Mount Shasta

Our route from Lassen Volcanic National Park to Klamath Falls, Oregon, took us around three sides of Mount Shasta.  At 14,162 feet, Mount Shasta is the second highest peak in the Cascade Range.  Mount Shasta dominates the northern California skyline as the volcano is approximately 10,000 feet higher than the surrounding terrain and is not connected to any other mountains.

Mount Shasta from California 89 east of McCloud

Mount Shasta from McCloud

Sunset at Mount Shasta

The peak to the left of Mount Shasta is Mount Shastina.  If it were a separate peak, Mount Shastina would be considered the fourth tallest in the Cascade Range behind Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier's Liberty Cap and Mount Shasta.  As part of the volcanic complex known as Mount Shasta, it is part of the largest stratovolcano in the Cascades by volume.  Mount Shasta is in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest administered by the US Department of Agriculture.

The forest website is http://www.fs.usda.gov/stnf.

Sunset at Manzanita Lake - Lassen Volcanic National Park

After our failed attempt to reach Kings Creek Falls during our August 2013 visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park, we headed to the Manzanita Lake area to get a snack at the campground store.  Upon our arrival, we found that power had just been restored after an afternoon hail storm.  The air temperature had quickly dropped about 25 degrees Fahrenheit because of the storm, so fog was rising from the pavement, the lake and even the ground.  We headed for the picnic tables near the boat launch to watch the fog rising on the lake.  Instead of just seeing the rising mist, we were treated to this magnificent sunset.

Quarter inch hail

Fog rising on Manzanita Lake

The first glimmer of sunset

Hmm, this might be an interesting sunset

The color spreads and deepens

The sky and the lake both seem to be on fire

The reflection on the lake is tempered by the fog

Sunbeams are starting to form

Seconds after the picture at the top of the  post,
the light started to fade

"Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest
God is nigh."

A $10 vehicle pass is valid for seven consecutive days at Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Another option is to purchase the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass valid for one year for $80.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm.

Kings Creek Falls - Lassen Volcanic National Park

It took two attempts to actually complete the 3.0 mile round-trip hike to Kings Creek Falls.  Our first attempt was cut short by thunder.  The trail starts at a roadside pullout on California 89 about twelve miles north of the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center.  The trail follows Kings Creek through a forested area and skirts a meadow before reaching the first trail junction in one-half mile.  The junction is well marked, but understates the remaining distance to the falls.  Keep left to head to the falls, turning right will lead to Sifford Lakes.  

Roadside parking at the trailhead

The trail is wide, but has several tripping hazards

Kings Creek approaches the trail

The creek meanders through the nearly flat terrain

Lower Kings Creek Meadow

Walking less than a quarter-mile past the Sifford Lakes trail junction leads to another trail junction with the easier descent to the left on the horse trail and the creek side descent to the right.  The right trail was closed and obviously had been for quite a while.  A well-worn sign states:

The Cascades section of the Kings creek Falls Trail has been closed due to extremely hazardous hiking conditions.  For your safety, please use the horse loop to access Kings Creek Falls.

Another sign states that the falls are visible in only one-half mile using the closed trail or in 0.8 miles using the horse trail.  We obviously used the horse trail.

This portion of the trail is wide and smooth

The Cascades section of the trail is closed

From this junction, the horse trail is rather hard to follow as it seems to split into a number of tracks across a rock outcropping and down a drainage area before becoming defined again as a switchback down the hillside.

One of the trails approached the edge of the gorge...

...providing this view of  Saddle Mountain and  Mount Harkness...

...as well as this view of Kings Creek looking upstream...

...and this view of Kings Creek looking downstream

The trail climbs through open forest and low ground cover

Storm clouds gathering

At this point on our first attempt to hike to the falls, thunder forced us to hastily retrace our route back to the trailhead.  On our second attempt, we continued as the trail utilizes switchbacks to descend several hundred feet across an open slope before crossing a muddy section just before the junction with the main trail.  At this junction, turn left to downstream toward the falls.  Before arriving at the falls, another trail branches off to Bench Lake and Sifford Lakes before looping back to the main trail near the parking area.  Keep left again to head to the falls.  The trail once again splits into numerous paths as it approaches the falls.  Just watch your step and head toward the roar of the water hitting the rocks.  Although only 46 feet high, Kings Creek Falls is reportedly the largest falls in the park by volume of water.

Horse trail

Six foot cascade beside the trail

Kings Creek Falls from the fenced overlook

Since we had seen pictures of the falls from a lower elevation, we searched for a trail down to the creek.  The first trail we explored returned to the horse trail and away from the creek.  The second trail was more of a mountain goat path, but it did drop down to the creek.  Unfortunately, we were too far downstream to see or even hear the falls, but it was an excellent location for our picnic lunch.

