Hwy 89 Through Lassen Park Is Open

[Danny caddyshack Noonan]

Sacto929 and I had our every other Friday off and hit the road again trying to make the odo spin. Keep in mind this is not a belated ride tale from winter. This was Friday the 9th of July.......

Apologies in advance for not shrinking pics. I'm still tired and this place deserves full screen.

Early departure for the 200 mile run to Mt. Lassen (one of my favorite places) and the highest road in the Cascades at 8500 feet. Slab work to get through the valley and to Hwy 32.

Almost at the park and stuck behind a bunch of old cars plated as Horseless Carriages. Good thing they were Horseless otherwise Sacto929 might have gotten roosted. These poor guys were floored and doing under 30.

 

Mix of ash and lava mountainsides makes for truly interesting landscape.

 

Fortunately, this week after Fourth of July did not require chains or snow studs. Lassen in the background! For whatever reasons, this place gets 40+ feet of snow a year. Looks like the vast majority of that is on the south side due to orthographic lifting.

 

 

I've never been in or around the park on this side. Always backpacked in the north east. So we wanted to park the bikes at the top of the road and hike to the peak. Ambitious, yes. This is where I thought the parking lot at the top of the road was.

 

I missed the first entrance from the snowdrifts! We made the second one. Here's Mt. Lassen, the trail to the top is on the right. It's not open to the top yet...

 

Here's a telltale of the weather there in the winter. Look at the tree angles.....

 

 

Just a bit of snow on the sides...In all fairness, they try to keep this open as much as they can all year so the plowdrifts stack. Just to the north, like 20 feet, they close 89.

 

All the ponds on the south side are frozen. Yes south side. 89 has a bunch of construction on the north exit of the park for repaving for a couple miles. Long waits, dusty ride. Stuck behind more old cars.

 

Be advised there was also construction on 89 south of the 70 split that we waited in 100 degree heat for. No movement, no traffic coming the other way. Lots of cars behind. Turned around and came home via 70 and the valley.

[Dave39]

Finally! Great pics. We were planning on riding over it on the return leg of our Seattle tour last month, but learned in Burney that it was still closed, had to scrap that plan and ride around it via Hwys 44 and 36 via Chester.

[longjohn]

Thanks I'll be up there next week.

[Bigfish]

Finally! Great pics. We were planning on riding over it on the return leg of our Seattle tour last month, but learned in Burney that it was still closed, had to scrap that plan and ride around it via Hwys 44 and 36 via Chester.

 

+1

 

Thanks John

[hANNAbONE]

sIRrODNEY & Zig*Zag & Dave Funk & I stayed on the northside of the park. We did the park and found we ran outta time so we stayed at the campsite that started with a "M".

 

very cool frozen lakes and LOADS of SNOW (as per your pics)

 

I actually busted a move back after our 1 night camp stay and the boys (*and Lori) continued northbound for Crater Lake and MOA.

 

Never knew about this park - so it was an awesome find.

 

Thanks for posting it.