THE CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS

The plan Saturday was to explore the Warner Valley region in the southeast part of Lassen Volcanic National Park. We had a leisurely breakfast that morning, before heading out. We really like base camping at one campground for several days. That way, we aren’t spending as much time packing and unpacking. We stopped at a Dollar General in Chester on our way so I could pick up a cheap pair of sunglasses. Hiking through the snow the previous day had been really hard on my eyes, and I was worried about all of the snow we would encounter the next day on Lassen Peak. Incredibly, this was my first ever visit to a Dollar General. I wasn’t missing much.

A long drive down a dirt road led to a surprisingly small parking area. We got the last good parking spot. On the way in, I got behind someone driving painfully slow. They pulled over to let me pass, which was very nice of them. I felt kind of bad about getting the last parking spot ahead of them. As a result of their courtesy, they were left without a spot. However, there were a few places on the shoulder that they could squeeze into, so it should have all worked out.

I planned two easy hikes in Warner Valley, to Devils Kitchen and Boiling Springs Lake. We headed to Devils Kitchen first. We hiked through woods and grassy meadows along Hot Springs Creek. Early on the route followed easy trail and boardwalks. We passed around the Drakesbad resort and continued up the valley. We eventually left the meadows behind and enjoyed more easy walking in the forest. Here, a family coming the other way alerted us to a bear near the trail. It was a small black bear, but gold in color. I managed a few marginal photos before it shuffled off.

A bit later we arrived at Devils Kitchen, which is one of the more significant thermal areas in the park. It features several steam vents and colorful rocks along Hot Springs Creek. It is a neat area, though not as spectacular as Bumpass Hell. The topo map suggests that there is a waterfall on Hot Springs Creek a short distance upstream from Devils Kitchen. However, there is no trail upstream, and reaching it would require hiking through the thermal area. This is off-limits and potentially dangerous. Going around would be very difficult due to the steep terrain. I decided to leave it.

From there we backtracked most of the way to the car, but continued south rather than returning to the trailhead. We hiked on the Pacific Crest Trail for a while, on to Boiling Springs Lake. This is a really neat feature. As the name suggests, the lake is fed by hot springs, under the surface and near the shore. The lake is a milky white from all of the minerals emitted by the springs. When we arrived, there was a couple walking on the thin crusty soil right next to the water. This looked like an exceptionally bad idea. I thought we might see them plunge through and turn into human lobsters, but it was not to be. Christy decided to stop there, while I continued on the loop trail around the lake. At the far end are some noisy fumaroles. Beyond that, the trail climbs to an overlook of the lake, with Lassen Peak in the distance. From there, a short, easy walk brought me back to where Christy was waiting.

I considered extending the hike to see the Terminal Geyser. However, the Terminal Geyser isn’t a real geyser. Rather, it’s a spot where a stream runs over a steam vent, creating little “eruptions”. Christy wasn’t interested, and we had seen plenty of real geysers in Yellowstone the previous summer. I decided to skip it.

We were on our way back when we were startled by another bear near the trail. This one was also gold, but even smaller. As it moved away from us, we spotted a golden cub trailing behind. I thought the larger bear was an adolescent, but apparently it was just a very small mama bear. Unfortunately they moved off before I could get a photo. I put my camera away and turned back onto the trail. I looked up, and there was a deer standing right there in front of me. I nearly jumped out of my boots after being so close to those bears! I did manage to get a photo of the world’s scariest deer before we headed on.

The rest of the hike back was uneventful. It was only mid-afternoon, and I wanted to do more. I suggested going back to the Visitors Center and hiking to Mill Creek Falls. That is a 3 mile round trip, which would be perfect for an evening walk. Christy had had enough, but she didn’t mind waiting for me. On the drive in I spotted a waterfall on Bluff Creek. I thought about stopping for a better look and photos, but the sun was right above the falls and the light was terrible. I decided to skip that and focus on Mill Creek.

From the Visitors Center I hiked a good trail down to a small stream. I passed many people on their way out. I imagine Mill Creek Falls was a crowded place that afternoon. From the creek I passed through a meadow that was covered in Wooly Mules Ears. The golden flowers blanketed the entire hillside. Beyond the meadow, they covered every little clearing. Those flowers were my favorite part of this hike and one of the highlights of our visit to Lassen.

The crowds thinned out as I hiked, and there wasn’t anyone at the official overlook of Mill Creek Falls. Mill Creek Falls actually begins at the confluence of Mill Creek and Bumpass Creek. It drops over a cliff, falling about 100’ into the canyon below. The overlook provides a marginal view from the hillside across from the falls. I scrambled down the hillside below the overlook to get a better vantage point. It’s a steep scree slope, and it gets worse as you descend. At least the first stretch has some things to hold onto. I reached a big rock that offered a level spot to stand and set up the tripod. The hillside below looked very sketchy, so I stopped there. It was a good angle, directly across from the top of the falls. There was another photographer at the top of the falls, but at least she didn’t move around much, and she added a sense of scale to my photos.

From there I returned to the trail, which I followed over to the brink of the falls. There were actually three photographers there, but the other two didn’t seem to be taking any actual photos. They headed on upstream after I arrived, leaving me alone at the top of the falls. There were some interesting compositions here, as there are actually small waterfalls on both Mill Creek and Bumpass Creek above the brink of the main drop.

I hiked back fast, as it was getting late. I did take quite a few photos of the flowers on the return though, as the light was much better than it had been earlier. I found Christy back at the parking lot, and we drove back to the campground for dinner and another campfire.

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