< Previous | List | Next > Driving from Lake Tahoe to Lassen Volcanic National Park, and on to Redding
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Highway 89
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park (Emerald Lake)
High-Sierra meadow and forest at Donner Memorial State Park
Starting off at South Lake Tahoe, we headed North to Truckee, and then joined SR 89 towards Lassen Volcanic NP. Along the way, we stopped at Donner Memorial SP, which was a nice spot, but would have been entirely significant if it weren't for its historic significance - about half of the eighty-nine member Donner Party died there in the winter of 1846-1847, trapped by heavy snowfalls.
By the time we reached Lassen Volcanic NP, it had begun to get cloudy. We entered at the Southwest Entrance Station, and quite soon reached Sulphur Works. There were people parked there, so like the tourist sheep that we and most everyone else are, we did too. At first, I thought that the smoke that hung over the street came from some work the nearby maintenance crew was doing on the road, but as we came closer I realized that it came out of the earth. This would be the first time I would see the earth boil, so to speak.
Looking at Lassen Peak
We continued north on a winding road that took us higher and higher, and stil stopped several times, near Emerald Lake, and at a place called Bumpass Hell (why, I don't know).
After crossing the road's highest point at over 8500 feet, we headed back down in what seemed like less remarkable terrain - but maybe we were both just getting scenic fatigue.
As the day got to its end, we got nearer to Redding, CA, where we stayed in an unremarkable hotel (so unremarkable, in fact, that I don't remember a single thing about it) and visited the local Borders for some snooping through books and a coffee.
Accommodation: ():
Written August 5th 2004