Lassen Volcanic National Park

July 1 to July 3, 2006

Independence Day weekend: Three days of hiking in Northern California, two nights sleeping in a tent on the ground, cooking on a camp stove. A round trip of 634 total miles.

Page 1 of 2

Click On Photo To Enlarge

Saturday - Out of the house before 8 AM, we drove north on Interstates 680, 80, 505 and then 5 to Corning (just south of Red Bluff) then east a few miles, arriving at Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area around 2 in the afternoon. M relaxed in camp watching birds while G explored the nature trails.

The middle of the Sacramento river is within walking distance, literally!

Almost stepped on this friendly fellow.

Sunday - Up at 7:30 AM after 9 hours sleep. Tea and oatmeal for breakfast, then on the road east toward Lassen, first stopping in Vina (short "i") for ice and milk. There's a grocery store behind this tractor warehouse.

After driving through heavily wooded pine forest, past the park gate for a few miles, we had to stop at the Bumpass Hell parking lot because the rest of the road was closed until June 12th.

That's probably Brokeoff Mountain in the distance.

We were impressed by the thin air, comfortable temperature, blinding glare of the sun, and the thickness of the snow by the side of the road. Lassen Peak at 10,000 feet is looming in the distance.

Walking with the crowd for about a half mile.

Frozen Lake Helen is deep and has some bacteria inducing this color.

To the top of anything and everything; a craving to climb!

On the way back down to the park entrance: Views from the winding road are scenic, to say the least.

We stopped to smell the fumaroles at Sulphur Works, talked to the park ranger, and recorded the sounds of a mud pot.

Back at the park entrance is the Mill Creek Falls trailhead. Here we enter the forest at around 3 PM.

Open meadows and hillsides appear at intervals along the trail.

A brilliant yellow wild flower named Mule's Ear predominates this July 2nd.

Click On Photo To Enlarge

continue to page 2

Page 1 of 2

	Saturday - Out of the house before 8 AM, we drove north on Interstates 680, 80, 505 and then 5 to Corning (just south of Red Bluff) then east a few miles, arriving at Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area around 2 in the afternoon. M relaxed in camp watching birds while G explored the nature trails.
The middle of the Sacramento river is within walking distance, literally!
	Almost stepped on this friendly fellow.
Sunday - Up at 7:30 AM after 9 hours sleep. Tea and oatmeal for breakfast, then on the road east toward Lassen, first stopping in Vina (short "i") for ice and milk. There's a grocery store behind this tractor warehouse.
	After driving through heavily wooded pine forest, past the park gate for a few miles, we had to stop at the Bumpass Hell parking lot because the rest of the road was closed until June 12th. That's probably Brokeoff Mountain in the distance.
We were impressed by the thin air, comfortable temperature, blinding glare of the sun, and the thickness of the snow by the side of the road. Lassen Peak at 10,000 feet is looming in the distance.
	Walking with the crowd for about a half mile.
Frozen Lake Helen is deep and has some bacteria inducing this color.
	To the top of anything and everything; a craving to climb!
On the way back down to the park entrance: Views from the winding road are scenic, to say the least.
	We stopped to smell the fumaroles at Sulphur Works, talked to the park ranger, and recorded the sounds of a mud pot.
Back at the park entrance is the Mill Creek Falls trailhead. Here we enter the forest at around 3 PM.
	Open meadows and hillsides appear at intervals along the trail.
A brilliant yellow wild flower named Mule's Ear predominates this July 2nd.