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Day 132 - Lassen Volcanic

Lassen Volcanic Park was my last stop before taking a break from adventuring to visit with my sister and her family in Stockton CA.  Mount Lassen was the first recorded US volcano eruption in 1904-1907 and is considered an active yet dormant volcano now.  I entered the park from its north end and was greeted to a lovely lake view of 10,500 foot tall Mt. Lassen.   

Further down the park highway, I stopped at the Devastated Area, the site of a massive mudslide that destroyed all life on the northeast side of the mountain.  Trees and life have wonderfully returned to the valley 100 years later.

 I decided to hike 2000 feet up to the summit of Mount Lassen.  I was rewarded with wonderful views of lakes around the mountain.  This blue horizon view reminded me of the North Carolina mountains.

The mountain scenery surrounding the peak was colorful and ... volcanic.

I made it to the top of the peak easily and had someone take this photo of me in front of the volcano crater.  I then hiked across the crater on ground that felt very... moon-like.

Back down from the mountain, I hiked to Bumpass Hell, a mud pot-hot spring area reminiscent of Yellowstone.  The sulfur smell and boiling mud brought back pleasant memories of the Yellowstone wild.

I drove south to Stockton, California to visit my sister Susan, her husband Shaw, and my nephews Anderson (age 7) and Grayson (age 2) and niece Carrington (age 6).  I will be "hanging out" with the fam for a few weeks.
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