23 Aug 2017 - Graham
previously: driving is a scary game
I climbed to the top of a volcano! It was one of the best hikes I’ve done yet this trip. Lassen is supposedly one of the least visited National Parks. If that’s true, it’s a shame because the park is stunning. There’s snowy peaks and massive forests dotted with bright green blue meadows and lakes. And even though Lassen hasn’t erupted in 100 years, the devastation from the last blast is still obvious.
My visit to Lassen was uniquely great thanks in no small part to Tom’s wonderful company. I met Tom at a bike polo eclipse watching camp/retreat outside of Eugene. He needed a ride back to California and I was heading that way. Since I’ve spent most of this trip driving solo I was very thankful for the company. Tom helped make the hike a ton of fun because he added another set of eyes and a unique brain. He shared his literacy in natural history and was curious about aspects of the park and hike that I would have never noticed. Plus, I think being able to talk about the experience while it was happening helped me stay a bit more present. I think we also pushed each other to hike faster and ended up crushing the trail speedwise, which was very fun and satisfying. We hiked the 2.5mi with 2000ft of elevation in under two hours.
Tom and I near the peak, notice his summit beer on the right and my windswept hair.
On the way down, Tom glissaded, meaning he slid down the snow fields. I was too chicken to join, but I did run down most of the trail which was plenty thrilling.
next post: columbia river gorge, starvation ridge trail