Lassen National Park
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Brokeoff Mountain Lassen National Park |
October 8, 2012
It has been three years since my last visit to this park.
The Lassen Peak Trail, also on my bucket list, is undergoing a five-year
reconstruction process; so I'll hold off on that one.
My friend Diane meets me at the trailhead near the park's southern border.
Since we have not yet cleared the entrance station, the ten-dollar
entry fee is levied here at the parking lot. Of course, our old-age
passes take care of that in any case.
⇔
There are a lot of clouds in the sky, and the air temperature is about forty degrees. Summer definitely being over, I don my windbreaker and a pair of gloves; besides, if it rains I'll need something to protect my camera.
Waiting for me to get my act together
Rock piles abound in this park
The trail is quite colorful for a late-season outing. The path is mostly gentle on the feet, with just a few rocky spots.
One of several ponds
First view of the mountain
Water still is running here, probably from a spring
The gradient has not been particularly steep thus far; it surely will become more so from here on.
The southeast face of the mountain
Skirting the cliff to the left, we reach a little pass that offers views of the Sacramento Valley and points west.
Black Butte at right-center is 24 miles away
Only about a mile to go
A long straight stretch ensues; it is more than half a mile to the next switchback. The temperature has dropped, the wind is blowing harder, and it has clouded up even more. Since Diane has visited this summit previously, it is decided that I should forge ahead in order to be sure of making it to the top before the weather becomes problematical.
The summit is in sight
A sharp right turn puts me on the final stretch, on which I encounter five or six hikers scurrying down from the summit. Once past the big talus slope on the left, I finally get a first look at the park's namesake mountain, and it certainly was worth waiting for. Wow!
Is this the best possible view of Lassen Peak?
The "brokeoff" aspect of this mountain is extensive; unfortunately, its true nature cannot be properly appreciated from up here.
Looking northwest off the cliff
The summit itself proves to be a pleasant little flat area that requires no scrambling whatever. There doesn't seem to be a hikers' register, but there is a lot of good scenery.
Lassen Peak, 10463'
Child's Meadows in the southeast
Admittedly, the plethora of clouds does make for great photographs. They always are welcome, provided that they don't throw anything at me.
Helen Lake to the right is near the Lassen Peak trailhead
Well, the dreaded lightning storm has failed to materialize; yet it remains cold and windy enough that I keep my gloves on even while taking pictures, which is unusual. As I start down I can see quite a bit of the trail, but Diane is nowhere in sight. Because she might have elected to forgo a summit attempt, I pick up the pace to keep her from waiting longer than necessary.
Starting down
Those clouds are lower than we are
At the first turn, however, Diane shows up. The threat of a storm seems to have abated a bit, so she wants to press on. Rather than accompany her back up the rock, I elect to stop here and wait. This gives me an opportunity to much some gorp and track my partner's progress up the hill.
I think I can, I think I can
Almost there
Diane's round-trip takes only about half an hour; then we start down together, successful in our quest.
Hanging in there
A sooty grouse is sneaking through the bushes nearby; maybe I can grab a photo.
"If I freeze, they won't see me, right?"
It doesn't take much downhill going for the air to warm up to a pleasant
level. At trail's end, it is a balmy 54 degrees.
The manzanita remains nice and green
§: This must rank among the best hikes in Lassen Park.
All things considered, I believe that it has more to offer than the more popular
ascent of Lassen Peak — especially during wildflower season.
And the lighting was great.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty | |
| Personality |  |
| Solitude | |
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September 2021: Possible damage right at the trailhead. |
