create_destiny: (Road To Karma)
[personal profile] create_destiny
lassen sign

400,000 years ago there was a volcano that erupted and almost completely destroyed itself. What's left of this volcano is called Mt. Lassen and its peak stands 10,457 feet above sea level in the northeastern part of California. It exploded big time in 1914, some of which was caught on film. It's still geothermally active: brewing, bubbling and spittin' out steam and sulpher. Some areas of Mt. Lassen are reportedly getting hotter, which means it's likely to erupt again in the future.

mt lassen from afar

Mt. Lassen is mostly quite heavenly: steep glaciated valleys, clear mountains streams and lakes surrounded by lush pine forests and fields of wildflowers.

But when the boyfriend and I went there with [livejournal.com profile] metalgypsy and [livejournal.com profile] whosplittheatom, we checked out the hellish parts...

bumpass hell sign

There once was a man named Kendal Bumpass. He loved to wander in Mt. Lassen's hydrothermal areas. Then he stepped in a boiling mud pot and lost a leg. After that he didn't like it so much. In fact, he said it was a descent into hell. People couldn't help refering to this area as, "Bumpass Hell." Let's hope, dear readers, you will never have an entry way into hell named after you!

Bumpass Hell [below]

mud pots overview

From what I understand, this is a fumarole [below]. Fumaroles are vents that let out volcanic gases emitted by magma cooling at great depths.

sulpher rising

Sulfuric acid eats the rocks and leaves behind a white, powdery mixture of silica, kaolinite and aluminum.

bumpass hell5

A mud pot is the intermediate phase between a fumarole and a boiling spring.

close up mud pots3

I do not want to lick these boiling mud pots. I do not want to marry them or hump them or have their hissing, sulpheric little magma babies. I do not want this Sam I am.

mud pot1

Scorched earth.

cracks1

Mt. Lassen Volcanic National Park - Part II - "Subway Caves" coming to a friends page near you...

Date: 2006-08-16 05:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] angry-man.livejournal.com
Nice pictures.

Date: 2006-08-16 08:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] langatmig.livejournal.com
Aw, Mt. Lassen. I have a photo of me standing in the brush in front of that same scene with the peak in the background. How refreshing - I loved it there.

Date: 2006-08-16 11:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thedeepgreensea.livejournal.com
Wow! Those are great pictures. Is that in northern California? It looks about cool as fuck.

Date: 2006-08-16 01:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] createdestiny.livejournal.com
Yeah, it's in northern California.

Date: 2006-08-16 05:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] honeywoney.livejournal.com
Excellent post! I love Lassen. I know, I know, I told you I don't go east of the Coast Range, but I've been a handful of times to Lassen and have enjoyed it's geothermal activity! I didn't know it was recorded as getting warmer recently - how exciting!

I've hiked Lassen to the top, stayed at Drakesbad and Hat Creek, saw Burney Falls, and hiked all-around. It's sooooo beautiful. There's a Wild Horse Sanctuary that makes for a nice sidetrip on the return home: http://www.wildhorsesanctuary.org/

Sorry if you know all this - I just got a little excited over your post - I needed the wonderful break from cubicle hell.

Date: 2006-08-16 11:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ygolonac.livejournal.com
I think we drove past that wild horse sanctuary on the way home. We drove past *a* wild horse sanctuary anyways.

Date: 2006-08-17 12:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] honeywoney.livejournal.com
I think that must be it! I can't imagine that there is more than one.

Date: 2006-08-17 12:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] createdestiny.livejournal.com
Wow, I did not know this. We hope to hike to the peak next year. I haven't seen Burney Falls...there's so much there I haven't seen yet.

Date: 2006-08-17 12:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] honeywoney.livejournal.com
The other place I'm interested in is the Trinity Alps, east of Humboldt. Have you guys explored there at all? Home of Big Foot, y'know!

Trinity Alps

Date: 2006-08-17 01:42 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] createdestiny.livejournal.com
Funny that you should mentioned the Trinity Alps. Someone on my friends list posted some wonderful pictures of her 4 day backpacking trip in the Trinity Alps.

http://javachickn.livejournal.com/303504.html


I've only explored a tiny slice of the Trinity Alps: Beegum Gorge. I wrote about it and posted some pics last trip about camping there but you may not have been my lj buddy at that time so here's a link:

http://createdestiny.livejournal.com/51812.html

Date: 2006-08-16 09:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] thejuicyone.livejournal.com
wow,you're so lucky!

Date: 2006-08-18 02:04 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] soopageek.livejournal.com
Nice pics. I've driven through the Lassen area a few times, but knew nothing of its geological history.

rocks that rock you

Date: 2006-08-19 09:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lcurtis.livejournal.com
So now I'm thinking Mt.Lassen and not the Red Woods. You got your self a California book going, don't ya know.

Wow!

Date: 2006-08-21 03:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lcurtis.livejournal.com
Hi Babe,

I loved the bump ass pass, too! I find it ironic that the volcano exploded in 1914 because that was the year your grandma was born. She always was a hottie! Can we go there, too? We want to see it all! Love ya lots, Mom

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