Lassen - Volcanic Wonder, or Waste-Land?

Lassen National Park was on fire this August, and I went right through it to get there, for you. 

The main highway to the south of the park was shut down a few cars behind me on the way back, and the flames were 10 feet from the road!

Fortunately, I basically had the entire park to myself, which is unheard of this time of year. I doubt many people can get these shots since it is usually packed with people. 

This, and Shasta, are part of the Cascade volcano range, as opposed to the coastal and sierra ranges

The visitor center is brand new and has lots of good information. There is a long road to the views of the mountain and hydrothermal areas.

 And the views are fantastic the entire way

 This is a hydrothermal area, where gasses and other chemicals seep out of the volcano and leach into the soil and water. The soil and stone turn into clay over time

 But some things still thrive

 First glimpse of the summit

 Once I stopped, you could see this volcano erupting. Wait, what! No, that's that fire I drove by on the way up (was at the bottom of the canyon then) and the smoke was raising behind one of the mountains that made up a super-giant volcano that blew up millennia ago  

 It was surreal and spectacular

 The views south into the sacramento valley were hazy, but expansive

Some hillsides were barren from past eruptions

Bi-colored, some homes went up in this blaze

 Still 'erupting', this boulder is 6 feet tall and on a 400 foot ledge, moved here by the glaciers

 The other rocks carried by the glaciers etched these marks into the bedrock

 Isn't it impressive?

 Can you see Vulcan's eye?

 Lake helen, pristine, dark blue, very alpine

 A stream through a valley makes things verdant

 The lupine. I can't describe how overwhelming their scent was in the air (until the sulfur took over later). It was like honey, lavender and sage, with a hint of citrus blossom that wafted through the air like  nothing I've ever experienced. It literally covered some of the slopes

 All. The. Way. Down.

Clay around Bumpass Hell, the main hydrothermal area in the park (with water over 200 degrees)

 A wooden walkway keeps you from falling in

 Many fumaroles release gasses that smell like rotten eggs

 The stream cuts through it, accreting chemicals

 Staining the earth

 But what a contrast in the pools

Aquamarine

 Some algae survive in the hot creek

 But it is very muddy

 Sulfur deposits

 No idea how this spider survives in the water and this environment, but it was just chillin out

 Boiling mud pots were around as well, with rings showing past activity

 A black and grey creek meet

 The pink stuff is real pink slime, micro-organisms that thrive in the hostile waters and feed off the chemicals

 Fresher mud pots

 Those are sulfur crystals forming at the mouth of this vent

 A large, boiling pond

 With iron pyrite floating on the surface (fool's gold) in liquid form!

 Do you see the swan in this freshwater pond next to the hell?

 I'm not sure the last time I've seen waters this clear

Hope you enjoyed :)

East Sierra Hot Springs

I went out to Grover Hot Springs State Park a few weeks ago and was exposed to a whole new part of California. South of Tahoe at the headwaters of the Carson river, Hot Springs Creek runs through Markleeville in Alpine County.

Still some snow (I need to fix my camera, as there is a spot on the lens I can't see)

Just beyond the area is the nevada desert, in the shadow of the mountains that keeps rain from falling. 

Going up the valley, across the creek

 Once there, a large meadow separates the camping area from the pools

 And it is so expansive and beautiful

I wonder how long ago this fell 

A very prominent outcrop, 7,000 feet up 

On the south side of the valley, the geology produces 125 degree seeps of spring water

So the natives used it, then pioneers, and now it is developed into a cold and hot pool looking out onto the valley

As it comes into the pool (4 feet deep). At the end of the day they drain it over an hour, so by the end you only have about 6 inches of hot water to be in, which then disappears!

 The source is just up the hill from the pools

 It all comes from here, they collect it just above the pool so there is enough for the day.

Mineral content 

This is the overflow that heads into the creek

 The meadows were full of wildflowers, despite the terrible year for them. Aren't these fluffy!

 This is a young coral root orchid/snow plant. I've posted a tall one from the fall from Calaveras before

Lupine, one of my favorites

There is a lot of hiking around too, I went out to a waterfall and saw this lava formation from eons ago

On top of the formation, these trees were sparse and kinda scraggly

 Their roots clinged to the rocks looking for some dirt

 It was hard to photograph the waterfalls, they were like cataracts, so you see a couple and then hike up to more

 This one went into a nice looking pool

 These sparrows were quite vocal, and darted about all day long

 Camping was primitive, but did have bathrooms. Here is the grill I used

 There was some flat area to camp, but lots of boulders

 Markleeville is a tiny town at the crossroads, classic small, rural California mountain town

 The county courthouse, which fits like 10 people. You have to walk in with the criminals when on the jury, it is from like 1877 or something

 The old county jail, so small