September 2020 - Lassen National Park
We spent a weekend up at Lassen National Park. We had reserved the campsite at the start of the summer, and unfortunately when we actually went it ended up being the peak of the California smoke season. The air quality was a lot better at Lassen than it was at home, but it was still a bit bad. Nevertheless, we had a fun time doing a whole bunch of hiking, and hanging out around the Summit Lake. We also explored the area around the Cinder Cone, pictures of that are here.
We spent a weekend up at Lassen National Park. We had reserved the campsite at the start of the summer, and unfortunately when we actually went it ended up being the peak of the California smoke season. The air quality was a lot better at Lassen than it was at home, but it was still a bit bad. Nevertheless, we had a fun time doing a whole bunch of hiking, and hanging out around the Summit Lake. We also explored the area around the Cinder Cone, pictures of that are here.
|
|
|
| Our lovely campsite, made extra lovely by our neighbors not showing up | Summit Lake, a short walk from our campsite | |
|
|
|
| Enjoying a relaxing Sunday morning at the lake | The water was perfectly still, producing incredible reflections | Lassen Peak, and its lake reflection, are on the right |
|
|
|
| Lassen Peak | While we were hanging out at the lake, a whole flock of robins came over to get their morning drink | |
|
|
|
| There was a fawn that walked around the campsites in the morning and evening | The hike up Lassen Peak! | |
|
|
|
| Nearly to the top! | ||
|
|
|
| The trail zigzagging its way up | At the summit! | The difference between what you're theoretically able to see, and what you're actually able to see during the California smoke season |
|
|
|
| The crater on Lassen Peak | Down among the lava formations of the crater | A crazy shadow! |
|
|
|
| Some cool looking rocks | We were surprised to see a whole flock of Mountain Bluebirds at the summit of Lassen Peak! | |
|
|
|
| A female | Hanging out at the summit | Hiking back down, back below the tree line |
|
|
|
| The hike into Bumpass hell | A great view of Lassen Peak along the way | |
|
|
|
| Bumpass hell! | There's a boardwalk through the thermal valley | A beautifully-colored geothermal spring |
|
|
|
| A steaming area | ||
|
|
|
| The hike up to the ridge lakes | The ridge lakes | |
|
|
|
| Enjoying relaxing at the lake after a steep hike up | The back of the two ridge lakes. A lot of color in the grasses. | |
|
|
|
| Making our way back down | A boiling mud pit at the sulpher works | The lighting along the King's Creek in the late afternoon was truly magical |
|
|
|
| The creek reaching the falls | ||
|
|
|
| An American Dipper looking for food at the waterfall | He was hopping around right in the middle of the waterfall - it was quite a sight! | |
|
|
|
| Posing! | Headed upriver into the sun | |
|
|
|
| The sun setting on the creek | Cascades down a canyon | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hiking along the river | So scenic! | |
|
|
|
| Sunset on the meadow |