Re: HIking in Lassen

This park is a favorite of ours, and we spent many a summer vacation here with the kids when we were car camping. We went back this last weekend with our company, so that everyone could enjoy this great park.

And we did enjoy it!

Major hikes included the trail up Manzanita Creek on the first evening...a wonderful seven miles up towards Lassen Peak and a series of meadows, and with views of Chaos Crags, Lassen Peak, and Loomis. That's Loomis Peak below.



And the next day we were the first hikers of the season to hike into Bumpass Hell--always a memorable hike. Here's an overview of the gelthermal activity.



Thanks to a very cooperative co-worker, we were able to through hike all the way to the southern entrance station, via Crumbaugh Lake, Cold Boiling, Lake, Conard Meadows, and Mill Creek Falls. That's a total of about 8 miles of great hiking and wonderful views. Click on these photos to see the whole hike log on Picasa. Crumbaugh Lake, below, was a stunning blue jewel when seen from the trail high on the ridge above it.



The flowers were out, the streams were gushing, and we were delighted.

Here's Mill Creek Falls...with two streams coming together to form the cascade



And flowers;



Oh yeah--since this was a day hike, dinner looked a little different from our usual backpacking fare!

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Balzaccom

follow our adventures, read our blog, or just to come hang out at our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/

Wow! Now THAT's camp food!

Went there once as a kid, stayed at a private inholding called "Drakesbad"

The hike up Lassen itself was, IIRC, on basically a fire road.

I'd love to go again, but it's a loooong way from Hollywood.

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tanngrisnir3
Wow! Now THAT's camp food!

Went there once as a kid, stayed at a private inholding called "Drakesbad"

The hike up Lassen itself was, IIRC, on basically a fire road.

I'd love to go again, but it's a loooong way from Hollywood.

Drakesbad Guest Ranch is no longer an inholding. It was purchased by NPS a while ago.

There's also a new set of cabins near Manzanita Lake. They're pretty cheap, but have spartan furnishings sort of like a KOA "Kamping Kabin". You'll need to bring sleeping bags and your own cooking equipment, but they will rent out a kit, although it's pricey.

I looked it up, and Drakesbad Guest Ranch was sold to the NPS in 1952. The owner sold the ranch, as well as various inholdings inside the park.

http://www.nps.gov/lavo/parkmgmt/upload/Drakesbad_CLR.pdf

I remember my first trip to Lassen Volcanic NP was done as a day trip from the Bay Area. I left home at about 6 AM and got to the south entrance at about 9:15 AM. I even went to Redding, had a haircut and dinner, saw the Sundial Bridge, and got home around midnight.

I actually got in quite a bit, including the hike the Bumpass Hell as well as the entire loop around Manzanita Lake.

I know, I'm being a killjoy, but isn't Lassen in the Cascades and thus off-topic for this board?

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y_p_w
I know, I'm being a killjoy, but isn't Lassen in the Cascades and thus off-topic for this board?

It's close enough.

Technically, the park includes Sierra, Cascade, and Great Basin ecosystems...it's where all three meet.

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Balzaccom

follow our adventures, read our blog, or just to come hang out at our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/

Great pics, thanks for taking the time to share.

Seein your dinner made me quite hungry.