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.