Road Trip 2012: Saturday 10/13

Day trip to Mt. Lassen National Park.  Cory drove his car, so no miles on the truck.

Mt. Lassen National Park road trip.

We took two cars today.  Karen and Bob drove theirs, while Cory drove his, taking along Molly, me and the two dogs.

Looking back at Mt. Shasta, on the way to Burney Falls.

Zoomed in view, showing the clouds below the peak.

On the way to Lassen, Bob wanted to show us Burney Falls, located in McArther-Burney Falls Memorial State Park.  The falls, while not the highest or largest in the state of California, must be one of the most beautiful.  Cory, Molly and I walked the 1.3 mile hiking trail that circled the falls.

View from the overlook.

Near the base of the falls.

Molly and Cory recounting the trail hike to Bob and Karen.

From Burney Falls, we continued on to Mt. Lassen National Park.  Prior to the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980, the Mt. Lassen eruption in 1915 was the most recent one in the continental United States.  A series of eruptions, and the resulting lava flows and ash deposits in May of 1915 completely changed the shape of the mountain.  Unlike Mt. St. Helens, there was no loss of life in the Mt. Lassen event.  The park still has some active sulfur steam vents and boiling mud pots.

1915 photo of debris from the eruption.

The same rock today.

An archeologist contemplating geology.  :-)))

Mt. Lassen in the clouds.

Mt. Lassen peak.

Sulfur deposits and steam vents.

We got back the chalet about 7:00, and ended the day with grilled steaks and some very fine wine.  It was a long, but great day.  On Sunday, Molly and Cory head back to Roseburg.  I'll hang around with Bob and Karen and then I'll start back east Monday morning.