Volcanic learning and looking today for Jim & John, as we traveled to Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, where a combination of  fiery and glacial past has altered the landscape for over millions of years.  This national park contains all four types of volcanic cones...the cinder cone, plugged dome volcano, composite volcano, and shield volcano.  Congress made this area a national park in 1916 because of its active volcanic landscape.  This national park is a natural laboratory of volcanic events and associated hydrothermal features.

Photograph by B.F Loomis of the Lassen Volcano erupting in 1915.
 This was the first eruption of a volcano in the lower 48 states in 20th Century.

Lassen Peak Volcano as it appears today.

Hot Rock, which landed about where Loomis had been set up to photograph the eruption.  This rock remained at least 1000 degrees F for months and nothing could grow around it due to the extreme heat.

Chaos jumble...debris field from eruption

The pyroclastic flow was split by Raker Peak (to the right of Lassen)

(

Roadway thru Lassen NP

Hat Creek Lake becoming a meadow (Lakes do this as they become filled with silt & debris.)

Summit Lake

Kings Creek

Look southeast at the National Forest surrounding us

 

Lassen Volcano trailhead (8,512 feet)

John throwing a snowball from Lassen Peak

Jim tossing a snowball from Lassen Peak

Alpine Lake Helen

Showing the clarity of Lake Helen

Brokeoff Mt. (9,235 ft), Mt. Diller (9,087 ft), & Pilot Pinnacle (8886 ft)

Telephoto shot of Brokeoff Mt

Eratic  Boulder, left by a glacier 10,000 years ago

Emerald Lake

Sulfur Hot Springs in Little Hot Springs Valley

Sulfuric stains on the mountainside

The once dull gray rocks become chemically altered by the steam and
sulfuric acid, appearing yellowish to orange in color.

Mt. Conrad (8,202 ft)

Sulfur works...bubbling mud pots that smell like (you guessed it)
rotten eggs!

Farewell to our Volcanic Adventure in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California!