Fantastic Lava Beds & Painted Dunes • [Canon 5D]
September 18, 2012 • Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
(click in the image for a larger version)
This image is from last fall when I was at Lassen on a school trip with my daughter's 6th grade class. This is looking down from the top of Cinder Cone. Recent carbon dating and magnetic readings indicate that this eruption of Cinder Cone happened sometime between 1630 and 1670. The main Lassen volcano last blew its top in 1915, and was the last major eruption of the Cascade volcanos until Mt. St. Helens in 1980.
The hike to the top of Cinder Cone is quite a workout! This is due to steep angle of the slope as well as the fact that you're hiking on loose pumice gravel. There is no shade along the way, so if you plan to visit this area during the warmer summer or autmun months, be sure to get an early start to beat the heat. Take plenty of water and make the time for frequent rest stops on the way up. Your boots wil probably collect a fair amount if gravel and rocks along the way, so this will force you to stop now and then to empty them out! Below is a shot of Cinder Cone and the path up the side taken with my iPhone and styled with Snapseed (click in the image to see it larger).
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