Mt. Lassen & Lava Beds camping and hiking: 4 days 3 nights

Please don't use the Meetup map link above. I have a link to an accurate Google map at the bottom of this description.

Please read completely before you RSVP.http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/b/9/5/event_30607061.jpeg

Part "road trip," part hiking. We'll spend Saturday hiking on Mt. Lassen, then a "road trip" to Lava Beds to explore the caves there.

You can probably sneak out of work early Friday and still arrive in time (it's about four hours from San Francisco, and "get out of town" traffic may be bad on Friday afternoon). I recommend have dinner in your car/on the road unless you are able to get out early Friday afternoon.

Last year we had too much snow to be able to hike to the summit, but we had a good time anyway. We'll likely have a big group; the camping area has lots of space for tents to spread out.

We'll visit Lassen Volcanic National Park, then Lava Beds National Monument in the northeastern corner of California. Lava Beds is one of the hidden gems of California (takes quite a while to get there from almost anywhere), but it's worth a visit! This trip is a camping trip (two to three nights); sorry but there there are no hotels near where we are staying.

To RSVP you must pay a non-refundable $25 for the campsites. If something comes up and you can't make it, you can see if there is a waiting list and "sell" your space to someone on the list. The campsite is "rustic" with vault toilets and no showers (click here for more details (http://www.recreation.gov/campgroundDetails.do?topTabIndex=CampingSpot&contractCode=NRSO&parkId=74049)). There is a lake a short drive away with swimming.

Everyone is responsible for the cost of their own food and transportation, (carpooling is recommended, since we don't have unlimited parking in the campsite).

Itinerary:

Friday:

Try to leave the Bay Area around mid-day. It's possible to leave late afternoon, although it's about four hours of driving to get to the campground. Camp at Lassen Volcanic National Park: Lost Creek Group campground (about 17 miles past the park entrance, most of the way through the park on Highway 89.) Saturday:

Comfortably early rise and breakfast. Drive to trailhead, then hike to Lassen Peak (hike is about two miles and 2,000 feet of elevation gain; the trail itself isn't that beautiful (http://www.nps.gov/lavo/parknews/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=430019), but the views are spectacular--and where else can you climb to the top of a 10,000 feet mountain in just two miles?). Anyone who's not up for "summitting" can easily occupy their time visiting the hydrothermal vents, lakes, and short trails in the area. Explore the hydrothermal areas along the highway. Dinner and continued camping at Lost Creek Group campground. Perhaps some stargazing after the sun goes down (bring telescope and/or binoculars if you have them--although the trees block much of the sky at the campground). Sunday:

http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/4/8/d/4/event_12498644.jpegRise early and drive to Lava Beds (about 3 hours) Explore the caves on Cave Loop Road. Caves range from that that are simple walk down and stand upright to those you need to crawl on your belly. We'll focus on the easier caves, but any daring souls are welcome to try more difficult caves.
Lunch during the caving (although not in the caves!) Drive back to Lost Creek Group campground. Dinner at campground. Monday:

Rise early, breakfast, and leave for home. Some may want to hike more in the park, but we'll officially end after breakfast.
Possible slight detour through Redding to see the Turtle Island Exploration Park (http://www.turtlebay.org/), including the amazing glass pedestrian bridge on our way home, depending on people's schedules. Camping:

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: I have reserved two group sites that can hold six cars and up to 50 people. I set the limit at 40, thinking three per car and maybe an extra car or two squeezed in. If we get a waiting list, we can see if we can get more people carpooling.

Campsites have bear cabinets for food; make sure you store all your food away in bear and rodent proof storage facilities.

Weather/Temperatures:

Mt. Lassen in August has average high/lows of 94/61 F, so be prepared for hot days and cold nights (although the caves are always cool, even on hot days).

Food:

Everyone is responsible for their own food. We can probably coordinate sharing stoves, and you're welcome to try to coordinate with others on your own if you want to share food, but this has been difficult in the past.

Driving:

Let's try to carpool as much as possible. If you can offer a ride, please say so in your RSVP (including your hometown). Ditto if you need a ride.

Cell phone coverage:

Verizon, Sprint, AT&T; I doubt it's going to matter. We'll be so far away from civilization that there may not be any cell phone reception (there was none in the campground in 2011).

Map:

Here's a Google map I created that shows most of our trip, including drive times from the Bay Area (well, Berkeley http://img2.meetupstatic.com/981263258369601089/img/smileys/smile.gif): http://goo.gl/maps/FeAq

Fees:

I'm charging $25 each which will cover your camping fees, but not park entrance fees ($10/car for each park, so Lassen and Lava Beds, = $20/car). If you're bringing your family, maximum price for a car-full is $75 (RSVP for you plus two guests, then in the RSVP Notes let me know if you are bringing more).

Carpooling, meal sharing, and other collaboration:

In July, I'll create a Google Document and share it with all those attending. Members can use this for sharing information about carpools, meal-sharing, etc.

Links:

Spring Snow Removal video (http://www.youtube.com/user/LassenNPS#p/u/0/o54EeVIVHvg) Lassen Hydrothermal Area web page (http://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/exploring-the-hydrothermal-areas.htm) Lava Beds Geology brochure (http://www.nps.gov/labe/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=158325) Lava Beds Cave brochure (http://www.nps.gov/labe/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=158316)