Camp/Hike Lassen NP and Lava Beds NM

[Burnham]

Melanie and I spent a thoroughly enjoyable couple of weeks plus a few days in N.E. California in late August...some very under-appreciated federal lands in the national park system, a bit off the beaten path.

I know that Terri and Jerry Beranek are fond of visiting Lassen, and M and I have been several times to visit. I cannot recommend it more highly. And Lava Beds is volcanism 101. There are over 700 known lava tube caves there, and we explored about a dozen. Lots of fun, weird in the extreme...and very refreshing to spend time at low 50's degrees underground when it's 45 degrees warmer up top .

Here are some pics from Lassen. The log cabin (not the lookout tower) is an old backcountry ranger station. M and I are seriously contemplating seeing if we can arrange to volunteer staff it for a month or more next summer.

Lava Beds to follow.

 

[gf beranek]

All very familiar, B. Beautiful. The view of Lassen from Mt. Harkness is XX-Awesome!

 

[Burnham]

Lava Beds NM

Here's a few pics from Lava Beds. If you like caving, this is an especially nice place to visit. The CCC did a lot of work here in the '30s, as you can see from the fire tower and the camp and picnic tables.

 

[Burnham]

Sure is, Jerry...Harkness is a top tier hike in anyone's book.

 

[gf beranek]

I haven't been there since fire razed the west-northwest side of the volcano. Been about two years I think, maybe 3. You must have done Cinder Cone, yes?

 

[Burnham]

Oh, yes...that is some kind of powerful scene, no? Looks like it erupted day before yesterday.

 

[Burnham]

Cinder Cone, from our visit 2 years ago, I believe.

The pictures just don't quite capture the reality, well they never really do, but in this case even more so I think.

 

[MasterBlaster]

That log cabin (and lookout tower) is awesome! And that picnic table - sweet!!!

 

[stig]

Great pictures, as usual.
I've spent time both places, so it was nice to see them again through your pictures.

I took Margot up to Lassen 2 years ago, she hadn't seen any volcanic stuff before, so she got a real kick out of that.

The Swiss Alps are beautiful, but volcanic they're not.

That is some mighty clear water Melanie is swimming in.....spring fed?

 

[woodworkingboy]

Great traveling! Some desolation road. Are those fire watch towers being staffed?

 

[gf beranek]

Could blow again anytime. All those volcano's are sleeping.

 

[candoarms]

I'm jealous. Never did much traveling. Always liked Craters of the Moon, in Idaho. That's one of the few places I've been.

http://epod.usra.edu/blog/2014/05/craters-of-the-moon.html

Thanks for the photos Burnham.

Joel

 

[BOTS]

Burn, thats funny you posted this I was just looking at climbing mt Lassen soon...Ill have to check out that cinder cone climb as well, looks cool

thanks for posting this, nice pics

 

[Bermy]

Fabulous pictures, love the volcano ones!
Thanks for posting, its like a travel show just for us...I had no idea that part of CA was like that.

 

[Burnham]

Great pictures, as usual.
I've spent time both places, so it was nice to see them again through your pictures.

I took Margot up to Lassen 2 years ago, she hadn't seen any volcanic stuff before, so she got a real kick out of that.

The Swiss Alps are beautiful, but volcanic they're not.

That is some mighty clear water Melanie is swimming in.....spring fed?

Might well have some subsurface spring flow, but most of the source water is snow melt.

Great traveling! Some desolation road. Are those fire watch towers being staffed?

Yes, Jay. A wee remnant of the huge old school network, but these are still operational.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Excellent pictures B. I have not been up there since I was a kid. I should take my kids up.

 

[Burnham]

They'd love the lava tubes at LB Monument, Stephen...every kid up there we saw was over the moon having fun . The campground at Indian Wells is first class...not too fancy, very affordable, but with water and nice flush toilet bathrooms. A great place. Site B29...best tent site in the whole shebang .

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Mom and Dad took us up when I was a teen. It was just 5 of us kids swimming in freezing pools and hiking about.