Monthly Archives: September 2014

September 22, 2014 Sequoia National Park

Also while camping in the park we left Kings Canyon National Park and passed through to Sequoia National Park, IMG_2533 the second oldest national park in the country, to see the General Sherman Tree.  Named after the Civil War general, it is the world’s largest tree because of its

Sequoia World Records

Sequoia World Records

General Sherman Tree

General Sherman Tree

volume of total wood.  It is 275 feet tall, has a trunk weighing 1,385 tons, has a circumference at the ground of nearly 103 feet and is estimated to be 2,200 years old.  Its largest branch is almost seven feet in diameter.  Every year the General Sherman grows enough new wood to produce a 60 foot tall tree of usual size.  The tree is located in the Giant Forest and there was a nice paved trail on the half mile walk to the IMG_2534

Sherman Tree Trail

Sherman Tree Trail

Sherman Tree Trail

Sherman Tree Trail

tree.  The trail drops 200 feet down into the forest, making for quite a hike on the way back up.  The trail was busy with many foreign tourists who enjoy renting RVs and camping in our national parks, especially after Labor Day.

General Sherman Tree

General Sherman Tree

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We stopped by the Visitors Center in Sequoia National Park and saw several great movies, including an excellent one on bears.  Each campsite in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks is equipped with a bear box for food storage and it is the law here that all food be properly stored.  Bears have been known to break into cars so signs at parking areas throughout the park warn drivers to be sure all food is hidden or secured if in your car.  We learned from the movie that the Grizzly Bear was hunted until they were all eliminated in California. If you look at the California state flag, adopted in 1911 it is a Grizzly Bear. Sadly, we did not see any bears while in either park.

We certainly enjoyed our time in both Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks.  Now that our summer goals have all been met, we will head back towards southern California for part of the winter.  We are a little sad that our travels to the Pacific Northwest, Northern Cascades, Mount St Helens, Mt Rainier, Mt Shasta, Glacier National Park, Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks is over.  It will be very hard to find places in the future to match their beauty!  Our travels will slow down for the winter season and our blog posts will be less frequent.  But stay tuned.  We do have a few surprises coming up!

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General Sherman tree is biggest by volume

General Sherman tree is biggest by volume

The tree is eight horses wide

The tree is eight horses wide

This is a US half dollar

This is a US half dollar

September 20, 2014 Kings Canyon National Park

We left Yosemite and fortunately did not have to travel back on the same curvy mountainous road we arrived on.  Instead we took the road through the park which involved driving through four park tunnels which fortunately were high enough for the RV to pass through safely.  We had planned on stopping by Mariposa Grove as we exited the south entrance of the park.  Mariposa Grove was such a long drive from our campground we decided to wait and visit the grove as we exited the park since it was on the way.  Mariposa Grove is the park’s largest stand of 500 giant sequoias.  Since it was after Labor Day and not the weekend we felt confident we would have no problem finding a parking place for the RV and car.  To our amazement, as we neared the parking areas of Mariposa Grove, all the parking lots were full and rangers were directing traffic to other areas of the park.  This meant we would have to somehow find a parking spot for both vehicles and catch a shuttle bus to and from the grove.  This was all a bit much for a travel day, so we decided to save the grove for when we come back someday to see the falls in the park in late spring or early summer.

We continued on to Coarsegold, California where we spent one night at a very nice Escapees park.  We were warmly welcomed and immediately invited to their Happy Hour which we attended after getting settled into our campsite.  We enjoyed meeting and talking with many of the people living and visiting there.  We are so glad we became members of Escapees since we have enjoyed their parks, rallies and went to Baja Mexico with a group of Escapees last February.  The Coarsegold area had recently been impacted by wildfires and the air was a bit smoky while we were there.