Kings Creek below the falls

Our picnic view of the creek

Returning to the falls, I climbed down several rock ledges to a large landing where I could remove my backpack and set up a tripod and cameras.

Kings Creek Falls from the "landing"

The falls and the surrounding rock walls

Climbing back to the top proved easier than climbing down to the landing.  We explored the creek as we hiked back up toward the horse trail.  At the horse trail sign, someone had left a note stating that 100 feet up the creek was a beautiful view.  Since the trail was in obviously good shape and the park service had made no effort to fence off the trail at this end nor to remove the note, we walked up the creekside to a beautiful series of cascades before returning via the horse trail.  From an elevation of about 6800 feet near the falls, the trail climbs over 700 feet back to California 89 with most of the climb in the first half mile.

Looking downstream toward the falls

Looking upstream under the Bench Lake trail bridge

A small cascade by the trail

A series of cascades just above the trail junction

View of Warner Valley and Mount Harkness

A $10 vehicle pass is valid for seven consecutive days.  Another option is to purchase the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass valid for one year for $80.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm.

Mill Creek Falls - Lassen Volcanic National Park

During our August 2013 visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park, I had the opportunity to hike the 3.8 miles round trip from the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center to Mill Creek Falls.  The falls is at the confluence of East Sulphur Creek and Bumpass Creek.  Yes, this is the same Bumpass Creek that flows out of Bumpass Hell.  The trail starts on the concrete sidewalk behind the amphitheater at the visitor center and quickly changes to packed soil as it descends to cross West Sulphur Creek on a sturdy bridge.  The headwaters of West Sulphur Creek are near Ridge Lakes in the saddle between Brokeoff Mountain and Mount Diller.  The creek then flows through the Sulphur Works about ¾ mile upstream of the trail bridge.  The trail to the bridge is wide and smooth.

Trailhead behind the amphitheater

The wide trail winds through a new growth forest...

...before heading through a more mature forest

The trail switches back to the left...

...and descends to West Sulphur Creek

Bridge over West Sulphur Creek

After crossing the creek, the trail narrows to a footpath across an open hillside covered in a type of sunflower commonly called mule-ears.  Because of the western drought, the plants were mostly dried broad leaves that resembled tobacco.  The low ground cover provided wonderful views of the surrounding mountains including Brokeoff Mountain. 

Climbing from the bridge across the hillside

The trail descends through a field of mule-ears and evergreens

Looking back along the trail through the mule-ears

Looking back also reveals Brokeoff Mountain

As the trail re-enters the forest, it is strewn with rocks

This woodpecker was really making a commotion

Upon re-entering the forest, the trail widens a bit, but still provides plenty of tripping hazards. The terrain changes from nearly flat to descending and ascending through small drainage areas while the vegetation ranges from a mature forest back to mule-ears and even some grassy hillsides.

A path had been cut through any downed trees

The trail descends into a small valley

The trail continues along a side slope...

...that opens up to long distance views...

...that include Mt Conrad

The side slope in some places seemed rather extreme

The downed tree is about 4 feet in diameter

While I didn't see anyone else on the trail until I arrived at the overlook, I found a couple there and three more people arrived almost immediately.  A young man hiking one-way across the park to the visitor center also passed through. Since the 75 foot high waterfall is named Mill Creek Falls, I assumed the waterfall was the beginning of Mill Creek.  However, the USGS maps list the combined creek as East Sulphur Creek with the name Mill Creek appearing below the confluence with West Sulphur Creek.  West Sulfur Creek flows in from the left and Bumpass Creek flows in from the right.  The rocks along and below the falls are stained with sulfur deposits.

Mill Creek Falls

Peaks between the two creeks top out at an elevation of 7879 feet

Bridge over West Sulphur Creek (visible in Mill Creek Falls picture above)

Bumpass Creek at the brink of the falls

Bumpass Creek appears to fall into West Sulphur Creek

Hillside observation deck from the falls

Bridge over Bumpass Creek

Bumpass Creek

Valley below the falls

West Sulphur Creek

The chance to further document trail conditions on the return trip to the visitor center was cut short as a thunderstorm quickly formed.  I was in the last field of mule-ears when I heard distant thunder and made it back across East Sulphur Creek before the rain started.  While it rained at the visitor center, the severe part of the storm stayed on the other side of the park where it left copious amounts of hail in the Manzanita Lake area.

A cleared path through the fallen debris

The trail climbs diagonally across the hillside

Mule-ears below and storm clouds over Brokeoff Mountain

A $10 vehicle pass is valid for seven consecutive days.  Another option is to purchase the America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass valid for one year for $80.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm.