Top 10 Adventures of 2019 ↔ Vaughn the Road Again

It's always fun to take a look back and remember all the wonderful adventures of the year!

We did a lot of hiking during the summer, along with a dozen visits to our local wildlife refuges here in Northern California. All of our trips in 2019 were special in their own way and I cherish the tons of photos and video we took, so it was tough to narrow it down to just ten!

Here they are...

10. Hat Creek Rim Overlook. Not only was this a beautiful drive, but when we arrived, there were colorful wildflowers growing everywhere and incredible views of Shasta and Lassen. What a lovely stop along the Pacific Crest Trail!

9. Paradise Meadow. Even though we hiked this trail a little too early for the wildflower bloom, the payoff was pretty and I enjoyed how the path followed along the creek.

8. Sheepy Ridge Wildlife Trail. This was our second time trekking up Sheepy Ridge and the views at the top were just as wonderful as I remembered.

7. Ridge Lakes. We also did a return hike to Ridge Lakes, and were able to compare how the different seasons transform the scenery. I swear, this lake has some of the most incredible reflections in all of the park!

6. Manzanita Lake. The walk around Manzanita Lake never disappoints. This year we had our first-ever Western Tanager, Pileated Woodpecker and Evening Grosbeak sightings.

5. Speaking of sightings, our Beaver sighting at the Codora Unit of the Sacramento River NWR was something I'll never forget!

4. Manzanita Creek Trail. This trail had a lot of wildflowers and the views at the end made the steep 7 mile round-trip hike totally worth it.

3. McCloud Falls. Oh boy, this was an awesome trail! We took the 5 mile round-trip hike and saw all three of the waterfalls, Upper, Middle and Lower McCloud Falls.

2. Brokeoff Mountain. This bad boy was a total beast and I still can't believe we made it all the way up to the top! There's definitely some truth to the whole "the higher you climb, the greater the views" thing.

Before we get to the Number One adventure of 2019, here are a few Honorable Mentions:

→ The purple wildflower superbloom at the Sacramento NWR
→ Driving through snow-covered Lassen VNP, right after the road opened
→ The Gray Lodge Wildlife Area wildflowers (what started Wildflower Wednesday)
→ Walking the Logan Creek Trail for the first time

All right, that brings us to my favorite adventure of the year! Drumroll please...

1. Mt. Harkness Fire Lookout Trail Loop. I loved the payoff of this hike, even more than Brokeoff! The views at the fire lookout were absolutely spectacular and I'm so glad we stuck with it and made it all the way to the top. Standing up there at over 8,000 feet made me feel more on top of the world than I've ever felt in my life.

Well, after this little trip down memory lane, I've got to say that we definitely made the most of 2019. I literally took thousands of photos and I'm so proud of the videos I made for my YouTube channel. Most of our hiking goals were accomplished and I'm thrilled to have made these memories with the love of my life. He definitely pushed me to climb higher, hike further and be the kind of strong, fearless woman I've always dreamed of being.

As for 2020, well, the sky is the limit...

Baby Deer Twins ↔ Lassen Volcanic National Park

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Too cute!

We spotted these baby deer twins and their mama near Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park...

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Moment of Zen ≈ Manzanita Lake & Lassen Peak, Lassen Volcanic National Park

Take a moment to appreciate the beauty of Lassen Peak standing guard over Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park...

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Squirrel vs Pinecone ↔ Lassen Volcanic National Park Wildlife

We came upon this delightful little squirrel while walking the trail around Manzanita Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California...

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Manzanita Lake ↔ Lassen Volcanic National Park ↔ Summer Hiking Series

The trail around Manzanita Lake is one of the easiest and most pleasant walks in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Every step offers gorgeous views, birding opportunities, and the chance to spot some wonderful wildlife.

Take a walk around the beautiful lake with me and have a look at nature's paradise in northern California...

For more about the many birds found in the park, visit my birding channel Wings and Daydreams.

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Moment of Zen ≈ Manzanita Creek, Lassen Volcanic National Park

This spot where Manzanita Creek flows into Manzanita Lake is one of my favorite places in all of Lassen Volcanic National Park!

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Moment of Zen ≈ Manzanita Lake, Lassen Volcanic National Park

Got a minute? That's all it takes to appreciate the beauty of Manzanita Lake in northern California's Lassen Volcanic National Park...

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Looking back, pressing forward...

There were so many awesome adventures from 2018 that I sure am glad I started this blog to chronicle them all!

I visited my very first National Seashore, walked the nature trail at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, got caught in the rain at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, and played in the snow at Lassen VNP.

And, I started hiking. A lot. 11 trails over the course of three months. I never thought I'd become a bona fide hiker. (And now I've got the shoes and everything!) The scenery was breathtaking and the fact that I completed all those hikes with my own two feet is absolutely incredible and more rewarding than anything else I've ever done. I guess I've got a dash of bravery and perseverance in me after all!

Crystal Lake trail, Lassen VNP (Juniper Lake in the background)

We walked through manzanita carpeted woodlands, the Reading Fire area, over boardwalks and bridges and through meadows and forests covered in lichen. All in all, we hiked over 40 miles, saw 19 lakes and 2 waterfalls.

Who knows what new adventures are around the corner in 2019? Anything is possible! Maybe I'll climb Lassen Peak. Maybe I'll do something equally as amazing. Maybe I'll walk barefoot in the sand at Baker Beach in San Francisco. Maybe I'll ride in a hot air balloon or frolic in a field of colorful wildflowers. That's the great thing about turning a fresh page on the calendar--you never know what the day's adventures might hold.

Shadow Lake, Lassen VNP

Here's wishing you an open road ahead and someone wonderful to share all of your amazing travels with...

Happy adventuring,
Rachelle Vaughn

Let's go on an adventure!

Winter Wonderland ↔ Lassen Volcanic National Park

Winter is in full swing at Lassen Volcanic National Park!

It's amazing to think that we spent all autumn hiking the trails in and around the park and now everything is covered with beautiful sparkling snow.

The road through the park is already closed at the visitor's center, but we trekked in far enough to walk over the bridge and see Manzanita Creek.

You know how I love clouds and boy, were they putting on a show over all that winter landscape!

Mt. Lassen is pretty spectacular when it's covered in a fresh blanket of white stuff, too.

This spot where Manzanita Creek flows into the lake is one of my favorite places on earth...

I've never seen it in winter before and it was even more magical covered in snow.

I'm thinking about investing in some snow shoes, because how awesome would it be to hike some of the trails we did this summer in the snow?

Who am I kidding? Now that winter is finally here, I'm looking forward to curling up with some hot cocoa and reveling in the fact that it's not 100 degrees down where I live in the valley!

It's amazing how the landscape of a place can change so much throughout the different seasons. Time on the clock ticks by so fast that it's nice to be able to mark the passage of it when nature shifts the scenery around.

As much as I love this time of year, I'm also looking forward to spring when the wildflowers start blooming in the park. Now that we have a few hikes under our belts, hopefully those uphill trails won't be so daunting!

Here's to a wonderful winter season full of good memories, beautiful scenery and new adventures!

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