The next day we left early for several days of dry camping at Azalea Campground in Kings Canyon National Park. IMG_2500  Once again we had to unhook the car and drive separately as we had a steady climb of 6,000 feet on Kings Highway to reach the campground along a curvy mountainous road.  We expected the park to be fairly empty since this park is not as popular as Yosemite and it was after Labor Day.  We didn’t have a reservation and we were quite surprised to find the park very crowded with weekend campers.  We had to ride around the campground for awhile before finding a spot that would work for us.  This is a nice campground but it is challenging to find level spots.  We finally settled on a spot that was not as level as we would have liked and we were unable to get satellite tv.  The next day was Sunday and the park emptied out and we were able to move to a much nicer site  that was level and the satellite tv worked great.

Sunday after changing campsites we decided to spend some time exploring Kings Canyon.  Kings Canyon National Park is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range.  It includes some of the largest trees in the world, one of the deepest canyons in the United States, and some of the highest mountain peaks in the contiguous United States.  We started by watching the movie on the park at the visitors center and then set out for General  Grant Grove to see the General Grant Tree, the second largest living tree in the world.

General Grant Tree

General Grant Tree

It is 267 feet tall, over 3,000 years old and is known as our nation’s Christmas Tree.  General Grant Grove is comprised of 154 acres of magnificent sequoias and there are paved walkways where you can stroll the area.

Trees from the Grant Grove parking lot

Trees from the Grant Grove parking lot

Trees from the Grant Grove parking lot

Trees from the Grant Grove parking lot

The through the tree view

The through the tree view

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Inside the tree that is as big as a large room

Inside the tree that is as big as a large room

General Grant Grove is part of King’s Canyon National Park and was established by Congress in 1890.  John Muir first visited KIngs Canyon from Yosemite in 1873 and lobbied to have the area preserved.  We are so very fortunate that our forefathers had the wisdom to preserve these beautiful parks so many years ago!

When we first started up the pathway Bill was stung on his hand by a bee.  He never saw the bee but only felt the sting.  Later, on our way back down to the car I suddenly felt a terrible pain and stinging on my inner arm.  I looked down and saw what appeared to be a yellow jacket.  I think he must have been on my arm and when I put my arm down to my side he was trapped and stung me.  The strange thing was the bee would not let go or stop stinging.  As much as I frantically tried to get him off he was fighting to hold on and kept stinging.  I finally turned to Bill in desperation and he managed to get the bee off.  By this time the pain and stinging was horrible and I stood there amid the sea of tourists in General Grant Grove sobbing.  What a sight!  Fortunately we had a cooler of cold drinks in the car with several ice packs and I was able to get ice on my arm right away.  Even with the ice the stinging pain continued for several hours.  Never thought I would encounter killer bees in General Grant Grove!  Do you think it is because I am from the south??   This grove was named for Ulysses S. Grant and there is a tree in the grove named Ulysses.

There were many activities to choose from in the park and we debated whether we should next take the 46 mile round trip on Kings Canyon Scenic Byway into the canyon since the road was a curvy IMG_2491 IMG_2493 IMG_2494 IMG_2495 mountainous road which dropped 3,000 feet onto the canyon floor.  We were so glad we did since the views of the canyon were magnificent.  Bill is a wonderful photographer but even he found it difficult to capture the beauty of the canyon on camera.  I have no words to adequately describe the wonders of the canyon.  The canyon valley floor was carved by glaciers during the Ice Age. IMG_2485 IMG_2489 IMG_2496

Roaring River, very clear water

Roaring River, very clear water

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Looking into Kings Canyon

Looking into Kings Canyon

Along the way we stopped at Roaring River Falls.  We were skeptical whether we would see any running water but decided a little exercise wouldn’t hurt and made the short hike to the falls along a nice paved trail.  We were pleasantly surprised to see a rather nice little falls.

Roaring River Falls

Roaring River Falls

We continued driving on the canyon floor until we reached “The Roads End”. IMG_2509 Here they had many parking areas and a small building where you could get wilderness permits for overnight hiking trips into the canyon.  They had trails, one of which led to Muir’s Rock, Muir talked many times from this rock, the same rock where a picture of John Muir was taken and later used in the film on the park at the visitors center.

