LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK

Lassen Peak

To see what's at the top!

 Arrived at pretty campsite of Manzanita Lake 5900 ft up in Lassen after stopping at the visitor center and watching the very informative video all about the volcanoes here. It's the centenary since Lassen Peak last errupted.

Bit of information for those interested - All four types of volcanoes found in the entire world are represented in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Volcanoes found in the park include shield (Prospect Peak), plug dome (Lassen Peak), Cinder Cone (Cinder Cone), and Composite (Brokeoff Volcano) volcanoes.

Our first day we hiked Lassen Peak, one off my bucket list, we have visited here before and gone part way up this peak but it was closed to the summit due to trail repairs, it's now completed and it was a fab trail – 5 miles round trip and a climb of 2000 ft to the crater summit.

The trail starts

at 8500ft and climbs to 10,457ft, the weather was superb 24oC and clear blue skies.

                                                                                Lassen Peak summit

Hat Mountain Cinder cone in the distance from the top of Lassen Peak

                                                          Vulcans Eye on the side of Lassen Peak

                          Helen Lake at the base of Lassen Peak after we had hiked it

Second day we did a 7 mile hike to Mill Creek Falls, isolated and picturesque, the perfect lunch spot. We had planned to go another trail but we met some folk who said they had seen a bear at Crumbaugh Lake so we changed course – of course there was no bear! 

                                                  All we saw of the bear.....scat!

                                                Icy water of Kings Creek after our trek

                                                     Roy resting at Kings Creek

                                    pretty flowers along the banks of the creek

                                              Wildfire damage at Lassen

Last day in Lassen we did a couple of hikes – a short 2 mile to Terrace and Shadow lakes, very pretty and peaceful. We then hiked a 5 mile round trip from Kings Creek to Bumpass Hell, named after Mr Bumpass a guide who fell through the fragile surface of the hydrothermal area. Like a mini Yellowstone Bumpass Hell is full of boiling mudpots, steaming ground, roaring fumaroles and sulfurous gases – fabulous!

Terrace Lake

I've not got a scat fetish but this was on the trail - I think there's a constipated bear somewhere!

BIG BOILER

BOILING POOL

PRETTY TRAIL

TRYING TO CATCH HIM UP

STILL TRYING TO CATCH HIM UP!

Left Lassen on the 89 where we saw signs of wildfire damage and as we neared Mt Shasta it was very hazy with smoke. Hit the Interstate 5 and stopped overnight at Ashland in Oregon, we are making our way to Oregon Caves National Monument.