Camping on a Volcano

After leaving Jackson we continued to make our way west for a quick overnight stay in Wendover, Nevada.  We stopped on the way to get an oil change at Jiffy Lube.  As you know this service usually takes about 20 minutes.  We were eating our sandwiches in the Jiffy Lube lobby when the manager of the store came to tell us that they had a new guy working in the pit and he accidentally drained our transmission fluid instead of the oil…oops!  They did not have our transmission fluid in stock so he left to hunt some down.  He was very apologetic and we told him that we understand there is a learning curve in every job.  Jake was ecstatic because he found a 7-11 next door to the Jiffy Lube.  7-11s were a norm growing up in Virginia, but for some reason we don’t have them in South Carolina.  Jake treated us to a Slurpee and we hit the road an hour and a half later with a Subaru in tip-top shape with a free transmission fluid exchange.  The drive through Utah was the windiest drive yet.  We crossed the barren Bonneville Salt Flats with winds blowing 40 miles per hour.  It was a workout just holding the steering wheel (Patti…I think that counts as working off the Slurpee!)  We were supposed to tent camp in Wendover that night, but due to the high winds we upgraded to a cabin.  After a good night sleep we headed out early Sunday morning to continue west.  The day got off to an if-y start when Jake was pulled over by a Nevada State Trooper for exiting a gas station through the entrance.  Neither of us saw the sign.  Thankfully they were friendly officers and just issued Jake a verbal warning.  They asked him to please be more aware of signs.  The day only got better from there.   We drove straight across Nevada to Reno.  We were entertained by all of the dust devils – little dirt tornadoes that swirl around in the flat spaces at the foot of the mountains.  We soon crossed into California welcomed by the $4.20 gas. 

walking to Manzanita Lake for a beautiful sunset

kayaking on Manzanita Lake with Lassen Peak (volcano)

The Crags and Jumbles - a result of a volcanic dome collapse

geothermal hotspot - mudpot

We soon arrived at our destination -  Lassen Volcanic Park.  The park surrounds the 10,457 foot Lassen Peak  - an active volcano.  We camped at Manzanita Lake campground at the foot of the volcano – elevation 6,000 feet.  Lassen is in black bear country so upon arrival we set up our camp and had to secure anything with a scent in the bear box provided.  We walked down to Manzanita Lake to watch a beautiful sunset before returning to our campsite to relax after a long drive.  We slept well in the tent despite the cool weather (35 degrees).  Jake brewed some coffee and cooked oatmeal for breakfast.  We headed out to explore the park.  Volcanoes are so fascinating.  They look like totally different mountains than any I’ve seen before.  Lassen’s last big eruption was in 1915.  We hiked through the “devastated area” where you can actually see the path of the mud, ash, and melted snow that roared down the mountain.  Resulting avalanches moved a lot of the volcanic rock miles from Lassen.  Reports say that the rocks were still sizzling hot several days after the eruption.  The park just received an 11 inch snowfall a week prior to our arrival, so a lot of the ground and roads were covered with a TON of snow – above our heads in some places.  Many of the lakes were still frozen and a lot of the hiking trails were closed.  We still enjoyed getting to see Lassen and the surrounding volcanoes from many different spots.  We stopped on the south side of the park at Sulphur Works – a geothermal area with bubbling water and mud heated by the earth.  It was such a unique sight and such an awful smell.  We met a sweet couple from Redding, CA with a dog named Diesel.  We spent some time chatting with them and giving Diesel some ear rubs and scratches.  We returned to Manzanita Lake for a picnic lunch.  The water looked so beautiful that we decided to rent kayaks and go out for a paddle.  We were so glad we did.  The view of Lassen Peak from the lake was amazing.  There were lots of fishermen fly fishing as Manzanita Lake boasts some of the largest trout around.  The lake is for catch and release fishing only.  This lake was formed 300 years ago when a nearby volcanic dome collapsed and millions of tons of rock sped across flat land before smashing into a mountain and veering into a creek.  The damning of this creek formed the lake.  The lake is still surrounded by an area called Chaos Crags and Jumbles – rocky, churned up land as a result of the volcanic dome collapse.  We enjoyed exploring the lake via kayak.  After we docked the boats, we hiked around the lake for a different perspective.  It was a good day spent outdoors.  We enjoyed our campfire back at the site and we were surprised by Diesel and his owners on a walk.  They were staying just a few sites from us.  So of course we gave Diesel some more ear rubs and scratches.  We even shared our picture of Tillie with them (we keep a picture of her on the back of our sun visor).   We were glad to chat with some dog lovers.  We miss our Tillie.  We’re now headed west again to Redwood National Park.  We can’t wait to see the trees!  We hope all is well where you are!