In early July or so, my friend Ken mentioned that there is/was an astronomy night held in mid-August at Lassen Volcanic National Park that we might like to attend. I’d never camped at Lassen and the prospect of seeing the heavens with little or no light pollution appealed to me, so I readily agreed. Besides, I needed a destination for my August camping trip ;-)
Ken’s research discovered that the astronomy event wasn’t happening any more, but we decided to go camping there anyway. Ken is a fly fisherman, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to get some exposure to fly fishing. So we agreed on some open dates and some optimum locations, and I went online to book a campsite. I found that we could get a campsite at Manzanita Lake for our mid-week trip and made the reservation.
As Ken and I talked about the trip, he expressed a desire to take his 16 foot fiberglass canoe. Since my Subaru Forester has a factory roof rack, I agreed and we spend a Saturday making some “locating pegs” to keep the boat from sliding sideways on the rack. I went to Ken’s a few days before our departure and we loaded the canoe on the car.
On departure day, Ken arrived with his gear, which included more stuff than I was prepared for. I hadn’t considered the additional gear required for canoeing and fly fishing. We also brought an enormous amount of food. After an hour of arranging and rearranging the gear in the car and teardrop, we were off.
A stop for breakfast in Pleasanton prepared us for the long drive and we hit the highway just behind the morning rush hour. A pleasant 5-1/2 hour drive put us at the Northwest entrance to the park in mid-Afternoon. The campsite we had chosen on the ‘net turned out to be a pull-through that put the teardrop a long way from the picnic table and “bear box.” Since using the bear box for our food storage was mandatory, we decided to set up the kitchen at the picnic table and not use the teardrop galley except for the ice box for our beer and other beverages. Cooking at the table turned out to be a good idea, it allowed us to spread out more than the galley would have, and we needed the space. Our dinners were much more elaborate than I make when camping alone.
Camp kitchen at Manzanita Lake
Manzanita Lake is considered by some to be “the perfect lake.” The water is very clear and the lake is relatively shallow for most of its area, so you can clearly see the logs and snags left when the valley was cleared and the dam built to create the lake. The clarity of the water also allows you to see the fish as they swim by. The still water and position of the lake makes it popular with photographers seeking views of Lassen Peak.
Manzanita Lake with Lassen Peak Reflected
We spent an afternoon fishing from the dam at the west end of the lake. For about 45 minutes we watched a 12-15″ brown trout patrol his “beat” along the face of the dam. He came by us every 5-7 minutes with great regularity and precision. He even passed on the same side of the reeds every time. Unfortunately he wasn’t interested in any of the flies Ken dropped on the surface just in front of him. Once he even rose to inspect the fly before moving on in search of his dinner. Later another fisherman reminded us that “these fish have seen more fishermen than we’ve seen fish.”
An afternoon and an evening spent fishing from the canoe confirmed that, while there are lots of fish in Manzanita Lake, many have been caught and released, and others are just wary because of the popularity of the spot for fishing. We may not have been successful at fishing, but the sunset photography was very good.
Sunset over Manzanita Lake
That’s a bat skimming over the surface of the lake catching insects. The lake is even more popular with the bats than with the local fishermen :)
The next day, we ventured forth for a little sight seeing across the park. We stopped at all the “scenic spots” including the “Hot Rock,” a boulder that stayed warm for weeks after the eruption. We stopped at Kings Creek and the Upper Meadow for our lunch. It’s a very beautiful spot, but was overrun with mosquitoes, repellent for which we forgot to bring :(
A beautiful alpine meadow and stream
Just beyond the peak, we stopped at Helen Lake to admire the deep azure blue of the lake. The sky was very blue, and reflected in the blue-tinted waters of the lake the effect was stunning.
Helen Lake
Just after I took this picture, a bunch of young people jumped into the icy water, disturbing the perfect reflection. And disturbing their sanity as well, I’m sure.
We headed home the next day, but decided to “take the long way home,” leaving the park by the Southwest Gate and following Highway 89 south through Quincy to Trukee, then I-80 home. It was a long drive, adding over 100 miles and three hours to the trip home, but the scenery was great as we followed the crest of the Sierras south to Donner Pass.