We went looking for Fall color in Lassen National Park today. It was a little early this year, but we found some. The weather has been just a little warm to bring early and spectacular Aspen colors. The leaves are just now starting to change to bright yellow.
We drove from the North entrance toward the South, passing Lake Helen and the Mount Lassen summit (elevation about 8500 Ft). The weather was perfect today. I was thinking how nice it is to be retired. I can pick the days when weather is nice and just go. If I would have had to wait until Sunday to go it might even have been snowing already! (Weather forecast is for cool, chance of rain in Chico on Sunday.)
Our favorite picnic spot and easy hike is at Lake Manzanita. The lake was created a while ago when part of the mountain erupted and created a dam on Manzanita creek. Picture on the left is Manzanita Creek, and picture on the right is Chaos Crags which is the part of the mountain that created the lake.
We saw a beaver in the lake. That's the first time in my entire long life I have seen a beaver in the wild. I've seen lots of evidence that beavers live in one place or another, but never have actually seen a beaver. He (she?) was a cute little thing, not a grown up, and he was carrying a piece of green stuff toward the shore of the lake. What a treat! Also, there were huge Rainbow Trout (wild, not planted), and only two fisherman on the water. It was a good day.