Muir rock, where he and others sat and enjoyed the Kings Canyon

Muir rock, where he and others sat and enjoyed the Kings Canyon

We headed back and marveled at the views of the canyon from the opposite direction.  It was now late in the day and the sun was reflecting off the canyon walls.

September 18, 2014 Yosemite National Park Part 2

On our next visit to the park we decided to drive to Glacier Point.  As I said before, it is quite a drive to get anywhere in the park and this was two hour drive each way from the campground, but well worth the effort.  Glacier Point gives a panoramic view of Yosemite Valley and Half Dome.  There is a paved walkway which takes you to various lookout points with views 3,214 feet down into the valley.  It was really neat to look at the park from above and see the roads we had traveled and bridges we had crossed.

A viewpoint at Glacier Point

A viewpoint at Glacier Point

Half Dome as viewed from the Glacier Point viewpoint

Half Dome as viewed from the Glacier Point viewpoint

The valley below Half Dome

The valley below Half Dome

The Yosemite Valley as viewed from Glacier Point

The Yosemite Valley as viewed from Glacier Point

Half Dome

Half Dome

Half Dome is 8,842 FT

Half Dome is 8,842 FT

Beautiful Half Dome

Beautiful Half Dome

Zoomed view of Half Dome with several people that hiked to the top

Zoomed view of Half Dome with several people that hiked to the top

Zoomed view of North Dome and Basket Dome

Zoomed view of North Dome and Basket Dome

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Yosemite National Park is known for its waterfalls, and we had been warned in other blogs that the waterfalls in the park were dried up due to the severe drought as well as late summer heat.

In the spring Yosemite Falls runs off the mountainside

In the spring Yosemite Falls runs off the mountainside

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Nevada Falls in upper right and Vernal Falls in lower left

Nevada Falls in upper right and Vernal Falls in lower left

317 FT Vernal Falls blowing in the wind. Those are people in the pool below.

317 FT Vernal Falls blowing in the wind. Those are people in the pool below.

594 FT Nevada Falls

594 FT Nevada Falls

The best time to see the waterfalls is late spring/early summer, and we hope to someday return earlier in the year to Yosemite.  From our viewpoint at Glacier Point we were surprised and delighted to see two waterfalls far in the distance; Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls, with a little water still flowing.

IMG_2453 IMG_2447 While in Yosemite we were saddened to hear of the devastating wildfire which swept through the town of Weed, California.  You may recall this sweet little town was our home base for 4 days over Labor Day while we visited Mount Shasta.  This town was where we found the geocache on the totem pole at the beginning of the Alaskan Highway, and also near the metal sculpture garden memorial to those who served our country.  From the news reports the fire was very devastating and the town will have a long road to recovery.  Also during our stay in Yosemite we heard of wildfires near Lake Tahoe which we had visited just a week before.  One of the campers in our campground in Yosemite told us they had just left Lake Tahoe and had to drive a different route out because some of the roads were closed.  We also closely followed reports of wildfires on our current projected route out of Yosemite to Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park.

We hope that this video link below made from Glacier Point will be easy for you to view.

http://youtu.be/98ZIpWStoVk

September 16, 2014 Yosemite National Park Part 1

We had two main goals for our summer travels.  One was Glacier National Park in Montana and the other was Yosemite National Park in California.  Bill in particular had been wanting to visit Yosemite for some time.  Just as wildfires in the northern Cascades altered our route to Glacier,

We finally made it to the world famous Yosemite NP

We finally made it to the world famous Yosemite NP

we followed closely and somewhat anxiously the wildfires near Yosemite.  A couple weeks before our scheduled arrival, we read news reports that hikers had been evacuated from an area in Yosemite.  We checked the latest reports on the Yosemite website and proceeded with our travels.  Little did we know the stressful trip to follow.

