Thursday, September 27, 2018

Boiling Springs Lake & Devil's Kitchen Trail ↔ Lassen Volcanic National Park ↔ Autumn Hiking Series

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

Ever been to Devil's Kitchen? Well, today we're headed to see what he's cookin' up in Lassen Volcanic National Park!

romance author rachelle vaughn Lassen Volcanic National Park

But first, we're stopping by Boiling Springs Lake to see if it really bubbles.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

The trail begins from the trailhead across from Warner Valley Campground. We were the first ones there. Not many people go hiking at 6:30 in the a.m., I guess. Hey, you know what they say about the early bird!  (When we finished 7 hours later, the parking lot was full.)


vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

The first part of the trail meanders along Hot Springs Creek...

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

This was probably the most diverse trail we've hiked yet in Lassen.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

There were cute little boardwalks, bridges, and at one point, the trail went through a meadow...

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

This was my first time out with my new insulated backpack cooler, and I have to say I was impressed! Not only is the minty color adorable, but it was comfortable and kept our picnic lunch cool all day. I was leery at first because I haven't worn a backpack in a million years, but I feel like a "real" hiker now! It comes in 4 different colors and has roomy compartments. (Here's the link to buy it on Amazon in case you're interested.)

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

Personally, I prefer hiking at sunrise when we have the trail to ourselves and I can watch the sun come up through the trees as we're walking.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

There was a slight uphill climb to the lake, but all in all, it was pretty easy.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

Steam vents under the lake keep the water around 125 degrees, so there was a lot of steam rising up from it in reaction to the cool morning air.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

When you take the loop around the lake, you can see it from a few different angles...

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

This trail crosses the Pacific Crest Trail. I can't imagine going on such a long hiking journey! Then again, I never thought I'd be hiking my way across Lassen NP either!

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

One of my favorite things about the forest is the pretty green lichen growing on the trees...

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

The trail to Devil's Kitchen is double the distance to Boiling Springs Lake and, boy, did my calf muscles notice the climb! In total, we hiked over 7 miles in one day, our furthest yet.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

There's a trail that loops through Devil's Kitchen, taking you through mudpots, steam vents, fumaroles, and milky Hot Springs Creek.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

I don't know exactly what the devil was cooking, but it sure smelled like rotten eggs to me!

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

Nearby Drakesbad Guest Ranch offers horseback riding to many trails in the park, including Devil's Kitchen and Boiling Springs Lake. I would definitely want to come back and try that next time!

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

By the time we headed back, the sky was a brilliant blue and a few white puffy clouds were drifting along.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

Now it's time to break out the abacus and calculate our scores for our complicated rating scale...

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

While the scenery was beautiful and it was fascinating watching the ground bubble up and steam escape the earth, this wasn't my favorite trail so far. It was a lot further than I expected and the payoff wasn't as spectacular as say Kings Creek Falls or Shadow Lake. There were a few times that it was a little scary standing so close to something so volatile, but that's what you get when you go hiking near a volcano!

I give this trail 3 "You've got blinders on to the world" out of 5. 🚍🚍🚍

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide


Hubby agrees and gives it a resounding 3 tasty football donuts filled with Bavarian cream out of 5. 🏈🏈🏈


Here's the highlight video from our hike to Boiling Springs Lake and Devil's Kitchen:





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Thursday, September 20, 2018

Two Lakes, One Hike ↔ Terrace Lake & Shadow Lake ↔ Lassen Volcanic National Park ↔ Autumn Hiking Series

We're back at Lassen Volcanic National Park, and today we're hiking to Terrace Lake and Shadow Lake at sunrise. There's also a Cliff Lake on this hike, but it's quite a bit further and we're still working up to the longer hikes.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

Hey, at least it's not a full moon like last time!

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide


vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

First up is Terrace Lake. Just look at all that reflective goodness in the early morning light!

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

The hike to Shadow Lake is all downhill and relatively easy (compared to the beast that is Mill Creek Falls Trail!) You can tell why they call it Shadow Lake...

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

But, just like it always does, the sun rose up higher in the sky and quickly chased the shadows away...

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

 There's this great trail that goes around to the other side of the lake...

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

 I could have sat on that log all day!

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

This lake was so beautiful and peaceful that we spent a couple of hours simply looking around in awe.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

But eventually what goes down, must return back up!

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

The trail was all uphill on the way back, but I dealt with it pretty well because I knew that going in. I'm proud to say that I made it without any problem! I think these weekly hikes are really strengthening my legs (and my willpower!)

The greatest views always seem to come from up high, don't they?

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

Back at Terrace Lake, the reflections are gone and it looks like a totally different lake...

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

 Phew! Better put some muscle into that hike back!

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

Despite the steepness in some places, this was a really great trail. How often can you walk to two lakes in one afternoon--three if you go the extra mile?

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

We will definitely be hiking this one again, hopefully making it all the way to Cliff Lake next time. We heard it dries up in the summer anyway, so we'll tackle it in the springtime. By then, I'll be a seasoned hiker (fingers crossed!) and we'll be making plans to hike Lassen Peak, too! #goals

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

We saw lots of cute little chipmunks and quite a few different bird species. (Here's a short video of the birds we saw that I made for my birding blog.)

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide

Now, it's time to rate this trail with our complicated rating system. All in all, I'm giving this hike 5 Raylan "Now that went well"'s out of 5.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide hiking reviews

Hubby agrees and gives it 5 Dewey Crowes out of 5.

vaughn the road again northern california travel adventures guide hiking reviews trails


Here's the video of highlights from our hike...


Another great adventure for the books! Time to plan the next one...

Happy Hiking!
Rachelle Vaughn



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vaughn the road again northern california hiking adventures guide


Let's go on an adventure!