Lassen National Park & surrounding area (California)

This trip was a bonus. I was headed back to Oregon from a hike along the John Muir Trail and decided to poke around the Lassen Peak and Mt. Shasta areas. 

The Lassen area is sparsely populated and gives you the chance to explore in isolation.

Lassen last erupted about 100 years ago and still smolders. You can see active vents still producing scalding steam. 

Steam still lingers...

Mt. Shasta at dusk.

In it's beauty, Mt. Shasta, 14,179 feet, along with Lassen, the two prominent peaks in California that are part of the Cascades Range.

Looking the other direction

Hot springs pool at an abandoned resort.

Timber equipment left behind.

Near Mill Creek Falls in Lassen National Park.

Lassen formations

Mill Creek Falls

Lassen Peak

More abandoned timber infrastructure.

Morning in the fields near Sierraville.

Morning sky near Mono Lake

Cool building in Sierraville

Cline Falls

Cline Falls provides a decent trip into nature very close to Redmond. It's very accessible, yet feels remote.

Unfortunately, the state park along the Deschutes River has been used to a point of where it's been degraded heavily. The area feels more 'urban' than any other place I've been to in Central Oregon that is considered a park/wild/natural area. Trash is pretty common, ruderal vegetation dominates and the river has been over manipulated in the area. I am guessing that the challenge is that the park is often forgotten by the community. I know of no 'friends of Cline Falls' group. State Parks (notoriously short on resources in Oregon) doesn't seem to have the capacity to keep up with the damage in the area. We picked up some trash while we were there, but the area needs some major love. A sad story.

That all said, the trails in the area provide an nice look into a canyon of the Deschutes River. The whole family ventured out and had a good afternoon. Mostly we ran around and played monster.

See & hear the falls...

Cascades-Mt. Bachelor

The launch of summer. It's always fun for the kids to get that juxtaposition of heat and snow. We headed up to Mt. Bachelor for a day hike. Shane, Drake and Isaiah.

hiking up Mt. Bachelor

the climbs begins

finding the snow line

sledding down

Black Butte-Sisters, Oregon

Black Butte is a good hike for folks with young kids. Drake and I did a winter overnight that was very fun.