I am thankful for friendships with a foundation of curiosity, silliness, and love. I am thankful for my body, capable and strong-propelling me up mountains! For my mind, lover of new ideas and history. For my spirit, providing me with empathy and insight to the world around and within me.
My visit to Lassen Volcanic NP was delightful and awe-inspiring. I traveled with one of my favorite people in this planet, Ally, with the intention to explore and learn about the park we had heard so much about. We left South Lake Tahoe, CA on Friday, full of anticipation and excitement for the snow filled adventure ahead. We stopped at Patagonia Outlet, in Reno, NV along the way. Neither of us were in need of new gear or clothing, but it was a nice break from driving. I did purchase some food from Patagonia Provisions. I have a been following the products and activism demonstrated by Patogona Provisions for awhile, so I figured it was about time to try the products. I purchased the tsampa soup, lightly smoked lemon pepper salmon, and inca berry bar. We also grabbed the free environmental review magazine to read up on the companies success in the past year and learn about their future endeavors. As I read the magazine outloud in the car, I was often hushed by the scenery out the car window. We passed through towns of all sizes, the mountains as their backdrop, and the colors of fall singing farewell! It was simply beautiful. We arrived to the Southwest campground around 4pm. We checked out the Kohm Yah-mah-nee visitor center. We were like kids in the candy store. Look at this map! Press this button and learn the landscape of the park! Watch this film about the park's history! We soaked up as much as we could about the park, and throughout the trip quizzed one another. What does Kohm Yah-mah-nee translate to English? Snow Mountain What are the four types of volcanoes found in the park? Shield, Cinder Cone, Plug Dome, Composite What type of volcanoe is Lassen? Plug Dome! The list goes on... Knowing the history of the park and the surroundings made the rest of the trip engaging. We understood and appreciated the scenery even more! After leaving the visitor center, we set up the tent at the Southwest Campground, $10/night fee. We watched the skys change colors and the air chill with the setting sun. We made stovetop pizza(See essetials+ blog for details on how to make that happen on your next trip) and bundled up in our layers. We closed the night with light reading in the tent, more park history and facts, and decided on the next day's itinerary.
Eventually we were hungry, and the perfect lakeside lunchspot was waiting for us. We packed Trader Joe's Sprouted Bagels, Pesto, Goat Cream Cheese, Tomato, Cucumbers, Red Onion, and Patogonia Provisions Salmon. We sat at the base of Helen Lake, Lassen Peak shining in the distance. Perfection. Post lunch, we hiked to Bumpess Hell. We finally got to put on our snow shoes and be amidst the trees. Bumpess Hell is hard to miss because a dense steam hovers over the land and the sound of the boiling and spewing mudpots ring in your ear. The terrain was stained with yellows, oranges, and greens unseen elsewhere in the park because of the active mineral deposits flowing in the surroundings pools. There is a bridge to encounter close looks at the fumarole and boiling mudpots, but a safe distance to keep you from burning the acidic and possibly 300 degree steam! After we made our way around Bumpess Hell we decided to call it a day and hiked down the road back to our campsite. With a little daylight still among us, I set up my hammock and we sipped on sangria, snacked on trail mix, and chatted about the life we live and will continue to work towards. As the chill of the evening started creeping in, we decided to make our warm dinner, meatball subs. Warm, full, and happy we retreated to the tent to rest up for Sunday. Sunday's itinerary included snow shoeing to Mill Creek Falls and Forest Lake via the Brokeoff Mountain trailhead. The hike to Mill Creek Falls was my personal favorite. While it was a short hike, 1.8 miles to the falls, the gloomy sky made the colors of the mountain side and forest come alive. Oh! and the smells of the trees, Pine, Fir, and Cedar were the perfect morning refreshment. As soon as the falls came into sight, my jaw dropped. Jade, burnt reds, vibrant greens painted across the rock face to create a magnificent sight! We scrambled down the trail to access a more personal trail to the falls and admired the scenic overlook and the water up close. After Mill Creek we enjoyed a delicious lunch made up of pita bread, spicy hummus, dolmas, and eggplants in tomato sauce. On the side we heated up some water and brought out my cured mate gourd to enjoy some Yerba Mate. With our bellies full and a little caffeine boost, we packed all our gear into the car and drived 1/2 mile outside the park entrance to access the Brokeoff Mountain trailhead. We snapped on our snowshoes and made the ascent! As we were nearing forest lake, we decided to continue towards the summit of Brokeoff Mountain, "Have you ever regretted being on top of a mountain before?" the answer was no, so we continued past our original stopping point. We climbed and climbed, only stopping for a few pictures and water. Eventually, we hit a fork in the trail. There were snow shoes heading in opposite directions, no clear indicator which one to take. Of course, we ended up following the wrong tracks. We were loosing day light. We decided to turn around and head back to the cars rather then make it to the summit. There was so much beauty and enjoyment in the day so it was not a disappointment. We piled back into the car and made our way to the North side of Lassen NP. We were told by the rangers that no camping was permitted during winter at the Manzanita lake campground, but disperse camping was allowed 1/2 mile from the road in the National forest (not park) land. It took us over an hour and a half to drive to the other side of the park since the main road is closed. Ally bought a book called, Dirt Work by Christine Byl, at the visitor center so I read aloud as we drove. Yet again, I was often hushed by the surrounding landscape. We found a place to park and camp just as the sun was setting. Ally has always wanted to try sleeping in her car so we arranged our gear to allow for us to sleep in the back of her suburu. After we were settled in, we broke out our sangria and snacks and took turns reading Dirt Work. A wonderful ending to our day! Monday was our last day in the park. Our itinerary included hiking around Manzanita lake and attempting some cross country skiing along the closed road. I would highly recommend the hike around Manzanita lake to any visitors of the park. The trail was easy to follow, so your energy can be used to admire the woods, the wildlife, and the surrounding peaks.
After walking around the lake, we prepped our skis and hit the road! Literally, we walked up the road until there was a stretch where it was not plowed nor had the sun melt it. With some instruction from Ally, I started to get the stride down. We were moving uphill, which did not help in improving my technique. It was a little goofy feeling, but also very fun to be trying something new! We skied along for about 30 minutes until the road started to be more exposed. After some flopping around in our skies on the side of the road, we turned back, ready to face the downhill! Ally's face got really up close in personal during the downhill ski after a fall, but she laughed it off and continued with grace! Eventually, the road cleared up again and we carried our skies back to the car. We said our goodbyes and thanks to the park for all it was. Onward to Tahoe, until next time.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AshleyEnjoys playing outside. Archives
January 2017
Categories |