Lassen Adventure

Thursday, August 13-Saturday, August 15

Mr. E and I logged off a little early on Thursday afternoon and left around 4pm for the drive to Redding, where we were staying at the Sheraton Sundial again, just as we did for our first and only other trip to Lassen back in August of 2018. Of course with the current pandemic restrictions, some of the amenities at the hotel were no longer available (Club Lounge), but at least the lovely outdoor pool was still open!

After we arrived and checked into our corner suite (view of the parking lot... meh...), Mr. E went for a short run on the treadmill while I did a longer yoga practice in the room. I did some recon on the options at Mosaic, the on-site restaurant where we'd had some delicious meals two years ago, but the limited menu didn't have much to offer me. So we headed out to the nearby Safeway to pick up some food -- protein and fruit snack boxes and a crab Louie salad for me plus some popcorn for later, a bottle of rose, and a bottle of brown alcohol for Mr. E. 

Small world story #1: As we were waiting in the check-out line, I saw a customer with a Red Sox face mask heading into the aisle behind us. Of course I had to mention it, and he told me he'd found them on Amazon. Hmm. Note for later.

Mr. E made do with the offerings at Mosaic for a burger and fries take-out for his dinner, and we watched an episode of "Enterprise" as we ate. I very much enjoyed the Apothic Rose and a glass of the Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet that we had brought with us.

On Friday, I got up a little before 7am to do a 20-minute Zumba workout followed by 20 minutes of yoga as preparation for our planned hike up Cinder Cone in the Northeast corner of Lassen, near Butte Lake. We grabbed the to-go breakfast and coffee at the front desk but were less than impressed with the offerings (frosted strawberry Pop Tarts -- really? not even just a plain granola bar or an apple??). Luckily, I had found a Starbucks just off the highway, so we picked up our real breakfast and coffee there and stopped at a nearby gas station to fill up Odo for our 2-hour drive over to the Butte Lake area.

Odo managed to survive the windy and mountainous route (thank goodness for those passing lanes!) and bravely navigated the unpaved 6-mile road that leads to Butte Lake and the Cinder Cone trailhead.

Small world story #2: The park entry at Butte Lake is on an honor system, so you put cash or a check into an envelope, deposit it in a lock box, and place a receipt on your dashboard to gain entry for the park for the next seven days. When we pulled up to the payment station, I got out to read the instructions and saw another couple there filling out their envelope. When the woman turned around, we both took a hard look at each other and then said, "I know you!" She's a fellow member of the [currently re-closed] Capital Athletic Club who was there with her partner renting a house and exploring the park.

We found ample parking near Butte Lake along with very clean restroom facilities, which were helpful after our morning drive and before setting out on the trail. The Lake offered a beautiful clear blue vista to the lava fields and tree-lined mountains.

The Cinder Cone trailhead and trail were both very well marked and easy to follow. We adjusted relatively quickly to the uneven terrain, which was a bit like walking on a dry sandy beach, and we found that the sides of the trail were sometimes more packed down for an easier route. The trail skirts along the immense lava fields before opening out into a view of Cinder Cone.

As the pictures show, we had an absolutely gorgeous day for the hike. Clear skies, temperatures in the high 70s in this part of the park, and a slight breeze that grew stronger once we got onto Cinder Cone and up to the top. 

We had read that this hike is rated Moderate except for the final part going up Cinder Cone, which is rated Strenuous. And for very good reason! The trail doesn't look too bad at first, but then you realize that it's all loose cinder and gravel, so each step you take shifts backwards a bit, meaning that forward progress can be quite slow. The incline is also incredibly steep, so Mr. E and I just took our time and paused often to catch our breath and admire the view. The higher elevation (close to 5,000') definitely contributes to the amount of exertion as well, especially for flatlanders like us who live about at sea level in Sacto.

We made it to the top and the amazing panoramic view that showed off the immense Fantastic Lava Fields, Butte Lake, Snag Lake, the Painted Dunes, Lassen Peak, and Prospect Peak. The variety of landscape was absolutely breathtaking and well worth the trek up the steep, rocky trail.

We walked around the entire upper circumference, stopping numerous times to enjoy the views, and then headed back down the trail. The descent was definitely easier than the climb! Once we were back at Butte Lake, we found a sandy spot for easy access to the water. I went all the way in to cool down and clean off my feet, and Mr. E stayed in the shallows. I had packed two gym towels from the hotel in anticipation of this lake immersion, so we were able to [mostly] dry off before getting back in the car.

I recommended to Mr. E that we take an alternate route back to Redding rather than re-tracing our steps along Highway 44. So we headed north on 89 and then southwest on 299, which led us right past the Subway Cave at the beginning of the return journey. I had read about this geological feature in the Lassen Park Guide, but unfortunately we weren't well-equipped with the necessary flashlights to navigate through the lava tube, so we just took a look at the entry and felt the enormous temperature differential (average of 46 degrees in the cave, according to the informational placard).

 

When we got back to the hotel, we took a refreshing dip in the pool before getting cleaned up to brave the nasty heat (106ish) to fetch some dinner. I found awesome sushi at Sprouts Market, and Mr. E got a burrito at the nearby Chipotle. Back in our room for dinner, we took advantage of the free access to Showtime to watch a great independent movie, Before You Know It, after first trying out two other more mainstream films. 

On Saturday morning, I enjoyed a lovely hour-long swim in the saltwater pool, which was a great start to the day, followed by a short Zumba session in the hotel room. The night before, when I took off my Fit Bit, I had noticed that the device itself wasn't in the bracelet and was very disappointed to think that I'd somehow managed to lose that little machine. Mr. E and I looked all over the room but with no luck. I figured it was just gone somewhere in the market when we went out for food. So once we finished our breakfast and coffee in the room, packed up, and headed to the car, I was very pleased to see the little black rectangle nestled into the passenger seat in Odo! It must have slipped out when I was shifting between seats to turn on the car a/c while waiting for Mr. E at Chipotle. Phew!

We had thought we might try another hike in the western part of Lassen on our way home, but instead we decided to just hit the road and have some extra time back in Sac. I think we were both also a little worried about the kitties and the heatwave, knowing that our older a/c unit in the townhouse may struggle with this extended period of 105+ days. We stopped at Target for some errands and Panera for Mr. E's lunch and then spent the rest of the day taking care of our usual weekend activities -- garden water and harvest, patio plants water, laundry, and a small grocery shop for some essentials. I also made two types of mixed salad to have on hand this week for easy meals, since it's going to be so darn hot and I don't think we'll be wanting to cook very much.

The Lassen trip was a wonderful getaway, and our Cinder Cone experience was truly perfect. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day, and I can't imagine that a repeat visit could in any way measure up! If we do return to Lassen, we'll likely focus on the Southeast corner and the Juniper Lake area for something different. We'll also rent an SUV or other type of car that is more prepared for the curvy, mountainous terrain and the unpaved access road.