Bumpass Hell

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Bumpass Hell in Lassen National Volcanic Park. We had to go there on the strength of the name alone!

The firefighters beat us to breakfast at the hotel, which was hardly worth bothering with anyway. We set off for Lassen, which encompasses Mount Lassen, a volcano which last erupted in 1914, and encompasses areas of both wilderness and geothermal activity. The temperature in Redding was already well into the 80s, but as we climbed up towards the park, it fell until it was down to the mid 60s. Hmm - had we brought a sweater, were we - implausibly - going to be cold?

We drove straight to Bumpass, as the car park is small and fills up fast. You need to trek for about 45 minutes to Bumpass, which is an area of geothermal activity - fumaroles hissing out hydrogen sulphide and superheated steam, boiling mudpools and hot crystalline streams. The signs warn you it is illegal to stray off the boardwalks. A better warning is provided by the eponymous Mr Bumpass after whom the area is named. He and a colleague were hoping to set up a mineral extraction business in the area, until he fell through the thin surface crust and his leg sank into superheated boiling mud. He lost the leg and with it his hopes of a profitable business. We stick carefully to the marked trail. By now the temperature has risen and we are warm, if not a little bit hot.

By the time we return to the car park it is full and two cars are hovering, waiting for us to vacate our space. Amazingly - in a country where cars stop at every intersection and takes turns to ross it - a small fight breaks out behind us. We drive on, stopping to admire the views along the way.

Back in Redding, it has reached 104 degrees fahrenheit. We decide outdoor activity is a hopeless endeavour and retire indoors to rest and read our books, something we have managed surprisingly little of all holiday.

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