For the first time in several years, we were down to our core A-Team crew as we descended on the Lassen Volcanic National Park for our annual ski and camping extravaganza. As always we were at the mercy of the road crews to get the road open, and it wasn't until the day we left that we could actually confirm that the road would indeed be open! Therefore, only the core crew was able to jump to it on such short call...John and Stacia, Ryan and Biby, and Me and Josh. But we sure did have a blast! The corn snow was superb, totally smooth and sun-cup free (thanks to the last storm on Memorial Day we surmised) and the camping was gorgeous. Last year we thought we had the best campsite, but this year we topped it! Still located in a free and "primitive" area, right on the creek, but this time we found a lot more tree cover and no obstructions to our creek views and access. It was awesome for sure. A great time was had by all.
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| Biby and Stacia helping Kishka get cozy up in the camp chair...talk about a spoiled dog! | | |
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| We went to great lengths to mark our hidden campsite for our other friends...too bad they never showed up! |
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| John, Ryan, Stacia, Josh, and Katharine getting ready to hit the trail. |
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| Cool frozen pond in the middle of the snow field. |
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| Josh was such a trooper...did the whole hike in huge pain from his broken toe...clearly this is not an event to be missed! |
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| Looking down on Josh from the top of the world! |
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| John and Stacia hiking up near the top. |
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| John and Ryan celebrating a successful summiting. |
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| Yay, Josh made it...good view looking down! |
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| Josh, Stacia, and John smiling after skiing great corn on the top pitch! |
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| The Transues ripping up Lassen! |
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| The final hike out through the rock smash. |
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| Celebrating around the campfire after a great day of skiing...our campsite was so cool with the ring of trees surrounding the campfire ring of rocks. |
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| Pitched our tents right next to the creek. |
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| Such a great spot with no one anywhere nearby! |
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| Ryan gobbling up some soup from his tramp-style bucket! |
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| It doesn't count as burning a flag when it's made in Belgian cardboard right? |
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| Biby and Ryan having a little romantic time while relaxing over the creek. |
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| Day 2 no one else wanted to ski, so I charged up the southwest facing pitch overlooking the parking lot on my own. |
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| 2 laps of some great steep corn snow...it was awesome, and with minimal exertion! |
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| Looking down the top part of the pitch I skied, notice the parking lot way in the distance. |
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| Looking up at the pitch I skied...First lap was just to the top of the snowline on the right, second lap I went all the way to the top of the little snow patch just under the top rocks! |
