It’s been almost a month since this trip, and I can’t move on in the blog until I finish this…and find more time. So this is a quick finale to the trip.

This tree was right next to our tent. The significance is that both mornings we woke up hearing large things falling on the tent.

It turns out that this squirrel was trying to kill us. He (?) was at the end of branches dropping fresh hard pinecones on the tent. We know this because later, as we were eating breakfast we heard more pinecones drop and finally saw him.

We chose the trail to Bumpass Hell for the morning’s hike.

Along the way there was a sign that shows the present landscape (in green) in relation to the original volcano (white) that was active over 400,000 years ago. It was 11 miles across and 1000 feet higher than Mt. Lassen.

The geothermal features that exist now would have been under the dome of that ancient volcano.

Now we can wander through these fascinating formations safely on boardwalks…

…and learn more about them.

A boiling muddpot.

A lupine landscape.