Cold mountain lakes, deep pine forests and golden domed lava tubes. A study in contrast!

Robert G. Nulph
Jun 18, 2022
4 min read

The drive to Lake Tahoe is an examination of the extremes in California. When I left San Francisco it was a balmy low 70's. As I drove across the state, the temperature continued to rise. At one point in the Valley it was 103˚! As I rode the switchbacks on my way to Tahoe, the temperature began to decline and once there it was quite nice and in the 60's.

The lake is amazing. Yes there are casinos and shows and all the amenities, restaurants or whatever else you would need but more interesting to me was the deep blue lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains, the crystal clear water, and the giant boulders that create an interesting mosaic along the shore. I spent much of the second day there just relaxing along the shore, dipping my feet in the ice-cold water and enjoying the solitude - one of the huge benefits of traveling this time of year. I was also able to capture a sunset although Mother Nature didn't help much, deciding instead to place a bank of clouds above the mountains so I could not see the true sunset.

The next day I headed to Emerald Bay and explored that area with a short hike to another small alpine lake nearby (Lily Lake - top right).

Tahoe is surrounded by mountains, deep pine forests and hundreds a small to medium-sized alpine lakes. It would take a long time to explore it all.

One very nice hike was to Eagle Lake (bottom Right). It was a beautiful day to spend amongst the pines of Eastern California (The South and West side of Lake Tahoe is in California - the rest in Nevada.)

After leaving Tahoe, I decided to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Unfortunately 65% of the park was damaged by the Dixie Forest Fire last year so there was a lot of dead, burnt areas throughout the park. I did get lucky in that I got there the first day the road through the park was opened! It is extremely high elevation and the snowplows at times are cutting through 30' drifts. Lassen Peak is a dormant volcano and there is still a significant amount of volcanic activity with mud pots and other geothermal features throughout the park. Most of the trails were closed and the area damaged by the fire was also closed so there was not much to see beyond the drive through he park - but it was still a great way to revisit winter and see some wonderful geological formations as well as alpine and subalpine forests.

After spending the afternoon at Lassen Volcanic NP, I traveled to Klamath Falls in Oregon. There I relaxed and recharge my batteries. The Running Y Resort where I stayed was very nice and I was able to have some real quiet time relaxing amongst the pines that surrounded my balcony.

While there I drove north a bit and explored Crater Lake National Park - the part I could reach. It was still quite snow-covered and only the Visitor's Center and Discovery Point was open.

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the US at 1,949 ft. It is totally fed by rain and snow runoff and is one of the purest lakes in the world. It was formed when a massive volcano erupted 7,700 years ago and the center of the volcano collapsed. In this image taken many miles from the lake, You can see the "mountains" that are really just part of the massive volcano. Imagine The left and right peaks below joined in a huge 14 thousand plus foot mountain. Its closest rival would be Mount Shasta which I visited a few days later and you will soon see.

Always being someone who likes contrast, I decided to go from the winter wonderland of Crater Lake to the desert moonscape of Lava Beds National Monument in Northern California. Both are about an hour or so from Klamath Falls.

Lava Beds National Monument is entirely covered by the Medicine Lake shield volcano. There are vast lava fields, and a rugged volcanic landscape dotted with diverse volcanic features. There are more than 800 caves which you can explore on your own (with a permit from the visitor's center) and a high desert landscape that is fascinating! I did a few of the shorter caves - which are really lava tubes with amazing mineral deposits and the beginnings of stalagmites and stalactites. Had I been with someone, I may have explored some of the caves more. I took advantage of a new headlamp I just happened to have bought for the trip and was pleased to find few people - so lots of time to quietly explore without feeling pushed. On one desert trail I was all alone for a long time.

Closeup of the roof in Golden Dome Cave. In the gallery above, the two images in the third row are wider shots of this amazing mineral deposit decorated ceiling.

Chocolate Cave left you feeling like you were in the middle of a fudge ripple candy!

The Garden Bridges give you a good look at the inside with daylight. Every cave was unique in the variety of minerals and colors as well as formations. A very interesting place!