Lassen road diary: August 5 - 8
Sunday, August 5
Leave Oakland 10:30. Fog has just lifted, sunny, 62 degrees F.
Noon in the Central Valley (Dunnigan), 83 degrees.
Valley very smoky from Lake County fire(s).
Brief respite, then we reach dense smoke cloud from enormous Shasta County fire.
Maybe we will plan future vacations at the coast; above the tsunami zone.
Visibility reduced in Red Bluff, smoke odor apparent.
Reach Childs Meadow south of Lassen park around 3.
Highlands Ranch looks like a nice place; small, but cared for; is 3 years old,
replaces old cinder-block motel across the street.
Cottages & lodge attractive, lots of bare wood, friendly staff.
Have late lunch of fish tacos, garlic bread, coffee.
Wash up, rest, have dinner of salmon and mac & cheese. And ale.
Monday, August 6
Leave ranch ~10 AM for hike to Mill Creek Falls.
Find trail head and fork in path.
10:30 - set out down nice paved surface through walk-in campsites.
10:33 - find selves back in parking lot.
10:35 - set out on other path. It is steep, dusty, rock-filled; must be the right one.
Pass mule-ear daisies, flowering buckwheat, butterflies, mountain views.
Trail goes up and down several hillsides and canyons to confluence and waterfall where Mill Creek begins.
1 PM - begin return trip. Sun. Heat. Dust. Like a Lawrence of Arabia remake.
(We find later that our guidebook tended to underestimate the difficulty; the NPS descriptions are more candid.)
2:30 - reach civilization, visitor center, cafe, ice cream. Regain strength.
Proceed to King's Creek Meadow, check out the trailhead; back to cottage and soak feet.
Tuesday, August 7
Up early to photograph Childs Meadow in dawn light.
The old cinder-block motel across the highway seems to be kaput.
We stayed there several times in our poorer younger days;
cafe had the best fried chicken in the state IMHO.
Follow up with big breakfast at Highlands Ranch.
Retire to room, to digest and plan day's hikes:
- find two fairly level paths, each of which can be extended if we are up for it:
- to Cold Boiling Lake (cold water with volcanic gas bubbles, lovely grass shoreline), then to isolated Crumbaugh Lake
- to Terrace and Shadow Lakes near summit of range, then to Cliff Lake if desired
Don old dusty hiking clothes from yesterday and head for park.
Up to highway summit (68 degrees at 8511 feet, spare alpine landscape of lupine and stunted pinyon, patches of snow on Lassen Peak) and down to Kings Creek.
Trail much nicer than yesterday's: wide, flat, mostly level after first 100 feet.
Reach Cold Boiling Lake, so called because volcanic gases bubble up in it but do not heat the water. It is one of our favorite scenes in the park.
Hang out for a bit, then take path (new for us) to Crumbaugh Lake.
Again a level path, not dusty, through fields of silverleaf lupine and a cathedral-like forest of tall fir trees.
Thousands of dark-winged butterflies (monarchs?) on the ground rise in the air on our approach and settle down behind us.
No one else at lovely grass-lined Crumbaugh Lake, we and the butterflies have it all to ourselves.
Only sounds are bird calls and the sighing of the wind in the trees.
Have lunch here, then return to trailhead and drive to Terrace Lake trail.
Which is steep downhill, rocky, slippery; we are coming to mistrust the guidebook.
We decide to skip Shadow Lake, 1/2 mile further; the challenge of the climb back to the car will be enough.
Visit Sulphur Works (was old sulphur mine before park founded), then to Visitor Center for eats.
Busload of USGS staff ahead of us in line for ice cream; I explain they are from the US Gelato Survey.
Back to ranch, nap, dinner.
Hear waitresses speaking Hungarian to each other; look up "thank you" in Magyar.
When leaving, say "koeszoenoem" to waitress, she is gratifyingly surprised.
Wednesday, August 8
Leave Childs Meadow 9:30, 67 degrees.
Pause for enormous trucks bearing bridge spans on narrow road with CHP escort.
11 AM, Red Bluff; smoke heavier than on Sunday, continues south (all the way to SF Bay, it turns out).
Pause at Williams (82 degrees) to see famous Granzella's Deli, have coffee & muffin; both quite good.
Must remember this for next time.
Pass fields ready for harvest: corn, squash, sunflowers, strawberries (backbreaking work to pick).
Home by 2:30; air fairly clear, temps in 70's, glad to be back.
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