Back from Lassen

We just spent a few days camping at Manzanita Lake and hiking in Lassen National Park. What a treat!

yes, huge portions of the park were burned in the Dixie Fire--just about everything east of the park loop road. But that still left a lot to see and do, and we fell in love all over again with this wonderful but less famous park.

The hikes?

Manzanita Creek, following the old road that Ben Loomis built 100 years ago to study the erupting volcano. The volcano is no longer erupting, and the road is now a mere trail through the woods, but a nice hike nevertheless.

Heart Lake--this isn't in the park, it's in the Lassen National Forest to the west. We've looked for the trailhead before, but this time we found it, and we found the lake--a hike through a forest ripe for a massive burn, and a quiet lake with nobody around. Well, one young bear who took off like a shot in front of us.

Terrace, Shadow, and Cliff Lakes from the park loop road. This one starts at 8,000 feet and heads pretty much straight down the mountain to three jewel-like lakes. The climb back up isn't quite so much fun, but the lakes are still beautiful on the way back. We also saw a pair of cranes in the Upper Meadow.

Manzanita Lake--the classic hike for anyone staying at the campground. Still short, wonderful, and full of people and views. lost of Kayaks on the water.

Paradise Meadows follows Hat Creek as it tumbles down a steep canyon from this meadow. And while we were too late for most of the flowers, the hike was still a delight, with cascades along the way, and a payoff view in the meadow itself.

With the exception of the Manzanita Lake trail, we saw few people on these hikes--no more than fifteen on any hike. The only parking areas that had lots of cars in them were the ones to the Lassen Peak Trail and Bumpass Hell. The rest of the park? Quiet and serene.

We hadn't been here since the Dixie Fire--but we'll be visiting again. What a beautiful place. And yes, the fire damage is massive and visible. But it also left major parts of the park unaffected.

Since WIX won't allow me to post photos without a massive fee, the photos for all of these hikes are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gWFBMV7N6NTRMUw66