California has an incredible amount of beautiful national parks, each one with breathtaking, and majestic scenery. (Looking at you, Yosemite, but that will be a post for another day.)
Lassen Volcanic was one of many that I have had the pleasure of hiking through. And believe me, this place is seriously underrated; it is much less crowded than a lot of the other parks in California (again, looking at you Yosemite...), and the views and landscape are very unique. It's worth the trip! Lot's of photos for today's blog, so lets get started!
A Natural Waterfall
We started around Mill Creek Falls, going through a naturally green area, quite pleasant and what you usually find in natural parks. This waterfall was a bit unhealthy (California, you're not a desert, stahp), but it still had enough for a great picture.
A Pleasant Lake
Crumbaugh Lake to be precise, was right in the middle of the hike. It was serene and peaceful. Up we went, and looking back down at the lake we previously were, was quite the view.
Where Nature Meets Hell
But that was about it for the peaceful side of this place. We connected to the most famed spot in Lassen Volcanic, called Bumpass Hell. These two photos (same-ish spot, different perspective), show where the nature abruptly ends, and the volcanic area starts.
A Dangerous Lake
Seriously, these pools will burn you to a crisp if you touch them. You can feel the heat coming out of them, and they smell like sulfur.
The Walkway
Here's a nice shot to overview the wooden bridge that goes over this place. The walkway isn't too long, but there are some nice explanations of the area along the way. And some warning signs.
The Silver River
A couple more interesting shots left to show -- here's the edge of the trail that follows the silvery river in the previous photos. The colour here is actually that strange, due to the volcanic activity. Not water you'd want to drink, that is for sure.
Rolling Hills
The bumps and hills formed here are quite fascinating. With a little bit of nature creeping back in, as the volcanic activity has been gentle for quite some time.
A Dreary Lake
One more lake, on the way out -- Lake Helen. Not as peaceful as the first, but at least not as deadly as the previous. This one just felt dreary, with little nature, and rocky shores.
A Goodbye View
That's all for the trip. As we left, we checked out one more view point, looking over the green area. The horizon of trees seemed to go on forever.
For those of you interested: Camera is SONY NEX-7, with a Zeiss 16-70mm lens. As always, these are my original photos, and I maintain the copyright.
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