NEWBERRY NATIONAL VOLCANIC MONUMENT

LAVA BUTTE

Up at the crack of dawn to try and bag places at Phantom Ranch again for May next year, again no luck. We could have gone 5th, 7th May or 11 June this year - shame we are heading north.
We had another lovely day with Terry and Sally, visited Lava Butte, a cinder cone capped by a crater. Lave Butte only experienced a single eruption about 7000 years ago. Only ten cars at a time are allowed to drive to the top at one time so we were limited to half an hour. Sally managed to get her electric chair to the top with the help of the guys - very steep trail.

WHAT ALL THE BEST DRESSED DOGS ARE WEARING FOR TRAVEL - DOGGLES!

TERRY & SALLY NEAR THE GREY VAN

THE CRATER AT LAVA BUTTE

LOOK OUT TOWER AT LAVA BUTTE

THE BLACK LAVA FLOWING TOWARDS THE ROAD

TERRY AND SALLY 

SALLY SAFELY DOWN

We then did a scenic drive round the Cascade lakes, had a quiet picnic at Prairie Crane lake where we saw a garter snake appear from the water and a bald eagle with an osprey fighting for domination in the sky..... and the sun shone!
Terry risked a road that was supposed to be closed and we were rewarded with views of beautiful Elk Lake which was still frozen. However we then came to the gated road and had to retrace part of our journey. A lovely day! And Roy got the Dodge back!

FROZEN ELK LAKE