Day 6, Lassen Volcanic NP

The first part of the day consisted of our favorite activity: hiking. Compared to the amount of miles driven in previous days, the trip up to Lassen NP was relatively short. After stopping by the visitor center for a stamped map and a quick look around, we were heading up the mountain’s switchbacks towards the trail to Lassen Peak. Along the way we encountered a couple geothermal vents and a bubbling mud pot. The area around these sulfur works smelled horrible – like spoiled scrabbled eggs. While Dad and I could tolerate the smell, Jessie was about ready to suffocate and had to use her shirt to cover her nose.

Continuing up the mountain road, we passed tons of snow banks, which were unusually numerous for this time of year. We stopped by one long enough to take a couple pictures and get some short snowball fights in. Once we had finally reached the parking lot, we gathered up and packed our food, jackets, cameras, and water before heading up the mountain for a 4-hour hike. The first part of the trail cut through the snow banks, and we had to be careful not to slip because then we’d slide down several hundred feet. It wasn’t the easiest terrain to navigate through when all we had to wear on our feet was old tennis shoes. Luckily, the trail turned into dirt and rocks, as we got further up the mountain, though there was still the occasional snow back passage we had to cautiously cross. Since Jessie finally broke on this hike, I know I can speak for everyone in the family when I say that this hike was difficult. The inclined trail never seemed to end and I thought I was going to die. Thankfully though, we all made it to the top and got to behold one of the most beautiful sights any of us will ever see. The 360-degree view extended for miles on end and consisted of the neighboring forests, snow covered mountain ranges, lakes, and volcanic craters. Jessie and I even made a couple of tiny snowmen in the banks at the summit too. We also took tons of pictures, and spent at least 40 minutes admiring the view before heading back down. The hike down was much easier, but Dad and I still got a little dehydrated, which resulted in headaches for the both of us. At the bottom a local reporter, who wanted to know what we thought of the hike, interviewed us. While Jessie and Dad commented on how beautiful the scenery was, I was the only one who seemed willing to admit how strenuous the journey had been.

Our next stop was at McArthur-Burney Falls. Too often when we visit some falls, there isn’t a decent amount of water flowing over, but that was not the case with these falls. Thousands of gallons poured over the cliff side like a white veil into the deep blue pool below. The cliff side was also decorated in a variety of plants that hung down over the rocks. It was an awesome sight and the setting sun made it even more pretty to look at. However, even with the rest I had during the drive over, I was still feeling ill, so I stayed at one of the overviews of the falls while Jessie and Dad hiked down to the bottom.