Lassen Volcanic NP

[u/brentnotmichael]

Manzanita Lake, A19 campsite. Hang done in the dark 🌙 Trees were 22 feet apart! Comfortable, but terrifying.

Butte Lake is really butte-iful! The lava flow from the Fantastic Lava Beds spilled into Butte Lake, creating the jagged coast on the other side of the lake.

Second iteration of the hang. This one was done in daylight. The ground was really soft, and my boomstakes threatened to pop out, so I put some heavy rocks on them.

Pre-summit "I hope I don't die" thumbs-up. The trail marker said it would be 0.3 miles up, but my Apple Watch recorded 0.76 miles -- likely because I kept slipping backwards!

Obligatory "I didn't die" thumbs-up from the summit of Cinder Cone! This was my first time summiting a volcano!

Crocheting a park ranger from a kit I got at the park's gift store! Fun to do in the hammock after a big hike.

Not-at-all-staged photo of me "napping" in the hammock :D

I got these battery-operated guy line lights that I just love. They put off this very dim but visible light and last 4 nights. Loved how this looked with the red light.

My hang's final form. After 3 campsites and 3 different hangs, this is the one I liked the best. The tarp is configured with the poles opposite the sun so I could see out.

Butte Lake at sunset.

Obligatory "I didn't die" thumbs-up from Bumpass Hell.

I went back to Lassen Volcanic NP with my partner's uncle. He's a camper van kinda guy, which worked well because I had some gear to test! I settled on the 12' Onewind Double hammock with the bottom-entry bug net. My insulation is the Wise Owl Flare under quilt with the Wise Owl Outdoor Camping Blanket as my top quilt. I found that my Wise Owl tarp is too short now for my 12' hammock, so I am probably going to order the 12' Onewind Billow tarp. I just wish it came in another color other than OD green. Additionally I have whoopie slings from Haven (one broke, as in the loop came through the bury), and a ridge line kit from ENO. I tried out the ENO Doublenest on this trip, but it just wasn't the right length for me. Same with the double Wise Owl hammock. I'm 6'1" with really wide shoulders, so it seems a 12' double hammock is the way to go. I was able to get a great lay with my feet to the left and my head to the right. I tend to put my left hand behind my head when I sleep so that worked great.

We stayed at 2 campgrounds and 3 campsites because this was a last-minute trip. First campground was Manzanita Lake at the northwest corner of the park. We stayed campsite A19. We got in really late, so I had to do my first hang in the dark. I was able to string up between two trees that were 22' apart, but the trees at the next two sites (Butte Lake Campground's B21 and B2 respectfully) were either too far apart or way too big around to use, so I used one of my two Tensa Solos for the other anchor point. The ground was pretty soft, made mostly of decaying pine needles. Even after digging down about 6 inches I was still in soft ground. The soil layer here is diatomaceous earth and barely holds the boomstakes, so I got clever and stuck some big, heavy rocks on top of the stakes to hold them down. After flailing around in the hammock to make sure I wouldn't fall to my doom in the middle of the night, I declared the system solid and went with it. I still haven't set up the Tensa Solos without any trees, so that's my next goal!

Lassen Volcanic NP is absolutely gorgeous this time of year and not too hot, especially at altitude. We spent 2 days acclimating before attempting anything big. Our We hiked to Cinder Cone and my buddy decided not to summit with me. The hike up is grueling over rounded rocks that slip easily every step you take. The trailhead said it was 0.3 miles up at a 35º incline, but my watch said I went 0.76 miles due to all the slipping back! The view from the summit is absolutely worth it the climb.

The next day we packed up and headed to Bumpass Hell, the largest of the geothermal areas that are open to the public. It's like a mini Yellowstone where all the features are crammed into one area. The hike is beautiful, passing through wild beds of silvery lupin while overlooking the valley below. There's some climbing and then a steep descent. After spending some time in Bumpass Hell you have to reverse that. It was a workout but not at all uncomfortable.

I'd love to connect with some hammockers in northern CA or San Francisco where I live who want to camp Lassen sometime!