Lassen Volcanic National Park; Oct 1st, 2025

 Last night sleeping in the Airstream was very quiet, and I would like to believe that I had a good night's sleep. I woke up around 7 a.m., per the daily protocol. I put my stuff together and was ready to leave for my next destination.

While checking out, I looked at the host binders and had the curiosity to read people’s notes. One specific thing caught my attention: a poem by Mary Oliver, very relatable, powerful, and meaningful. I absolutely loved it (picture below).

I drove to the nearest gas station, filled up, and bought a sausage and a coffee. For some reason, gas station coffee always feels the best. It was Tuesday, a typical working day, and people were going about their daily lives. It was time to leave this lovely town of 800 people. I enjoyed every moment here, perhaps because it was so quiet. I didn’t find a single human on the beach after spending almost an hour there yesterday.

The drive to Lassen Volcanic National Park was almost four hours, which I was okay with as long as I got there by 11 a.m. Based on the research I had done, there wasn’t much to do at Lassen except hiking Lassen Peak, which was my goal. Most of my drive was through Trinity National Forest.

California is so rich in so many ways that it has extensive forests due to its diverse geography, varied climate, and unique environmental conditions that support different ecosystems. The beauty of this state includes mountainous regions like the Sierra Nevada, redwoods, coastal strips, and so much wildlife, not to mention the beach life and all the nightlife in cities like LA. So many reasons why it’s one of the most expensive states in the U.S.

The weather throughout the drive was unpredictable, mainly cloudy, sometimes rainy, foggy, and even sunny.

Before approaching the park and leaving the forest, I could tell how the landscape was changing as I started seeing a lot of volcanic rocks. The government had shut down as of this morning, according to the news. I arrived at the visitor center at 11 a.m. As expected, it was closed, and not even a map was available. Visitors didn’t seem to know what they were up to, and there was no connection. I started driving through the park looking for a sign to take me to Lassen Volcanic.

I stopped briefly at Manzanita Lake, but the weather wasn’t clear enough to see any views. It was cold, windy, and cloudy, and I could see evidence of snow. I didn’t have a good feeling about this weather. It took me almost 40 minutes to reach the Lassen Volcanic parking lot. I couldn’t find anyone else there except a service car and a family (a couple and their son) who seemed to be getting ready to climb up.

I asked, “Are you guys planning to go up?” They nodded and said yes. I threw some extra excitement in the air and said, “Yes, let’s do this!” I started putting on layers and getting my backpack ready.

I had many arguments with myself about whether I should take my snow hiking shoes or my regular light sneakers. Thankfully, I decided on the snowshoes; I would thank myself later.

I hit the trail a little before noon. It was almost dark, foggy, cloudy, and cold. I bravely started hiking up. After about half a mile, I met the family again. I jokingly said I didn’t plan for this weather. They were cautious with their son, who seemed to be about 12 years old. They were moving slowly and very carefully due to the strong winds.

As I reached the first mile, the wind grew stronger, and the snow became deeper, in some areas, over two feet. By 1:30 p.m., when I had climbed almost two miles, it was extremely windy, the strongest wind I have ever experienced. It was cold and icy. My progress wasn’t as fast as I wanted, but I didn’t stop. I kept going, even though I realized I wasn’t ready for this mission, mainly due to not having the proper gear.

I could barely see the trail, though thankfully, it seemed some people had hiked it earlier. The trail fence was heavily coated in thick ice formations that had built up in one direction from the strong, consistent wind and freezing temperatures.

Eventually, I met two hikers going down. They only said, “It’s brutal up there.” I replied, “I got this.”

By about 2:00 p.m., I arrived at a point where there were four exhibit panels fully covered with ice. I thought this was the peak, but I wasn’t convinced. I couldn’t see any more of the trail due to the snow and limited visibility. I needed a break, a snack, and a few moments without feeling like I’d be blown away by the wind.

I found some security on a nearby large rock, sheltered there for a few minutes, looked at my phone, and yes, I was right; this point wasn’t the peak. The peak was about 0.3 miles ahead. Even though I was counting every step, I decided to go for it.

Honestly, it was extremely difficult to navigate the trail in this weather, checking my phone, pushing through the snow, but I made it eventually. I took some photos, yelled and shouted as loud as I could on top of that brutal mountain, celebrating my own unknown mystery achievement, then started hiking back as quickly as I could.

I was lucky to have brought my scarf, which protected my face from freezing. I’ve had this scarf for at least ten years; sometimes things have hidden purposes. So many times, I’ve looked at it and wanted to donate it.

I was back at the parking lot by almost 3 p.m. I met the same family again; they were still coming down since they had decided to turn around. I told them that was a very smart decision. I also met a group of teenagers with their parents. I told them about the conditions up there, but they didn’t seem convinced. I hope they turned around; they didn’t seem equipped enough, unlike the two other guys I met later at the parking lot, who looked extremely professional, wearing all the gear this weather requires. I told them, “You guys are more than ready for it, unlike me.” I wished them good luck.

In the lot, people were coming and checking out the map, but I didn’t see anyone else attempting it. I made some tea, much needed, ate some fig cookies, and started driving out of the park.

I thanked nature, despite the harsh conditions, for allowing me to come back safely. Now I know how people die on top of mountains.

There was so much burned forest in this park. I stopped at a few overlook viewpoints; the weather was beautiful down below the mountains, clouds dancing over the landscape, amazing nature views, and sunshine on the other side.

Some info about Lassen Peak: it is also commonly referred to as Mount Lassen. It’s a 10,457-foot (3,187 m) lava dome volcano, the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range of the Western United States. It supports many flora and fauna among its diverse habitats, which reach high elevations and are subject to frequent snowfall. Lassen Peak has a volume of 0.6 cu mi (2.5 km³), making it one of the largest lava domes on Earth. Hike distance: 6 miles.

I started driving toward Yosemite National Park, thinking of my crazy journey, which I didn’t expect to unfold this way. The drive to Yosemite was 5 hours and 41 minutes. I stopped in Red Bluff for gas and snacks, then kept driving. I was in Sacramento around 6:33 p.m. with the sunset.

I almost stopped and got a hotel for the night, but I’m glad I decided to keep driving to get as close to Yosemite as possible. I liked almost everything about California, except its traffic and drivers’ behavior. I do not wish to live in a city with such horrible traffic.

I arrived at the Groveland Motel in the town of Groveland, just an hour away from Yosemite Valley. I was very glad I was able to get a place. The motel was low-rated; the old lady told me to check the room first, which was unusual. It was old, stinky, and not very clean, but I was tired (well, very tired), and it was 9 p.m. I needed rest. I took the room, showered, ate some snacks since all restaurants were closed, and decided to sleep, and yes, I slept in my sleeping bag instead of using this stinky place’s covers.

The drive from Copperopolis to Groveland was very tiring; it was mainly uphill in the mountains, and there was an Amazon truck barely moving. I was out of patience. There was no connection for music or even radio. But overall, it was a day to be very thankful for… cheers.