We decided It was best not to take the route which would have taken us through all the traffic in South Tahoe, especially since the road is hilly and they were having a big bike race on our travel day.  We took Highway 88 toward the Nevada/California border.  After passing into California we had to cross Carson Pass with an elevation of 8,573 feet.  With a grade of 8% for twenty miles, our brakes overheated twice and we had to stop to let them cool.   As if that wasn’t enough, we still had to make the climb into Yosemite.  We had been warned about New Priest Grade Road to Yosemite from a fellow RV blogger, so when we reached the foot of the mountain we unhooked the car and I drove the car to help minimize the pull on the RV.  There was a sign warning drivers to turn off their air conditioning to avoid overheating, and there was a place you could stop and get water for your radiator if needed.  We began the steady six mile climb up the steep winding road with a grade of 6% to 7% and a hundred curves some of which were hairpin curves.  I am sure the scenery was fabulous, but with constant curves and no guardrails, our hands gripped the steering wheels and our eyes never left the road.   When we reached the top we felt both a sense of relief and victory.  We had conquered the road from hell!

IMG_2386 IMG_2387After driving an additional twenty miles we finally arrived at our campground which was conveniently located five miles from the west entrance to Yosemite National Park.   Over seven hours after leaving Carson City, we arrived at our campsite as the sun began to set.

After our stressful travel day, we decided to rest the next day.  We did drive the five miles to the visitors center at the entrance to the park to get a map and some information so we could plan our next several days.

Our first day into the park we decided to drive to the Yosemite Valley Visitors Center.  At 747,956 acres, Yosemite is huge, and since 94% of the park is protected wilderness, most of it is never seen except by back country hikers.  There are some roads you can drive in the park, but it takes quite a bit of driving to get anywhere.  The park does offer a free shuttle bus which IMG_2396 takes you to various places in the park, but we preferred the flexibility of using our own car which was a luxury since gasoline in the park was $4.79 a gallon.  It was a 23 mile drive each way to Yosemite Valley, but the views were well worth it.  We were surprised at how much traffic there was even after Labor Day, and we could imagine how crowded it must be in the summer.  There were many turnouts to stop and take pictures, including massive cliff faces such as El Capitan and Half Dome, two of the most popular icons in the park.  El Capitan is a massive granite monolith that stands 3,593 from base IMG_2404

7,569 FT El Capitan has a 3,000 vertical face

7,569 FT El Capitan has a 3,000 vertical face

to summit.  Half Dome is Yosemite’s most distinctive monument.  It was shaped by forces uplifting as well as erosion from rivers and glaciers.  While it appears to be a dome that was IMG_2422

Upper Yosemite Falls is dry in SEPT

Upper Yosemite Falls is dry in SEPT

The Iconic "Half Dome"

The Iconic “Half Dome”

broken off to leave a half dome shape, scientists now think the half dome is the original shape.

We stopped at Swinging Bridge to have lunch.  We couldn’t figure out why it was called swinging bridge since the bridge didn’t swing, but could only guess that the swinging bridge washed away and was replaced by this more permanent bridge.  We tried to have lunch at a nearby picnic area but the bees swarmed over the food to the point we were afraid we would swallow a bee so we had to retreat to the car to finish eating.

Swing Bridge doesn't swing anymore

Swing Bridge doesn’t swing anymore

Diane in the Yosemite valley

Diane in the Yosemite valley

Bill in Yosemite valley

Bill in Yosemite valley

A parked deer

A parked deer

We arrived at the parking area for the Yosemite Valley Visitors Center which was crowded with cars and people.  There is actually a half mile walk from the parking lot to Yosemite Village where the visitors center is located.  This is truly a busy little village for tourists with the visitors center, gift shops, a nature center, art gallery, museum, theater, Indian Culture exhibit, Wilderness Center, a market, restaurant and post office.  We have found that the national parks have excellent movies on the parks, and we watched two outstanding movies on Yosemite Park at the visitors center.

