"The Way West"...Day 51...Thursday, August 2, 2012

When I camped here two years ago, I didn't do much hiking. I think that I was traumatized by the frightening drive up to Manzanita Lake from the Park's south entrance. Yesterday, I came in through the north entrance...so I didn't have the scary drive...that will come when I leave tomorrow.
So...this morning, I'm up early...coffee, a bowl of oatmeal and a Clif Bar for breakfast.
By 8:00, I'm on the trail that circles Manzanita Lake. It's a pretty easy hike...just a few miles over level terrain. Along the way, I get some good photos of Mt. Lassen. Lassen is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascades Range. It was last "active" between 1914 and 1921. The biggest eruption took place in 1915...a large explosion, a huge rockslide and a plume of ash visible for hundreds of miles.
Around 1:00PM, I'm back at camp for a "junk food" lunch of cashews, potato chips, cheese/peanut butter crackers and a coke.
After lunch, I drive ten miles or so south in the Park to view the rockslide and a place called the "Devastated Area"...this spot was obliterated in the 1915 explosion, but has gradually become restored over the years with plants and trees...very interesting.
Back at camp, I read for awhile and listen to music before dinner. After cocktails, I heat up some Andiamo Tomato-Basil Sauce with a few Italian sausages...that goes over penne pasta for a nice meal with a few glasses of a red blend from Beckman Vineyards in California.
I build another fire and relax as the sun goes down. I'm tired from the hiking so, when I find myself dozing by the fire, I head off to bed.