rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 7, 2017 11:19:34 GMT -8
Spring is probably ideal time as well, though you may need an ice axe and crampons/microspikes depending on the snow. Late spring. When we are there in late March, the road isn't open far enough (though as you say, you could backpack it). I'm not much for snow and ice climbing anymore, either. I'm guessing the wildflowers on the drive up through Wildrose canyon are stunning as well. Absolutely. Have you guys, or anyone else done both Lassen and Great Basin? Be interested in hearing a compare and contrast. I've been in both, but haven't backpacked Great Basin. They are pretty different places, and I like both. Getting to Lassen and seeing a volcano up close (especially if the Park Road is open) is special, and the loop hike at Butte Lake is pretty and easy (mostly flat, except for climbing the Cinder Cone). At Great Basin, I've long wanted to camp at the high campground (it's always full when we get there), but wherever you are, the Bristlecone Loop is worth the dayhike, as is the summit (and even the lowest camp is about about 7500' so isn't too hot at nigiht even in summer). I really enjoyed the cave tour, too. To be honest, I've not felt the need to backpack there, but that might be because I've not really looked at options. I know some trailheads are definitely 4WD only. I don't think I can help you choose, because I'd say it should just be a question of which place comes first
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Jun 7, 2017 12:33:58 GMT -8
I live next to Lassen NP, a 1/2 hour drive. So yes, I have been there. The west 1/2 of LAVO is dominated by Lassen Peak. The trail to the top is heavily used all summer. No solitude there. The east 1/2 is lesser used. Lots of opportunity to be alone and off trail cross country hiking is easy. Little understory vegetation and rolling terrain. No quotas or preapproved trip planning. You can fill out a permit on line or in person. The permit is more for statistical record keeping than restricting use. Bear canisters now required in LAVO and no campfires. Stoves only. Adjacent to the Park on the east is Caribou Wilderness and you can loop through there. However -- the Caribou is infamous for mosquitoes and I expect it to be an especially horrendous skeeter year. Those little monsters laugh at DEET. The Park is not as bad as the Caribou. I have been to GB once. Spent a couple days hiking around. Did the cave tour, hiked to some Bristlecone groves, and to Lexington Arch. It is an apples-oranges comparison. LAVO is volcanic features, GRBA is basin range complex. Both interesting in their own ways. Free downloadable topo maps for Lassen here: www.fs.usda.gov/detail/lassen/maps-pubs/?cid=fsm9_034481Scale is 1:63500 1" = 1 mile. Will print on 8.5x11 paper. Use photo paper for better results.
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jdlp
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SoCal hiker and backpacker, occasional kayaker, looking to explore
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Post by jdlp on Jun 7, 2017 15:08:31 GMT -8
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Jun 7, 2017 19:14:02 GMT -8
You can also crosspost over at highsierratopix.com. That site is more California/Sierra Nevada oriented. (yeah, I know Lassen is not the Sierra Nevada range. It is often lumped in, though.)
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 7, 2017 19:53:48 GMT -8
Lassen Peak. The trail to the top is heavily used all summer. No solitude there. What about Brokeoff Mtn? We last hiked that in 2002, and it was not solitude, but not crowded either. And in many ways the views are better from there--because you look at Lassen
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Jun 7, 2017 20:26:57 GMT -8
For some reason I have never hiked to Brokeoff. Never got around to it.
However -- I am giving away a secret spot here -- just WSW of Brokeoff is a small lake called called Heart Lake. A trail to it from the FS17 Road (Mineral to Viola Road). The trail continues east, just nicking the corner of the Park, then heads south to Mineral. Very little use, primarily by locals. State fire crew inmates from the minimum security prison in Paynes Creek maintain it. Just a mile or so from the southern terminus of the trail is a grove of Giant Sequoia trees, planted by the CCC in 1933(?). Not certain, but may be the northernmost Sequoia grove in California.
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Jun 7, 2017 20:42:45 GMT -8
A trip I have penciled in, but never did, is a combo paddle/hike/bike. From Butte Lake paddle to the south end and beach the canoe. Hike S and W through the Park, exiting at Spencer Meadows. Retrieve a previously stashed mountain bike, follow the Spencer Meadows Trail south to Hwy 36, north from Mineral to Manzanita Lake on the FS17 Road, then forest roads east back to the vehicle parked at Butte Lake. Hike to the end of Butte Lake and retrieve the canoe, paddling back. I figure 4-5 days. I did a smaller 3 day version several years ago east through the Caribou Wilderness.
For another paddle trip you can visit Ahjumawi State Park, north of Lassen Park and Fall River Mills/McArthur. Ahjumawi is accessible only by boat (short easy paddle), shoreline campsites in the Park. Good fishing.