The idea of establishing a national park first began with Yosemite.  A man named Galen Clark was disturbed by the logging he witnessed in the park and lobbied to protect Yosemite Valley from development.  This led President Lincoln, in the midst of the Civil War, to take time to sign the Yosemite Grant in 1864 to protect the land.  Yosemite became the nation’s third National Park in 1890.  We have been hearing a lot about naturalist John Muir since we first visited the Redwoods several months ago.  Muir had a major influence on enlarging Yosemite, including a three day camping trip in the park with President Theodore Roosevelt.  John Muir said of Yosemite, “It is by far the grandest of all the special temples of Nature I was ever permitted to enter”. During their camping trip which included weather so cold they bedded down with forty wool blankets and awoke to five inches of new snow on the already five feet of snow already on the ground, Muir showed Roosevelt the beauty of the park and convinced him of the need for further conservation.  Roosevelt signed the Yosemite Recession Bill in 1906 which expanded the park boundaries.  During his presidency Theodore Roosevelt signed into existence five national parks, eighteen national monuments, fifty-five national bird sanctuaries and wildlife refuges, and one hundred and fifty national forests.  President Roosevelt said, “There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias….our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their Children’s children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred”. IMG_2403 IMG_2395

September 13, 2014 Carson City/Virginia City, Nevada

We certainly enjoyed our time in Carson City.  Even though it is the capital city of Nevada, the city itself was quiet, friendly and the traffic was unbelievably light.  They had plenty of restaurants, stores, an occasional casino, and we were able to do our Walmart grocery run before we left, but what amazed us was the lack of traffic, even during what would be normal rush hour times.  Both the capital building,IMG_2345 IMG_2343 completed in 1871, and the State Legislature building have beautiful silver colored domes visible throughout the city.  The Kit Carson Trail runs throughout the city.  IMG_2342  IMG_2344IMG_2346 IMG_2347

Before arriving in Carson City we spent one day and night in Reno for the purpose of getting some repairs done on the RV.  Reno was the closest place in our travels to have an approved repair facility.  Bill and I are not gamblers and the lure of the casinos and all that goes with it did not appeal to us, so one night and day was definitely enough in Reno.

On our last day in the area we decided to make the fifteen mile trip over to Virginia City. IMG_2350 Just the mention of Carson City and Virginia City took our minds back to one of our favorite childhood TV shows, “Bonanza”. IMG_2348 As we neared Virginia City we were surprised at the 15% grade climb to get up to the city.  Along the way we saw mining operations since they are still mining for some gold and mostly silver in the area. The mining operations is bringing the mountain down around them.

Comstock Mining harvesting gold and silver

Comstock Mining harvesting gold and silver

Comstock Mining harvesting gold and silver

Comstock Mining harvesting gold and silver

Chollar Mine shaft as seen from town

Chollar Mine shaft as seen from town

Virginia City itself was even more touristy than we expected with every gimmick imaginable to get money from the tourists.  There were carriage rides, train rides, ghost tours, souvenir shops, fake gunfights and saloons galore.  We walked the main street wooden promenade and tried to imagine what life was like in the days of our beloved Bonanza, but it was hard to  IMG_2373 IMG_2370 IMG_2363 IMG_2360 all imagine with all the tourist attractions.  The one attraction advertised that we really wanted to do was ride in a stagecoach with Bill riding shotgun.  I had read great reviews of this attraction beforehand.  When we arrived we were disappointed to learn it was one of the few attractions closed for the season.   Bill had to be content with having a beer in one of the saloons and imagine that Miss Kitty would come along.  OOPS!  Wrong western! IMG_2356

We managed to grab a geocache before heading back to the car and back to Carson City. One thing we really liked was every few feet along both sides of Main Street they had banners with the names of men and women from the area who have served our country.  In one storefront we saw a small memorial to Sept 11. IMG_2365 The Comstock Lode definitely had a huge impact on the area.  George Hearst, owner of the newspaper and father of William Randolph, became rich from the Comstock Lode.  Many people came to this area in search of gold and silver, but we believe many more left disappointed than wealthy. IMG_2375 IMG_2376

