1997 Lassen Volcanic National Park Trip - A Report and Photo Album

(Click the photo for a larger (139K) version.)

Group shot for 1997 Wayne, Carol, Cliff, Bill, Rita, Rick, Linden, Katherine, Martha, Michael, Jay, Sandra, and Chris

About a dozen of us decided to believe the weather reports that said the storm would be over and the weather would be clear. The weather was clear all right, and there was a snowpack still on the ground that was a couple feet deep. When we rolled into the park Friday night, October 10, the road was closed pretty much at the entrance. So that's where we camped. It got down to about 26 degrees F that night and we've put out tents in snow before so it looked just like many Boot 'n Blister camps from the past. It has been a long time in the past since I've snow camped.

Morning coffee	The sun was out and the snow was still there

We had a nice dayhike around Manzanita Lake. The edges were frozen and there was plenty of snow with which to make snowballs. We snacked our way through the day and finally went back to the tents in our meadow.

I recall Don saying a few years back: "I don't bungie jump and I don't snow camp." Well, One night was, indeed, plenty. So we moved our camp down a thousand feet or so into the Hat Creek valley and stayed across from Subway Cave. We actually got there in the daylight, put our tents up on dry ground, got dinner cooked, and got a fire started all before dark.

The trail around the lake is about a mile and a half long	I don't think the store sold much of the ice in that dispenser

Then next day, we pussyfooted around about going out for breakfast but little by little, most of us ended up at the cafe up the road. We went through the old lava flow-tube cave and back on the trail that runs on top of the cave. The round trip was a loop (although on a map it wouldn't look like it). A few of the folks headed back to the park where the road was said to have been opened to the Devastated Area and perhaps even into the park and out the south side. Others of us went on to Susanville for lunch and Janesville to visit Kristie and Norman. That was quite nice Kristie has been on the last couple trips but pulling into the Woodsmith was a sure-fire way to see Norm.

Wayne	Linden

Carol and Chris spent the night there while our carfull went back to Carmichael via Donner Summit. As I write this, I still have down bags in a heap on my living-room couch and I'm thinking about next year's hike.

Tents in the snow, just like in the old days	The Svea stoves have always worked well in cold weather

Plans for 1998

Linden	Sandra

Rick	Jay

Lassen Peak	Carol giving us our annual naturalist lecture

Chaos Crags	Michael and Katherine

Linden and Katherine nailing Chris with snowballs	Manzanita Lake and Chaos Crags

Wayne and Linden birding	Can you identify those ducks from this picture? (NOT!)

Sandra brought her Hand-Carved Menagerie along	Wayne, Katherine, and Linden enjoyed browsing

I know a little girl who may have to wait until Christmas for all of her choices	Cliff and Rita

On the way through Janesville, we visited Norm...	...and Kristie at The Woodsmith

Back home in Redwood City, it was Indian Summer again while I unpacked my Kelty until next season.