Bumpass Hell in nearby Lassen Park is just a short hike off the main highway. Fleeing the hot summer days in the valley below can lead to a different kind of heat. Geothermal.
The trail leads to a magical part of the Caldera of long vanished Mt Tehama. Walking in, we met people from Belgium, Germany, Australia, and Japan. We are reminded this is a world class hike, so near to home. Bumpass Hell is named after a man who was burned walking where he shouldn’t. Hell, indeed, Mr. Bumpass.
Fumarole vents and boiling water are evidence that you are near the powerful forces deep in the earth. Sulfurous gases vent with a roar.
It’s beautiful and sort of terrifying all at once.
This bird didn’t seem to mind any of it. Did life itself spring from primeval cauldrons like these?