 

September 8, 2014 Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada

Carson City, the capital of Nevada, was our home base during our visit to Lake Tahoe.   We settled into a small no frills but very comfortable campground.  The owner was very nice and accommodating and we knew right off we had made the right decision to stay in Carson City which is about a twenty minute drive from Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe is very pretty and South Tahoe is very much a resort area with casinos, hotels, restaurants, plenty of souvenir shops, and a lot of traffic.  We looked hard for a campground that could accommodate the size of our RV and was away from traffic noise.  Not being able to find anything that worked for us in Tahoe, we decided on Carson City.

A nice view on the pass from Carson City to South Lake Tahoe

A nice view on the pass from Carson City to South Lake Tahoe

We drove from Carson City to Lake Tahoe twice.  The first day we purchased an audio tour to use as we drove the seventy-two mile loop around the lake.  It gave us the history of the lake as well as some fascinating stories about some of its inhabitants over the years.  Lake Tahoe is basically made up of five distinct sections; South Shore which is the most touristy area, West Shore with private homes, Truckee River & Squaw Valley with its famous ski resort, North Shore with Tahoe City, and East Shore.  The traffic in South Tahoe was almost bumper to bumper and since this is off season, we could only imagine how bad it must be during the summer and busy ski season.

Lake Tahoe, named “Big Water” by the Washoe Indians, IMG_2254 has enough water to cover the entire state of California with fourteen inches of water.  The water in Lake Tahoe is said to be 97% pure, almost the same as distilled water.  It is twenty-two miles long and twelve miles wide, with one third of the lake in Nevada and two thirds in California. IMG_2270 IMG_2271  It is the third deepest lake in North America with an average depth of 989 feet.  It is fed by sixty-three streams and two hot springs. IMG_20140910_153135

Kayakers enjoying Lake Tahoe

Kayakers enjoying Lake Tahoe

Kayakers enjoying Emerald Bay

Kayakers enjoying Emerald Bay

Lake Tahoe's water is very clear

Lake Tahoe’s water is very clear

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Lake Tahoe sits at an elevation of 6,229 feet in a valley between Sierra Nevada and the Carson Range.  The mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe are usually snow capped, but we did not see any snow since we were arriving in late summer.  The lakeshore gets an average of 125 inches of snow with the surrounding mountains getting an average of 300-500 inches.  The lake is also surrounded by three national forests; the Eldorado, the Humboldt-Tolyabe, and Tahoe. Since 25 percent of the lake is privately owned the lake was never able to become a National Park.

On our second visit to Lake Tahoe we took a narrated boat tour of the lake aboard the MS Dixie II paddlewheel boat. IMG_2304 IMG_2308

Having a party on Lake Tahoe

Having a party on Lake Tahoe

It was a leisurely trip out to Emerald Bay which is one of the most photographed places in the world.  Once we reached Emerald Bay

The famous Emerald Bay and Fannette Island

The famous Emerald Bay and Fannette Island

the boat entered the bay and circled around Fannette Island, the only island on Lake Tahoe.

Fannette Island

Fannette Island

Fannette Island with Mrs. Knight's Tea House at the top

Fannette Island with Mrs. Knight’s Tea House at the top

Fannette Island

Fannette Island

We were also able to get a great view of a castle named Vikingsholm.  It was built in 1929 as a summer home, and the owner and her guests would often be rowed over to the Tea House on the island for Sunday tea.  The castle is said to be one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the United States.  Today it is maintained by the California State Parks Foundation.

Vikingsholm is now a California State Park

Vikingsholm is now a California State Park

Vikingsholm is located at the head of Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, California

Vikingsholm is located at the head of Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe, California

We loved seeing the beautiful Ponderosa pines along the lakeshore.  Back in the late 1800’s miners were lured to the area with the promise of gold and the discovery of the Comstock Lode (the first major discovery of silver ore in the United States).  As a result almost all the pines around the lake were cut down to support the mining industry needs in nearby Virginia City.  Most of the Ponderosa pines we see today are second generation plantings.

