I've decided to call these Lassen Volcanic National Park hikes the Sunrise Hiking series because we always arrive at the trailhead right as the sun is starting to come up over the mountains!
This time we're hiking to Horseshoe Lake. (Juniper Lake is located right across from the trailhead, but we'll be taking a look at it once the sun comes up.)
According to the park pamphlet, the hike to Horseshoe Lake is an easy 2.8 round-trip with a 240 elevation change. According to AllTrails, it's 4.3 miles with an elevation change of 649 feet. I've noticed a lot of discrepancies when it comes to hiking trails. Sometimes the information on Lassen's website doesn't even match the pamphlet they hand out. So, keep that in mind and prepare for anything!
Allrighty, let's go!
There were a lot of steep (to me!) uphill spots on this trail, and about a half mile in I said there was no way this could be considered easy. Luckily, it levels out a few times to let you catch your breath. (The walk back was mostly downhill, so the return was a piece of cake!)
When I first started this hiking thing, I figured that once you've seen one lake, you've seen 'em all. Boy, was I wrong! Every single one of the lakes we've hiked to have been uniquely different and beautiful in their own way. Horseshoe Lake was no exception. There was mist rising off the water and the reflections were crazy-beautiful in the early morning light.
This lake was almost eerily quiet and only the sounds of the occasional bird interrupted the peaceful silence.
This was a really pleasant hike and I'd definitely do it again now that I know what to expect!
Back at Juniper Lake, the sun is up and we can appreciate this lake's wonderful beach. There are even a couple of picnic tables and I can't think of a better place to stop for a bite to eat before heading out to begin our hike to Crystal Lake.
I enjoyed this beautiful hike and am giving it 5 chicken dances out of 5. 🐔🐔🐔🐔🐔
Hubby gives it 5 "No juice for Buster"'s out of 5. 🍷🍷🍷🍷🍷
We ended up getting a lot more video of Juniper Lake than we did photos, so be sure to watch the video below!
And come back tomorrow for the full blog post from our hike all the way up to gorgeous Crystal Lake where we had panoramic views of the area!
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Let's go on an adventure!
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