snow melt accumulated in the caldera to form an intensely blue lake. The rim of the caldera rises 2,000 feet above what we now call Crater Lake. The lake itself is 1,900 feet deep so the total depth of the caldera approaches 4,000 feet. Submarines exploring the depths have determined that, like Lake Yellowstone, there is hydrothermal venting on the lake bottom that continues to influence the character of the lake.

   As a travel photographer (well, OK, that may be an overstatement of what I am), the difficulty is that mere photographs fail to capture the intensity of the scene. There are 25 pullouts along the 33-mile Rim Drive so you can see essentially the same thing from 360 degrees. Drive carefully. The road is narrow (no shoulders) and has numerous sharp curves. It is easy to get distracted by the scenery and pay less attention to driving than you should. Be especially alert for the hordes of bicyclists you may suddenly encounter around one of the curves, 

   Or, you might hike down to the lake shore to take a narrated boat tour that goes out to Wizard Island, named for its supposed resemblance to a sorcerer's hat. The island is actually a cinder cone rising 764 feet above the surface of the lake. The boat dock is a mile walk down into the caldera from the visitor center. It is a strenuous climb back out and that is the only way to make the trip. If you have any doubts at all about your strength, stamina, and cardiovascular health (especially at high elevation), perhaps you should be content with the views from Rim Drive. Shirley and I think you will probably be more than content with what the Rim has to offer.

   The south and west entrances to the national park are open year round. The north entrance is usually closed by snow until mid-June and again by mid-October and the east side of Rim Drive may be closed until mid-July. Check the park website or call ahead before you go. And you do want to go.

Wizard Island

You can probably see everything you need to see from one of the pullouts like the one to the left in this photo. Even so, there is a lot to be said for climbing to a higher vantage point. There is a short spur road to Cloudcap, the Rim Drive's highest overlook at 7,960 feet.

The cone-shaped peaks on the horizon testify to the volcanic nature of the entire region.

Many people thought Shirley's sweatshirt was from that place in South Bend. Nope. Our girls went to Notre Dame Academy. 

Clark's nutcracker

This is a pretty close representation of the cerulean blue of Crater Lake. Note that water usually reflects the color of the sky. In this case, you can see that the reflection is much more intense than the reflectee.

The Pinnacles are hardened spires of volcanic ash.

The Phantom Ship

More of the Pinnacles

Snowmelt encourages riotous growth of wildflowers.

If you are up for a little walk in the park, there are pleasant trails along mountain streams

...to the Pinnacles...

...and waterfalls.

It is not in the park, but Mt. Shasta to the west manages to dominate the skyline along I-5.