Mt. Lassen: July 8-11

Katie and I are leading another hiking/camping trip with our Meetup group. If you would like to attend, space is limited so be sure to RSVP on Meetup here.

The trip includes three nights camping (Thurs, Fri, & Sat) and two full days of hiking (Friday and Saturday). Thursday is mostly a travel day, and Sunday will have a short stop outside the park before traveling home or to the Lava Beds/Tulelake extension trip.

The cost is $30 for camping reservation only (all other expenses are up to the individuals).

Lava Beds trip (July 11-14) information can be found here.

Photos from our 2013 trip

Overview map

I created a Google Map here that shows destinations for both the Lassen trip and the Lava Beds trip.

Itinerary

Sunrise/sunset

Sunrise is around 5:45 AM, and sunset is around 8:40 PM.

Thursday

Arrive at Lost Creek Campground. We have reservations for Site 008. We can hold six car, so any extra cars will need to park somewhere near Loomis Ranger Station (we’ll have to explore the possibilities.) Anyone who drives solo in a car will definitely need to park not in our campground.

Check in time is 1:00 PM. There are no hiking events planned for Thursday, so folks can arrive whenever they like. If allowed (CA drought/fire danger may prohibit this), we’ll probably have a campfire as the sun goes down.

Cook your own dinner, we’ll aim for 6:30 dinner together.

Friday

Friday and Saturday hikes may get switched if weather leads us to this decision

8:30ish

Pack a lunch, snacks, and water; we’ll be near the summit parking lot all day.

9:00ish Hike to the summit

Drive to Lassen Peak Trailhead parking lot (about 25 minutes). Hike to the summit. This is about 2.5 miles up, and 2.5 miles back. Elevation gain is about 2,000 feet, arriving at the 10,456 foot peak. The hike is on a well-trafficked trail, all in the sun.

Those who don’t feel up for the climb, there are other areas to explore

12:30-1:30ish: Lunch

Lunch at the Lake Helen parking lot area (vault toilets available)

1:30ish Bumpass Hell

We’ll spend the afternoon on a leisurely hike to Bumpass Hell, about 2.7 miles round trip with only about 500 fee of elevation gain.

This hike will include

Here’s a great USGS webpage with details about the geology of Bumpass Hell.

Evening

Free time around the campsite

Saturday

Morning

Hike to Kings Creek Falls. We’ll do a moderate hike, something like this one. In the five-mile range, I’m still investigating geologic destinations in the Kings Creek Falls area.

Video from California Through my Lens.

Afternoon

An open time, we’ll probably explore the Devastated Area. Here are a couple options:

• Most likely: Hike from Manzanita Lake to Crags Lake (4 miles, 1,000 feet gain)
• Interpretative Trail (0.3 miles)

Sunday

Morning

We’ll have a leisurely breakfast. After this, some folks will find a hike or destination around Lassen (I can help with this), while others will head off towards MacArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park (about an hour north of the campground) for exploration and hiking.

After exploring the Burney Falls area, those who are joining the Lava Beds/Tulelake trip (link coming soon) will head north, and others can return home.

Logistics, FAQs

Weather

Be ready for cool to cold nights, and warm to hot days. Layers are advised, and some rain gear, just in case (but not likely).

Weather at Lassen generally falls under winter or summer conditions. Winter weather and conditions exists approximately November to May and summer conditions exist June through October. Spring and fall tend to be shoulder seasons. Winter conditions usually persist well into June in the higher elevations of the park (Lassen Peak area). Spring snow storms can occur as late as June. Cooler temperatures in the fall season make for excellent hiking weather with occasional snow showers occurring in higher elevations in October.

https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/weather.htm

Expenses

The RSVP Meetup fee covers the camping reservation only. Individuals are responsible for their own food, tent, and entrance fee to the park (per car, not per person; good for one week).

FAQ

• Is this kid friendly? Kids are always welcome, as long as they can ‘keep up.’ Please be realistic about what your kids can handle. Kids pay half-price.
• Is this pet friendly? Nope. Pets are not welcome on the hikes.
• What pace are the hikes? Our aim is somewhere between a ‘stop every few yards’ nature hike and a ‘we need to get in our miles and don’t want to stop’ death march. We don’t leave people behind (especially when in the wilderness), but ask everyone to be realistic about what they can and can’t handle. For more rigorous hikes (like the summit, for example) we have alternatives for those who aren’t up for it. You are also welcome to rest in the campground or explore on your own.
• What about first aid? We do not explicitly have trained first-aid people on the hikes, although often there are people with skills in this area. We will provide minimal first-aid supplies like cold packs and gauze bandages. These hikes are all within a few miles of a road, so in the event of an injury that required evacuation or other assistance, we can get to ‘civilization’ fairly quickly. Cell phone reception is often non-existent in the areas we hike.
• What if I can’t make one of the hikes? Members are welcome to skip any hikes they desire. If you skip a morning hike, we try to let you know a time and place where you can join us for lunch and afternoon adventures.
• Are you a trained geologist? No. I took a few earth science/geology courses in my undergraduate studies, and have continued to educate myself as a high school science teacher, but there is a lot I don’t know. Members of the group are encouraged to (and usually do) contribute their knowledge, it’s a pretty amazing group that way.
• Refunds: Since we have to shell out the money for the reservation, refunds are not offered. If your plans change and you can’t make it, there will likely be people on the waiting list to replace you, but this is not guaranteed.
• Carpools? While we encourage carpools, we don’t offer any assistance in this. You can add comments on the Meetup page asking for rides or riders.
• How much money are you making on this? We set fees to cover the cost of reservations and to cover most of our personal costs for the trip. We may have a little left over, but we certainly aren’t paying any major personal bills from the fees you pay.

Please post any questions that aren’t answered here in the comments section below. I’ll answer them and add them here.