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Post by Dave Ayers on Jun 8, 2017 16:44:46 GMT -8
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ogg
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Post by ogg on Jun 10, 2017 10:33:25 GMT -8
FWIW, I had attempted to backpack to Baker Lake in Great Basin early July 2015, kicking off a 2 1/2 week long car-camping/backpacking/day-hiking road trip that had me roaming Nevada, Utah and a little bit of Idaho. I was dogged almost the entire trip by a particularly strong, wet and cold monsoonal weather pattern. I'll never forget the experience, about 200 feet below Baker Lake under good tree cover, 11:00am, wearing a full rain suit, holding an umbrella, and being inundated by a waterfall of hail and then rain. It lasted about a half hour. Baker Lake was a letdown by my familiar Eastern Sierra standards. Shallow, and smelly, even with the rain. I found that good, sheltered (given the weather) campsites were non-existent close to the lake. Conditions were quite windy. The few halfway decent campsites I could find as I descended all had widowmakers looming over them. Tree mortality in this region seemed to be really significant. I was judging conditions based on my experiences in the Eastern Sierra, the Intermountain West was (and still is) new to me.
If you're still considering Great Basin in July, also take look at the Ruby Mtns, fairly nearby. A better time to go might be early August. I spent a few days in the Rubies and East Humboldt range just north of the Rubies last August and the weather was perfect.
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Post by georgeofthej on Jun 10, 2017 17:35:52 GMT -8
Hey, jdlp. I've been to both GB and Lassen---a little bit. Don't have too much to add here.
Car camped at the GB 10k campground about 15 years ago. Deer were very tame and wandered the campground. A main attraction for a lot of folks there was watching deer graze in a meadow. There were a bunch of people just sitting quietly watching the deer. I didn't find it quite as interesting as they did, but I guess it's kind of a relaxing thing to do. Our air mattress leaked and my wife was too cold at night, so we only spent one night instead of the 3 we had planned and I didn't get a chance to do much hiking. The cave tour was good.
I day hiked Lassen Peak in 2001. It's a popular trail and the summit was a little crowded. Everyone seemed to go only straight to the summit---like a line of ants going to a lump of sugar--and no one was exploring the awesome craters near the top. I recommend spending an hour poking around the craters. I backpacked from Butte Lake last August. We camped at Snag Lake. It was an enjoyable trip. Cinder Cone and the Fantastic Lava Beds are trippy. Once you get away from the volcanic features the scenery is average, though; nice enough but nothing special. Cinder Cone can easily be done as a day hike.
Have fun ---George
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Jun 13, 2017 9:37:58 GMT -8
A bit further north, towards the OR/CA line, is Lava Beds National Monument.
The draw there is the caves. Lots of lava tubes to explore, some requiring belly crawling and stomach sucking. Not a backpacking park, there is one trail that bisects the area, and it is very rocky with zero shade or water -- walking across a lava bed. If you like native American or military history the story of Captain Jack and the Modoc Indian War is there and you can explore the historical sites.
South of Lassen is the Ishi Wilderness. Low elevation foothills, below the snow line. Nice in the Spring and Fall. Avoid in the summer unless you particularly like hiking in 100 degree plus heat.
Near Quincy is the Bucks Wilderness. Small, but with a trail network. It is the northernmost Wilderness that is actually the Sierra, so it is like the central/southern Sierra, with large white granite slabs, west slope conifer forest, montane meadows, etc. But without the crowds and permit restrictions. If you also mountain bike you can stop at Downieville on the way back.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 20, 2017 22:15:32 GMT -8
I was near Lassen yesterday (6/19), hiking on the PCT at about 6500-7000'. There were snow patches on the north slopes, but they were small and easy to navigate. Most of the trail was snow-free, and as temps even at that altitude hit 90 (and probably did again today), things are melting fast. We didn't go on up to the Park, so I can't speak to conditions there, but the mountain had a lot of snow on it still! Here's what it looked like from where we ate lunch:
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jdlp
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SoCal hiker and backpacker, occasional kayaker, looking to explore
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Post by jdlp on Jun 21, 2017 15:18:17 GMT -8
God that looks amazing. The thread responses have definitely tilted my preference to Lassen. BUT, the fact that my cousin who live in SLC may be able to come out tilts things toward Great Basin (or possibly even Capitol Reef, haha). Still need to talk to him, but that would now be deciding factor. We both moved out west 2 years ago (me to CA, he to UT) so meeting up would be a big deal. Would love to bring him up to Lassen, but doubt I'll be able to get him to fly out to LA.
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Jun 21, 2017 15:47:06 GMT -8
SLC to Reno is a commuter hop.
Meet him there. 3 hr drive North from Reno you are at Lassen.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jun 21, 2017 20:13:40 GMT -8
Okay, lest one photo influence you unduly, here are two from when we were up Wheeler Peak in 2015. The approach. View from the summit (looking south, I'm pretty sure):
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