Boot steps are nearly silent on the needle covered trail a we make a slow climb through thick stand of pines.  (One would think that if trailheads are at 5000 ft + at least some trails would be downhill or at least flat – not so far!).  Patches of snow cling in sheltered spots in the woods. We had been forewarned there was still heavy snow cover on the trail just 2 weeks ago and we find the first on the trail at about ½ mile in.  We are across it in just a few steps.  No big deal.  Split log bridges, fallen logs, and stepping stones aide multiple crossings of first a tiny stream and later the larger Hat Creek.  Bird songs occasionally punctuate the forest silence.  Snow patches become larger and more frequent.  There is a bit more detouring and a lot more careful stepping but it is still passable.  We rest a spell beside a Hat Creek waterfall then find our way to the trail destination. Paradise Meadow. 

The creek meanders across a broad meadow backed by rocky cliffs.  Even ¾ snow covered it is a beautiful serene place.  We scan for wildlife and I check out birds then find a sunny place to settle and soak it all in.  Sounds mingle.  Shadows and colors play off one another as the grays of winter make way for the bright colors of spring.  Cold wind off the snow blasts in stark contrast against my sun warmed skin. The details meld together to create a unique feel for the place.  It is beautiful now and will surely be splendid when the wildflowers come into full bloom…a few more weeks.    

We take a detour at a fork in the trail in search of a vantage point that allows us to keep watch on the meadow while basking in the sun.  We cross a split log bridge that has seen better days.  The heavy snowpack has taken a toll; hope it holds together for our return trip!  Wildflowers are popping up in sun warmed forest glades.  It is a beautiful continuation of our walk but doesn’t bring us back around to the meadow.  We bask in the view for a bit then start back.  As we near the last curve in the trail we hear the telltale sound of an ax wielded by pretty ambitious hands.  Could it be someone working on the bridge, our only path out.   Sure enough; a trail crew is hacking away at the bridge.  They have thought it through though and let us pass on the one still mostly sound log.  Looks like it will all be good as new by the end of the day.  The crew reports that this one was less than two years old….guess Mother Nature wins pretty much all the time!    

We end our stay at Lassen with a stroll around the Lilly Pond trail.  At only ½ mile and close to the visitor center you might be tempted to skip it but it is a nice walk with a well written nature guide.

Did you know: if you sniff the bark on the trunk of a Ponderosa Pine it smells like vanilla!

Erosion alters and forest cover camouflages the classic volcanic shapes of many of the peaks around Mt Lassen but our hike today is unmistakably volcanic.  We climb Cinder Cone at Butte Lake on the north side of the park. 

First hint, enormous ridges of volcanic boulders deposited over thousands of years, most recently just 370 years ago.  At the trailhead, our feet crunch on the sharp, black grains of volcanic sand.  To our left, a long wall of jumbled rock, now named the Fantastic Lava Bed, that is the cooled remains of slow flowing A’a lava that escaped from low on the cone.  

Black sand is several inches deep now and we are slowly climbing.  The forest abruptly stops and before us is a steep trail cut into the side of the 35-degree cinder cone

. This will take a while!  The steep angle and deep loose rock make for tough going but we make it.  From a height of 850 feet above the surrounding forest the view is impressive.   Check it out: Fantastic lava Field, Painted Dunes, Mt. Lassen, Butte Lake, Snag Lake, and a dozen other peaks that are remnants of the violent volcanic past of the area.

Just because, we decide to take the back trail down off the cone.  Yikes, we thought he up-slope trail was bad but this one is even steeper and loose rock deeper than boot tops.  We make a semi-controlled decent as we ride mini avalanches down the first section of the trail.  We manage to stop to admire amazing wildflowers and are greatly relieved to arrive at a more manageable slope on the lower trail.  We stop to empty sharp rocks from our boots then make our way on to the trailhead. 

It is hard work but I definitely recommend the hike.  Take your time and take lots of water.  Kent says walking sticks are a great idea too.

On our way to the hike a rare Sierra Nevada Red Fox crossed the road in front of us and a doe with two very tiny spotted fawns made an appearance along the forest route.               

As we head toward home we check out a National Forest overlook with a great view of the two most prominent mountains: Lassen and Shasta.  It is spectacular.  Note to self, this would be a great place for dark skies viewing of the milky way.   

We start with a guided bird walk.  The path is around the very same lake we strolled yesterday but with a bit of help we spy three new birds: Hermit warbler, White Headed Woodpecker, and a MacGillivray’s Warbler, plus we see a total of three bufflehead families.  An eagle made another showing but not so regal this time.  He was being chased off by a lone, tiny (but obviously brazen) black bird.  Kent got some nice reflection pics. 

It is still early so we take off on the Chaos Crags Trail.  We start along a creek winding through pine forest climbing ever higher.  We pass by boulders scattered among the trees left behind by retreating glaciers or spewed forth from thundering volcanoes.  This is rugged territory still scared by the long-ago eruptions.  Our destination is Crags Lake perched among the volcanic rubble at about 7000 feet.  The pine scented air is cool and the sun blazes down in the forest meadows.  It is a perfect day for a walk. 

We break out into the open with views of the crags and rocky slopes and the tree encircled, emerald green lake nestled in a low spot before us.  Lovely.

The unique terrain is the highlight of the walk but some wildlife makes a showing.  We spot a deer and a handful of the usual wood warblers plus the entertaining, noisy Clark’ s Nutcracker.        

The route through Lassen Volcanic National Park just opened last weekend, June 22.  This area of the Cascades got 133% of the normal annual snowfall and Spring is arriving late.  The bummer part: probably 2/3 of the trails are still snow covered and impassable without special gear; which we do not have.

The upside: scenery is wonderful.

In sunny forest meadows there are bursts of color as wildflowers erupt along the edge of the retreating snowpack.  Brilliant white patches of snow provide accents in the rugged terrain of volcanic rock and a blanket of rich green pines making the ordinarily magnificent even more awe inspiring. 

A stroll around Manzanita Lake leads us through dense forest where the quiet is interrupted only by the chatter of birds overhead, along a babbling creek, and beside the crystal-clear waters where mother ducks and grebes and ever vigilant coots call out in alarm to warn of our presence.  Black tail mule deer keep a watchful eye on us as we pass.  We spot the regal silhouette of a Bald Eagle.  There are tiny bufflehead ducks – we learn later that they are one or two days old – huddled in a pile on a boulder out in the lake.  Mom is patrolling nearby.  

The drive through Lassen brings spectacular mountain views, smelly sulfur geothermal features, a snow-covered meadow cut through by a meandering stream, glacier blue waters of the thawing alpine lakes, and thundering creeks swollen with snowmelt. 

This is a pretty good place to slide back into the great outdoors.