LASSEN (Day 5 - part 1)
We grabbed some breakfast at Lily's Restaurant. It was crisp out but sunny. A light dusting of snow now covered Mt. Shasta. We mentioned to our server that we were headed to Lassen. She said there was currently a snow storm there and that we'd need chains. We decided to risk it anyway.
Breakfast
We headed south on Interstate 5. Hedge Creek Falls was located right off the highway so we stopped for a short walk.
Hedge Creek Falls
The 30-foot falls pours over a columnar basalt wall which is the southernmost tip of an ancient lava flow from Mount Shasta. The large cave at its base is common for thick lava flows.
The front ... and back sides of water!
Here the creek becomes part of the Sacramento River. A set of railroad tracks hides just behind the trees and we could hear a train pass.
We turned onto State Route 89 heading east and stopped along the McCloud River, with its three waterfalls.
We began with the Lower Falls. The small cascade was packed with people fishing. Apparently the pools are stocked with trout. The limit was five per day and people were pulling them up constantly.
We then drove up to the Middle Falls. At 50 feet tall and 80 feet across, it was far more impressive.
We made the short walk to the Upper Falls. This section of the river had carved a narrow channel through the volcanic landscape and ended in a short drop.
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