Prospect Peak and environs
The last day of my Lassen entry ticket was yesterday and I took off for the north end of the park to go up Prospect Peak. The hike starts as a slog through black cinders that move easily below the feet so that each step takes more energy than it should. Going up the peak, a shield cone, I found that sometimes the pine needles would cover the trail helping to solidify the cinders covering the mountain and make it a little easier to hike. Near and on the top, there were places that weren't hard to walk. When I got there, I noticed a touch of forest fire on the north-east flank of Lassen and even tried to call it in, but while on hold while the operator tried to connect me with whoever needs that sort of thing reported to them, the phone went quiet, then squawked something awful and the call cut off. Wandering around the mountain, I noticed what looked like it might be an occupied fire lookout on West Prospect Peak, so the fact that I didn't see anybody in the air watching this thing didn't mean they weren't doing so.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to also go up Cinder Cone, since its view is contained in Prospect Peak's view, but the Painted Dunes and Fantastic Lava Beds did seem rather cool and were somewhat obscured by the trees and cone when viewed from way up on Prospect, not to mention the trails that go around the top and around the inside. I made my way along the cinders to the cone and started the climb the trail that had a certain straight up look and feel to it. Also a stair climber feel as I lost 2-6 inches with each step up. I walked around the top a bit and then went down the second trail up the peak which gives a better view of the painted dunes. Back to the main trail, I had to climb a little bit more on those cinders to get to the first trail up the cone. Once I got to a spot along the trail to the cone where the dunes were in view, I stopped to do some painting.
Then I continued down the trail, finishing just before sunset. Cinder almost the whole way for over 10 miles. Hungry, I drove off to find a bit of dinner.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to also go up Cinder Cone, since its view is contained in Prospect Peak's view, but the Painted Dunes and Fantastic Lava Beds did seem rather cool and were somewhat obscured by the trees and cone when viewed from way up on Prospect, not to mention the trails that go around the top and around the inside. I made my way along the cinders to the cone and started the climb the trail that had a certain straight up look and feel to it. Also a stair climber feel as I lost 2-6 inches with each step up. I walked around the top a bit and then went down the second trail up the peak which gives a better view of the painted dunes. Back to the main trail, I had to climb a little bit more on those cinders to get to the first trail up the cone. Once I got to a spot along the trail to the cone where the dunes were in view, I stopped to do some painting.
Then I continued down the trail, finishing just before sunset. Cinder almost the whole way for over 10 miles. Hungry, I drove off to find a bit of dinner.