Here you can see the steam still venting from Tehama. The smell is not particularly pretty.
Below are photos of a recent visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park. More extensive descriptions of the geology of the park are in the page from the last visit.
The first point of interest after the visitor center at the southern end of the park is the Sulphur Banks, a steaming vent of an ancient gigantic volcano called Mt. Tehama. Lassen is but a pimple compared to the volcano that preceded it. Furthermore, according to Roadside Geology of Northern and Central California, Tehama itself is but a pimple compared to the truly voluminous volcano that preceded it. The book tells us that we have not seen such a level of volcanic devastation in modern times as occurred in this area in the past.
Here you can see the steam still venting from Tehama. The smell is not particularly pretty.
Right next to the road, this boiling mudpot bubbled up and splashed.
A little bit further up the road, Lassen itself appears. This view of the south side shows the volcanic spines.
From the road between Emerald Lake and Lake Helen, you can look down into this vertiginous valley.
Here is Lake Helen itself, with Lassen and Eagle Peak (on the left) in the background. Note the mysterious pink patterns in the snow.
This is Lassen from Lake Helen.
This is a closer view of Eagle Peak from the same spot.
Here is Lassen from the north side, over Manzanita Lake.
Lassen and Eagle Peak from Manzanita Lake.
Beth at Manzanita Lake in front of the mountain.
Lassen from the trail to Echo Lake.
Echo Lake poking through the trees.
An alien-looking plant near the Chaos Jumbles.
You can't go to Lassen without noticing the amazing volcanic rocks.
Something split this rock.
There was an extraordinary number of butterflies, and I got some nice close photos of some of them.
You can really see the hair on this one.
This is probably a spicebush swallowtail at Turtle Bay in Redding on the way home.
Another spicebush swallowtail at Turtle Bay.
I also got some nice photos of birds, including some adorable families. Here is a mother coot feeding her baby at Manzanita Lake. What they eat is basically pond scum.
Here is a mother bufflehead with a whole brood of chicks, also at Manzanita Lake.
A colorful western tanager in the hills above Echo Lake.
On Route 172 just outside of the park, there was a family of sandhill cranes.
A baby cliff swallow sticking its head out of a nest under the Sundial Bridge in Redding.
