SEPTEMBER 2009     PAGE  17                       |previous page | index | next page|


Friday, September 18 - Lava beds NM, Glass Mountain, Lassen NP

 

We spent the night at Lava Beds NM, visited the Visitor Center, and then went to Mushpot cave.  Lava Beds NM is riddled with caves formed by Lava tubes - openings in the rock formed by flowing lava.

We also learned quite a bit about the Medoc conflict that occurred here - the only Indian war in California, and the only one where a General was killed.  Usual story we have seen around the country: Indians told to leave or are forced to leave because settlers want the area (gold, etc), then what the Indians were promised doesn't happen (here, supplies and food not obtained), they get agitated (they want to return to homelands), and a conflict occurs, and the Indians lose.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took off south to Medicine Lake, 11 miles or so on a washboard dirt road (!), to have lunch, then turned east again on a Forest Service Road to Glass Mountain - another obsidian mountain.

 

 

 

Again, this mountain was about 20% black obsidian.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Driving out again to the highway, we had to traverse a dirt road with sharp dropoffs...

 

 

Drove to Lassen NP, and settled in at Manzanita lake Campground.

Here are two views of the lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, September 19 - Lassen NP

 

 

 

Lassen NP - where Lassen erupted in 1915.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful views as you drive through the park.

Patty noticed a strange smell - we soon came up to the sulfur vents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from the Visitor Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally got to Durham, CA.  Here's Patty and Penny.

(Now that we will have a rest from travelling for about 2 weeks, perhaps Ed will have some time to fill in August in this journal.)

 

 

 

 


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