Lassen Volcanic National Park

There was a good bit of light coming through the curtains at the Redding Travelodge, but it was quiet so we both slept well enough. After waking a little after 5, we showered and did our German lessons before checking out around 7 am.

View from Manzanita Lake

We had a breakfast of applesauce and a protein bar on the one-hour drive to Lassen Volcanic National Park. We appeared to be among the day’s first visitors since the ranger at the north entrance gate was just raising the flag. We wanted to get there early since the park is very popular, and we wanted to be sure to get a parking place. We had read that the rangers strictly enforce that visitors park only in available spaces.

Otter in Manzanita Lake

Our first hike, the Manzanita Trail, was a little over a mile around Lake Manzanita. When were at this park in September 2012, we did not drive this far north so we had never been to this lake. We were the first to park in the lot. The air was cool so our long pants and sweatshirts felt good, but we didn’t need our jackets. The lake was beautiful, and the water was crystal clear. When we got about half way around the lake, we saw something moving in the water. A few minutes later 4 river otters were swimming near us. The mother and three juveniles played just a few yards from us for several minutes before moving on around the lake. There were some nice views of Lassen Peak, whose peak was still under a cover of cloud. By the time we returned to the parking area, there were only a few visitors in the area. Mary went to the visitor center to get her National Park Passport stamp and to buy a postcard for Peter.

Bumpass Hell hydrothermal area

We continued to drive up the mountain and learn about the area’s history. We learned that the mountain exploded only a little over 100 years ago. In 1915 there was a tremendous event that blew volcanic debris over a large area. In fact, Lassen is still considered an active volcano.

Steam vents at Bumpass Hell

Our next stop was at Bumpass Hell, a hydrothermal area, that is probably the park’s most popular attraction. Although the parking lot was filling, we were able to get a spot quickly. The air had cooled to the lower 40s, so we wore our jackets and hats for the hike. The Bumpass Hell Trail is about 1.5 miles each way with a 500 foot elevation rise then a 250 foot descent into the volcanic area. Because we were hiking at an elevation over 8,000 feet, we took the ascent slowly so as to not get winded. The air temperature dropped into the 30s as we were on the trail and a strong wind picked up, so we picked up our pace to keep warm. Our face masks actually felt good, keeping the wind from our faces.

Boardwalk through Bumpass Hell

Bumpass Hell Trail was being well traveled today, probably because it was a Saturday and people were wanting to get out during the pandemic. Unlike other trails that we were on for the past two weeks, few hikers were wearing masks. Because we were faster than some and slower than others, we passed a lot of other hikers on the steep trail. There was an abrupt drop off over the edge of the trail, but the path was well maintained and safe. 

Geysers and vents at Bumpass Hell

As we approached the Bumpass’ Hell area, there was no doubt that we had arrived. A very strong rotten egg smell of sulfur hung in the air. The strong wind drove the stench at us as we continued on the trail. Once we were at the location, we had the feeling that we were here seven years ago but couldn’t remember the long trail. We walked along the boardwalks through sulfur vents, boiling mud pits, geysers and steam holes all through the area. We continued to think that this was one of the places we had visited.

We took a lot of photos and walked back on a different trail toward the parking lot. Along the way we chatted with a family from nearby Oroville, California. They told us that until a couple of years ago the parking area was much nearer the Bumpass’ Hell site. They mentioned something about a tourist getting injured, which resulted in the trailhead being moved to make the potentially hazardous locations less accessible.

The 1.5 mile walk back to the car seemed to go more quickly, probably because it was more downhill than up. By the time we got to the car, a line of people were waiting for parking spaces. We left the lot to find a place for lunch at a less crowded stop. A few visitors were at the Sulfur Mine stop, but since the volcanic features were near the road, people didn’t tend to stay long and there were plenty of parking spots. We found a large boulder near the parking area and had the turkey sub that we had bought at the Walmart deli in Redding this morning.

Boiling mud pit at the Sulfur Works

The Sulfur Works site was a really great stop with a boiling mud pit, several steam vents and sulfur deposits, all of which are viewable from a sidewalk along the main road through the park. There were a number of tourists at the site, but people tended to move. As with the Bumpass Hell site, few people were wearing masks.

The last stop of our day was at the visitor center at the south entrance to the park. This entrance appeared to get a lot more visitors than the northern entrance that we used this morning. We used the southern entrance when we were here in 2012.

While driving toward Sacramento I had to stop along the road for a quick power nap that really restored my energy. Then we continued to David and Yeh’s house near Folsom, arriving a little before 5 pm. The only slowdown was in Wheatland, California where a construction project as well as activities at a pumpkin farm had traffic backed up. That added about 30 minutes to our drive time.

We were happy to see David, Yeh and Allyson since we hadn’t seen them since they came to Huntington for Emily and Ian’s wedding in June 2014.

Yeh made shabu shabu with fish, shrimp, squid, beef, fish balls, mushrooms and bok choi dunked in hot seasoned broth. We enjoyed everything including the nice red wine to accompany the meal. Both David and Yeh are very accomplished in the kitchen and always serve exceptional meals. This was no exception. We stayed up chatting and reminiscing until after 10 pm when we turned in.