To (Bumpass) Hell and back.

Checked out of the hotel in Redding and having decided my car was really dirty took it into the nearby car wash. I had noticed how clean most cars were and my nice bright red one stood out with all the dirt from the road on it; and it made my hands dirty when I closed the trunk! Anyway 10 minutes later I had a really shiny red car again (towel dried) and was on my way to Lassen Volcanic National Park. As the name suggests this showcases the volcanic geology and geography of the area. There is also lots of wildlife in the park. The squirrels seem to like playing chicken running across the road in front of the car; or maybe they have spoken to the chicken and know there is a good reason to cross the road?

Squirrel in a tree!

One particular trail leads into the fumaroles and hot springs known as Bumpass Hell. This was named after the unfortunate Mr. Kendall Bumpass who lost a leg after falling through the thin surface crust and into a boiling pool.

Bumpass Hell 

Today there are wooden walkways which provide a safe route into the basin. It is about a mile and a half hike to get there but the smells and sounds let you know you are getting close. This part of the park is about the highest area, over 8000 feet, and the air is noticeably thinner. There was a lot of low cloud on the way out keeping the temperature and visibility low.  The sights and smells (sulphur dioxide)  was impressive with sink holes pushing out steam at quite a rate and sounding like a nearby motorway.

Bumpass Hell Walkways

On the way back the clouds had cleared and there were spectacular views of the volcanic caldera formed 1000s of years ago when the main volcano blew its top. The most recent significant eruption in the park was in 1914, so not that long ago!
The drive back down was impressive with good views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
To get to my accommodation for the night I had to drive “All the way to Reno” as R.E.M. would say. This was about 180 miles and another change in scenery from high mountains to semi arid, wide open spaces with isolated farms and very little else. The highway went straight across the wide open spaces and was a complete contrast to the winding roller coasters from yesterday. The sun was shining brightly and the flat plains and distant mountains of Nevada made quite a sight.

Nevada scenery

As I approached Reno there was a sudden hold up in traffic (as I suspect there is into every city at about 6 P.M. on a Sunday evening) but I was soon moving on the main route through the city and into the Comfort Inn, Reno.