Castle Rock with highway tunnels

Castle Rock with highway tunnels

Kayakers enjoying Lake Tahoe

Kayakers enjoying Lake Tahoe

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Lake Tahoe is beautiful but it doesn’t begin to compare to the majestic, breathtaking beauty of Crater Lake.

Some Lake Tahoe tidbits:

  • Lake Tahoe was originally called “Dao w a ga” by the Washoe tribe.  First pioneers mispronounced it as “Da ow” and the name was eventually changed to Tahoe because it was deemed easier to say.
  • Mark Twain loved Lake Tahoe calling it “the fairest picture the whole earth affords”.
  • The 1960 Winter Olympic games were held in Squaw Valley.  It was the first games to be televised and the first time the U.S. won a gold medal in ice hockey.
  • The Ponderosa house, used in the TV show, “Bonanza”, was moved when the show ended to the area and until recently was open for tours until it was sold.
  • If Lake Tahoe was drained, it would take 700 years for it to refill naturally.
  • The evaporated water from Lake Tahoe each day, could supply the daily water needs of the city of Los Angeles for five years.
  • Tahoe Tessie is a prehistoric fish which legend says lives in the lake.
  • Jacques Cousteau made a deep water dive in the mid 1970’s and when he came up he refused to share any of his underwater photos.  He said, “The world isn’t ready for what was down there”, and never spoke of it again.  Some speculate he came across someone in “cement shoes” since the Mafia loved Lake Tahoe, while others guess he saw Tahoe Tessie.
  • Speaking of the Mafia, the movie “Godfather II” was filmed at Lake Tahoe, as well as “The Bodyguard” with Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.  Also filmed in Tahoe was “City of Angels” with Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan.

 

 

 

 

September 4, 2014 Lassen Volcanic National Park, California Part 2

We could have easily stayed longer in this park since there were so many things to see and do, but we had scheduled only three nights and needed to get on to our next reservation.  We only had time for one hike and we chose one of the most popular hikes in the park, Bumpass Hell Trail.  This hike is only three miles round trip which sounds easy, but it is at an elevation of 8,400 feet and over rocky terrain. The last quarter mile there is a drop of 100 feet into a hydrothermal basin, which meant a steep 100 foot climb back out.

The day was beautiful with not a cloud in the sky and we arrived at the trailhead parking area early to avoid heat and crowds. From the parking lot we saw a huge balanced boulder. When

A balancing rock near the trailhead

A balancing rock near the trailhead

glacier ice filled this area 10,000 years ago it carried vast quantities of rock down into the valley.  When the ice melted, rocks such as this were left behind.

The trail was narrow with a gradual climb and though rocky in places, was a fairly easy hike. From the trail we had a great view of Lassen Peak.

Bumpass Hell trail

Bumpass Hell trail

Lassen Peak from the Bumpass Hell trail

Lassen Peak from the Bumpass Hell trail

As we reached the area where the trail drops steeply into the hydrothermal basin we could hear the steam escaping from the vents.  From a distance the sound reminded us of semi trucks.  In the basin there were boardwalks constructed to walk on and view the activity.  There were signs warning people to stay on the boardwalk since visitors who had ventured off the boardwalks for a closer view had been badly burned.  The park newsletter also warned of the dangers of being severely burned in the hydrothermal areas of the park.

View from the top of the trail before descending into the basin.

View from the top of the trail before descending into the basin.

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The hydrothermal basin is 16 acres of boiling pools, fumaroles, and mud pots.  This vent area is part of the 240,000 year old lava dome of Bumpass Mountain.  The highest recorded temperature here was 322 degrees!  And just like Sulphur Works, there was a strong smell of sulphur.  IMG_2230 IMG_2232 IMG_2233 IMG_2235 IMG_2237 IMG_2240

On the right is Big Boiler the hottest fumarole in the world; steam measured as high as 322 F.

