The Journey Continues…
After the disappointing visit to Crater Lake and a long day’s drive, I found myself holed up in a cheap hotel in Redding, CA. After a bad night's rest (and accidentally leaving my favorite pillow behind), I head out just before sunrise. My destination this day was Mt. Lassen Volcano National Park...due east of Redding.
A little background: I spent the vast majority of my life in Northern California. From early childhood on, I saw most of the beautiful sites this part of the world offers. I spent the majority of my youthful summers in Yosemite, along with several trips there as an adult. I had also been to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, Muir Woods, the California Coast, and much more. But, in my entire life, I had never been to Lassen…and this trip was about seeing new places.
Mt. Lassen is classified as an active volcano, having last blown its top in 1921. Its been quiet since then, but one never knows. It sits in what most people might consider to be the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. But in truth, it is the southernmost volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range. This range stretches north into Canada and includes such spectacular volcano's as Mt. Shasta, Mt. Adams, Mt. Baker, Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, and, of course, Mt. St. Helens.
To be honest, I am not sure where the southern Cascades end and the Sierras begin. I do know that geologically speaking, the two mountain ranges are very different. But, I am getting ahead of myself.
There is only one paved road in Lassen with a Northern and Southern Entrance (I found out later that there are some unpaved roads into the park). I came in from the north and was immediately greeted with the site of Manzanita Lake, fresh with some beautiful morning light. After a few shots I continued on through the park. It is not a big park, but it is certainly quite beautiful and has some very unusual elements.
The north entrance brings you in at a lower altitude (around 5,500 ft.) so one is quite a bit below the mountain. But as you keep going, the road starts climbing higher and higher. In he end, you are 1,500 feet below the summit at an altitude of 8,500 feet.
I took this photo at Upper King’s Creek Meadow, at an altitude of 7,500 feet. Obviously this is King’s Creek as it meanders down from Mt. Lassen. It is one of those photos that just works better as a black and white image…with the creek leading your eye up to Lassen Peak.
One of the most interesting features of the park is how the mountain changes as you go around it. The view from the north is so incredibly different than the south face. Of course, all of this has to do with volcanic activity.
Along the highway, I ran into hot springs and steam vents...sure signs that this is an active volcano. There were other places on the south side of the mountain that belied the volcanic nature of this place, such as the correctly named, “Bumpass Hell.” I did not hike down to it…maybe some other time.
At the southern entrance, I made a short but informative visit at the visitor’s center. By then, I had seen all I had come to see. I originally thought about camping here, but eventually decided against it. I was happy with my photos and none of the trails on the map excited me enough to spent a second day here.
By the time I reached the southern end of the park, it was still early enough to go somewhere else. Frankly, there were many more destinations I was more excited to see further down the road and I had a long, long way to go.
So I eventually hooked up with Highway 395 on the east side of California and headed south. Next stopping point: Reno, NV. This was not a destination, but a waypoint for a good night's rest. I already knew my next photographic destination.
Stay Tuned!
(To see a larger version of this image, just click on it)
To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com…or visit my Flickr Page
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