Happening on his chosen miles: "Off We Go Into the Wld Blue Yonder" (Air Force Song)

We left Sparks/Reno on Tuesday and began Phase II of our adventure. We very much enjoyed our stay at the super glamorous Sparks Marina RV Resort. It is the absolute epitome of “glamping” and is fun for a few days but not really our style. We visited with my special cousins, Bill & Alice Tyner, and with Botch’s new-found cousin, Rissa Stackhouse and her husband, Stephen, who came over from Sacramento to spend the day. We did lots of errands too; got the laundry done, my hair cut, parts for the RV, & etc. A busy four days.

After only a few miles on I-80 we switched to US 395 to travel north to Susanville, CA. When we passed this way in 2013 Lassen Volcanic National Park was still closed and we hoped to see it this time. The road from Susanville to the Park was gorgeous with snow covered peaks all around. Off in the distance we could see the Cascades Range. Arriving at Lassen we learned that the park road from the south entrance is still closed. The Visitor’s Center was open and they let visitors walk up the park road and will let RV’s dry camp in the parking lot.

Butch and I walked about four miles round trip up to one of the thermal areas where we could see mud pots and fumaroles. There was lots of snow and the views were spectacular. This is an amazing NP and not one that you hear much about. Until Mt. St. Helens blew n 1980, Lassen was the only active volcano in the lower 48 states. It erupted periodically from 1916 until 1921 but has been quiet since then.

Since the Visitor Center parking lot is at 7,000 ft and there was still snow on the ground, we opted for a private CG near the north entrance. This involved a nearly 100 mile jaunt on county roads to the community of Shingletown. The last 26 miles were on a one lane road that climbed to 500 feet much akin to our Joe Brown Highway in Cherokee County. The sign plainly said “Narrow, twisting road. Not suitable for large trucks”, but the young man at the country store in Manton assured us that we would be ok and we were. Picture Joe Brown Hwy lined with huge sequoias, a multitude of wildflowers and a variety of rhododendrons and you have Wilson Creek Rd.

Tuesday morning we explored the north entrance to Lassen NP, driving in about 10 miles. We walked. along Marizanita Lake and got some great photos of the volcano. Since we were headed north, one of the rangers suggested we drive the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway and gave us a map. The distance from Lassen to Lava Beds National Monument is not significant except when the road is still closed by snow. Again, we set off again to do a circumnavigation but the drive was beautiful. We almost circled Mt. Shasta and traveled through a series of National Forests and National Wildlife Refuges and arrived at Lava Beds by late afternoon.

If we thought Lassen was good, Lava Beds is fabulous! Who would have thought it? The area is the result of a long history (500,000 years) of “gentle” eruptions from Medicine Lake Volcano. Instead of blowing from a single cone, it has 520 surface vents which have produced 30 separate lava flows. These, in turn, have produced over 700 lava tube caves found in the park. When the hot lava drained out, it left a pipe-like cave. About 25 of these caves are open to visitors. They are all different and beautiful in their own way. The park also has craters, natural bridges, historic sites, petroglyphs, and stunning vistas.

We found a great campsite and had a nice evening watching the moon rise and visiting with the neighbors. We were up early this morning to see as much as possible of the Park since it is supposed to snow tonight. Believe it or not, I actually went into four caves! And is was SO worth it. Golden Dome was the most beautiful and Catacombs the most awesome. Butch and I were completely alone in these mystical places. Afterwards we drove over to Petroglyph Point to see the glyphs on the wall.

Tonight we are camped at Collier State Park near Crater Lake. We camped here in 2009 with the Phillips and it is a lovely spot. If it doesn't snow tonight, we will try to go to Crater Lake tomorrow.