On the right is Big Boiler the hottest fumarole in the world; steam measured as high as 322 F.

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It took us about an hour to walk along the boardwalks and see all there was to see in this fascinating hydrothermal basin.  We climbed the steep trail out and once we reached the top the rest of the way to the car seemed easy.  We were glad when we made it back to the car since the day was heating up and it was time for lunch and some ice cold drinks from the cooler.  We were proud that we had made the hike at this elevation, the highest altitude hike either of us had ever done!

What a fascinating park Lassen Volcanic National Park turned out to be!

September 2, 2014 Lassen Volcanic National Park, California Part 1

While we were in Weed we stopped off at their Visitors Center and the lady there suggested we stop by McCloud River Falls on our way to Lassen Volcanic National Park.  I was a little apprehensive about finding a parking place long enough for the RV and our tow vehicle at the falls, but Bill was confident we wouldn’t have a problem and he was right.  Since it was a weekday and after Labor Day, the parking lot was almost empty.  We walked down to the observation decks at both the upper and middle falls.  It was a lovely falls as the water tumbled over lava cliffs, and we could imagine it being even more spectacular after the spring thaw.

McCloud River upper falls

McCloud River upper falls

McCloud river middle falls

McCloud river middle falls

Sadly as we traveled down toward the park we entered an area devastated by fire with burned hillsides and forest.  We passed a couple trucks burned to the shell as well as some destroyed buildings, but we also saw where many houses had miraculously escaped fire.

We arrived at Manzanita Lake Campground in Lassen Volcanic National Park for a three night dry camping stay.  Lassen is known for mountain scenery reminiscent of Yosemite and geothermal features similar to Yellowstone, but the best thing is this park has only a fraction of the visitors of Yosemite or Yellowstone.  As expected after Labor Day, the campground was sparsely inhabited which was just fine with us.  There were loads of firewood to gather and unlike most state parks who want to sell you firewood, here they did not mind us gathering wood for a campfire.  We enjoyed nice campfires under the stars on two nights, but we were mindful of the extremely dry conditions in the area and were super careful.

Lassen Volcanic National Park was designated a national park in 1916. IMG_20140905_103005  All four types of volcanoes are found in the park (shield, plug dome, cinder cone, and composite) as well as three different types of geothermal features (steam vents, mudpots and hot springs). IMG_2210 IMG_2209 IMG_2208 IMG_2207 Lassen Peak, one of the world’s largest plug dome volcanoes, erupted in 1914 and continued volcanic outbursts for three years.

We stopped by the Visitors Center and watched an excellent movie about the park and the volcanic activity which shaped the landscape.  We purchased an auto tour book so we could learn more about the area as we made the thirty mile drive from south to north through the park.  There were sixteen pullouts where we could view and learn about that area of the park.

Hot Rock, was swept from the summit of Lassen Peak in 1915 by an avalanche and mudflow after an enormous steam explosion on the summit.  It weighs about thirty tons, the weight of a fully loaded semi truck.

30-ton rock placed here during the eruption, five miles from the peak

30-ton rock placed here during the eruption, five miles from the peak

Near Lassen Peak, the road reached 8,511 feet, making it the highest road in the Cascade Mountain range. IMG_2194

Lassen Peak

Lassen Peak

Lake Helen

Lake Helen

Do you see a face?

Do you see a face?

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Juniper Lake

Juniper Lake

Near the south entrance of the park we came to Sulphur Works, the most accessible hydrothermal area in the park.  The steam fumaroles and mudpots are evidence of the continued volcanic activity in the area.  Spring snowmelt and rain soaks into the ground and then percolates downward through cracks and fractures.  Eventually it comes in contact with hot rock and trapped gases.  The water is superheated and rises to the surface as steam.  The hydrogen sulfide gives the area a very strong smell of rotten eggs and the temperatures in the pools have been measured at 196 degrees.

Sulphur Works

Sulphur Works

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We also managed to find four geocaches in the park also!