Skip to main content

Labor in the Cascades

Labor Day weekend.  Last hurrah of the summer days in Northern America.  We decided to spend a couple of the sunny days hiking the mountains that make Lassen Volcanic National Park about 120 miles due north east of San Francisco.

Located in Mineral, CA, it is named for a Danish immigrant and the tallest peak at 10,500 ft is Mt Lassen.  The volcano is the southernmost of the chain of volcanoes that inhabit the Cascade range stretching from British Columbia in Canada to Northern California.

Volcanic because the entire landscape happens to be situated on an active Pacific Ring of Fire with the last eruption only a 100 years ago.  There are several geo-thermal vents in the park area that showcase the earth's amazing power and yet only yards away is pristine alpine lakes formed of melting snow.

The best part of this hike was that inspite of gasoline being at its lowest in a decade there was not a mad rush on the highways and byways as we drove to and from this mount.  Furthermore the weather in the valleys was a scorching 100 F but in the high altitudes it was a pleasant 60.

We were able to complete a few hikes within the park area - the longest being close to 4 miles to see a waterfall made by the merging of two different creeks.
Light up Diorama showing various peaks in the Visitor Center (SW entrance at the NP)

To hike or not to hike - decision time

Mill Creek Falls - well worth the trek

It must be plentiful when it rains

Sulphur dioxide or global warming? Vent in Lassen NP

Grey mud bath? Not exactly - 1200 F cooker letting off steam - part of Pacific Ring of Fire

Yards away from the cauldron - Lake Helen and Vulcan's Eye (etched in the mount)

Highest navigable point in the park - ah its clean and fresh here!
After all the hiking and inhaling of beautiful clean air at the summit we headed back home the next morning but did a 50 mile detour off I 5 to visit one of the University of California campus towns of Davis along the I 80.

Davis which is an agricultural town has the second oldest UC campus and it is a sight to behold.  The campus incorporates a green belt along the shores of a creek and a series of lakes that serve as habitat for visiting birds and other species.

Putah Creek - a tranquil diversion on the way home - Davis, CA

What u looking at?

Crazy Sculptures, Davis. CA

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Of Jims and Johns

Here is another essay on the subject of first names. As in birth names. Or names provided to an offspring at birth. While the developed world tends to shy away from the exotic like Refrigerator or Coca Cola for their new production there is a plethora of Jims and Johns and Bobs or Robs. Speaking of which I do not think there is a categoric decision point at the time of birth if a child will be hereafter called as Bob. I mean have not yet met a toddler called Bob or Rob for that matter. At some point though the parental instinct to mouth out multiple syllables runs out and they switch from calling the crawler Robert to simply Robbie to Rob. Now speaking of - it is strange that the name sounds like something you would not want Rob to do - i.e. Rob anyone. Then why call someone that? After all Rob Peter to Pay Paul is not exactly a maxim to live a young life? Is it? Perhaps Peter or Paul might want to have a say in it? Then there is this matter of going to the John. Why degrad...

But What If We're Wrong?

I attempted to read this book by author Chuck Klosterman backward to forward but it started hurting my brain so I decided to stop and do it like any other publication in the English language.  Start from page 1 and move to the right. Witty, caustic and thought provoking this is a book you want to read if you believe that the status quo might, just might be wrong. At times bordering on being contrarian about most things around us it tries to zero in on the notion of what makes anything believable and certain in our minds.  The fact that there is a fact itself is ironic.  Something analogous to the idea that you can never predict the future because there is no future. Many books and movies have tried to play on this concept - best that I recollect (I think I am) was 'The Truman Show'.  This book by Klosterman attempts to provoke the reader to at least contemplate that what they think they know may be wrong. He uses examples like concept of gravity, and how it ...

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...