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Lassen National Park trip March 24-25 2018
So like many of my trips Planning is fairly non existent outside of choosing a date and possible activities. This trip would be no exception to the rule. Mother Nature has ways of saying you can't go there at this time of year. Our original thought was the Sierras between Tahoe and Yosemite for camping and snowshoeing . Then this Winter storm thing called a pineapple express/ atmospheric river happened and took dead aim at where we wanted to go. They got 10 feet of snow in two days with an icy layer mid pack. Extreme avalanche danger we took a pass
Plan B The storm was much less of an issue to the north so we looked there. That was Wednesday night. Hey I hadn't been to Lassen since the early 1980s and Corey had never been there. NPS website said we could camp in the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center at the SW corner of the park in an RV during the winter. Decision made.
The initial forecast was for 18" of snow an temps in the single digits so we drained our water systems, added insulation to the windows and skylights, grabbed a 3rd propane tank to take along and added some down comforters to the beds.
Friday after work We met at the local Market to stock up and hit the road. We made it about half way to Lassen before being up since 4 am caught up with me and and we pulled in for the night at the Denigan Rest area on I5 just north of the 505 junction. Safe spot, Sheriffs came and went all night. Its is noisy as all get out as you are less than 100' from the highway. Thankfully my wife keeps a stash of earplugs to deaden the drone of my snoring and I raided them. don't leave home without some.
Saturday morning we headed out and fueled up in Red Bluff and headed up hwy 36 towards Lassen. we hit rain then snow before we hit the left turn onto 89 into the park and we switched into 4wd until we hit the park. 89 is closed between the northern and southern visitor centers in winter but it is open to the southern Visitor Center from 36 and the northern Visitor center from 44. the only camping is at the southern VC.
Camping in your TC is in the Visitor Center parking lot for $10 ($5 if you are over 62) and they ask that you park in the center pull throughs in the lot so that the morning snowplow can clear the rest of the area. One cool thing is that the visitor center has two sets of front doors. after closing for the night the outer set is left unlocked so that campers may use the centers restrooms. They also leave the wifi on so you do have internet access. We did all of our excursions from the Visitor center
Fuel is available 30 miles west or east of the park boundary but I would advise you to fill up before heading up from the valley in case of power failures in a storm.
If you go count on being self reliant on the trails. carry food, emergency shelters, shovels water GPS, Flashlight. first aid kit etc be prepared to deal with things on your own if the brown stuff hits the fan.
We had a blast, it was well worth the 5 hour drive each way from the bay area. I will say this our legs were fried after 4 hours of snowshoeing on Saturday and 5.5 hours on Sunday. Our legs were cramping up on the drive home and we had to stop 3 times just to stretch and walk them out.
Enjoy the photo album it is fairly close to chronological order
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2062832187067114&type=1&l=a38648a987
Lassen National Park trip March 24-25 2018
So like many of my trips Planning is fairly non existent outside of choosing a date and possible activities. This trip would be no exception to the rule. Mother Nature has ways of saying you can't go there at this time of year. Our original thought was the Sierras between Tahoe and Yosemite for camping and snowshoeing . Then this Winter storm thing called a pineapple express/ atmospheric river happened and took dead aim at where we wanted to go. They got 10 feet of snow in two days with an icy layer mid pack. Extreme avalanche danger we took a pass
Plan B The storm was much less of an issue to the north so we looked there. That was Wednesday night. Hey I hadn't been to Lassen since the early 1980s and Corey had never been there. NPS website said we could camp in the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center at the SW corner of the park in an RV during the winter. Decision made.
The initial forecast was for 18" of snow an temps in the single digits so we drained our water systems, added insulation to the windows and skylights, grabbed a 3rd propane tank to take along and added some down comforters to the beds.
Friday after work We met at the local Market to stock up and hit the road. We made it about half way to Lassen before being up since 4 am caught up with me and and we pulled in for the night at the Denigan Rest area on I5 just north of the 505 junction. Safe spot, Sheriffs came and went all night. Its is noisy as all get out as you are less than 100' from the highway. Thankfully my wife keeps a stash of earplugs to deaden the drone of my snoring and I raided them. don't leave home without some.
Saturday morning we headed out and fueled up in Red Bluff and headed up hwy 36 towards Lassen. we hit rain then snow before we hit the left turn onto 89 into the park and we switched into 4wd until we hit the park. 89 is closed between the northern and southern visitor centers in winter but it is open to the southern Visitor Center from 36 and the northern Visitor center from 44. the only camping is at the southern VC.
Camping in your TC is in the Visitor Center parking lot for $10 ($5 if you are over 62) and they ask that you park in the center pull throughs in the lot so that the morning snowplow can clear the rest of the area. One cool thing is that the visitor center has two sets of front doors. after closing for the night the outer set is left unlocked so that campers may use the centers restrooms. They also leave the wifi on so you do have internet access. We did all of our excursions from the Visitor center
Fuel is available 30 miles west or east of the park boundary but I would advise you to fill up before heading up from the valley in case of power failures in a storm.
If you go count on being self reliant on the trails. carry food, emergency shelters, shovels water GPS, Flashlight. first aid kit etc be prepared to deal with things on your own if the brown stuff hits the fan.
We had a blast, it was well worth the 5 hour drive each way from the bay area. I will say this our legs were fried after 4 hours of snowshoeing on Saturday and 5.5 hours on Sunday. Our legs were cramping up on the drive home and we had to stop 3 times just to stretch and walk them out.
Enjoy the photo album it is fairly close to chronological order
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2062832187067114&type=1&l=a38648a987
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