Lassen Volcanic National Park - Lakes and Sky

A couple shots of some of the lakes you can drive and hike to in Lassen Park.

Shadow Lake (a couple hundred steps away from Terrace Lake)

Summit Lake in the rain - you can drive right up to it

The Cafe at Mineral Lodge in tiny Mineral, California

Nice people, good eats, vintage pinball

Burney & McCloud Falls, California

Burney Falls is the 129-foot-high result of multiple outlets of year-round 42-degree spring water, bursting forth from under the Earth's crust for our edification. A spectacular experience!

First glimpse before descending into the cool valley.

The road to Burney Falls is paved with many stones.

Well worth a visit.

Nearby McCloud Falls has three levels of falls and good swimming. Easy access, either by walking or driving to the three conveniently located parking lots for all three falls. The trail is an easy uphill slope along the river. But watch out for bees. One stung me on the lip, which was weird. Perhaps it was a wasp. Anyway, it was aggressive, and helped me build some character.

Bumpass Hell - Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

When visiting Lassen Park, take time to hike down the narrow rocky incline to the geothermal wonder that is Bumpass Hell. Bubbling mud and aquamarine pools of water await, along with steaming fumaroles that hiss and roar, like a giant underground tea kettle that someone left boiling on the stove. Avoid serious injury and stay on the boardwalks (thank you to the crews who constructed and maintain those, by the way). Enjoy the sulfurous scents as you descend into an alternative geological reality.

More on our trip to Lassen on my other blog, here.

Bonus: a boiling mud pit from the Sulphur Works site right off the main road near the south entrance of the park. Just pull up your car and watch some mud boil.

Hummingbirds Feed and Fight

Nature's fighter pilots.

Hummingbirds! These fellas, and some ladies are feeding at the Mill Creek Inn near Lassen Volcanic National Park. They're territorial little hellions.