A Writer's Adventures Backpacking in Lassen: A Deer, and a Sulfur Lake, and a Bear (Oh My!)

Lassen Park Hike: Day 3 (August 4)

Route: Corral Meadows to Warren Valley to Drakesbad Ranch to Boiling Spring Lake

Miles Hiked: 6.49

Total Miles for Entire Trip: 24.2

We hiked up and over Flatiron Ridge today. Despite its name, it wasn’t flat at all. Though it wasn't nearly as difficult to make it over as "My Mountain" that I climbed last year. On our way down the mountain, we actually stumbled upon a black bear (possibly the one we’d missed seeing the day before). I saw it and immediately froze in place on the trail, hissing up at my dad to look (he was far enough behind me that he couldn’t immediately see why I had stopped). It looked up at me for a few minutes, and our eyes met as I quickly snapped a few photos and then activated video mode. Then, it returned to tearing apart the tree stump between its paws before finally ambling off. I have never been so happy to be rejected as completely uninteresting.

We relaxed and ate lunch at Drakesbad Ranch where a lodgepole chipmunk nipped my ankle and then tugged on my shirt when I almost smooshed him by scooting back in my chair while I was eating outside. He was obviously used to sneaking food from the diners on the patio and not happy that I refused to oblige him. A gray squirrel also tried to get to the food in our packs while we were eating. Luckily, some other hikers had left food in a plastic bag next to their packs and the squirrel decided that would be better pickings.

Then, as we had time and were feeling refreshed, we hiked up to the thermal springs at Boiling Spring Lake. The springs were amazing, even though we had to view them from quite a distance. The ground close to the springs was so fragile and brittle that it was liable to break beneath you and I didn't really relish to finding myself plummeting into an acid bath no matter how much dirt I'd caked on.

 

On the way back from the lake of sulfuric acid that was created by the springs, we ran across a doe and her two baby fauns. The mama was focused solely on eating bark from the fallen trees, but the babies were having fun frolicking about in the grass only about ten feet from us. Sadly, the camera lost those photos and some of the far side of the lake and Lassen Peak, but I clearly remember the painted dirt of the lake shores, which reminded me a lot of the painted desert in Arizona that we visited when I was younger.

In all, we hiked over 20 miles in three days, just to see some boiling mud. And I’d do it all again. It was totally worth it.

Spotted Today: three fence lizards, a marmot (Dad saw it; I missed it), Swallow (probably of the barn variety), lodgepole chipmunk, a squirrel (who tried to get into my pack), a doe and two fauns, a black bear (obviously a California black bear, its hair was bleached out to a light cinnamon honey blonde), incense cedar tree