Snowshoeing at Lassen Volcanic National Park

My roommates and I spent our New Years Eve weekend escaping to a quiet cabin near Lassen. I’d only seen a little bit of Lassen, and that was mostly a burn area in the summer, so I was excited to check out the snow covered version of the park. We arrived early enough on our first day to squeeze in a short snowshoe before sunset. We did an out and back on the PCT for a couple of miles, which was about a mile from the cabin. Megan got to try her feet at snowshoeing for the first time, and Baxter the doggo was extra excited to be bounding through the snow. I was only a little jealous of his ability to float on top of the snow without big heavy things on his feet.

Forest Lake Trail

Our first full day out was in the park itself. We got a late start so didn’t make it all the way to our destination for the day (Forest Lake). Still, we got some great late-afternoon mountain light on our way back to the car.

We were lucky enough to get a dusting of snow at the cabin overnight, so I had my fingers crossed that we’d get some freshly dusted trees for our snowshoe the next day.

Sulphur Works and Ridge Lakes

The second day at Lassen definitely stole the show. We parked at the Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center ($10 fee/week) and made our way along the road up to Sulphur Works. The road was well traveled with packed snow, to the point that we didn’t need snowshoes. Sulphur Works is only about a mile from the parking lot with minimal elevation gain, so it’s a popular day hike destination.

After a short stop at Sulphur Works, we strapped on our snowshoes continued on to Ridge Lakes. The snow was soft and fluffy and we basically had the trail to ourselves – we only saw 4 people on our way up, which was surprising since it was a holiday weekend. It seems like most people turn around at Sulphur Works, which makes sense if you’re not up for working up a sweat. The trail from Sulphur Works to Ridge Lakes is a steady incline almost the entire time, with some added bonus steepness near the end to keep you on your toes (or on your ass). It was absolutely gorgeous with all of that fresh snow.

The lakes were covered in untouched snow. One of them is hiding in that empty area in the last photo above. Our early(ish) start meant we’d had our final destination to ourselves. Peeeerfect! By the time we left Ridge Lakes, there were quite a few groups making their way up. The early birds get the trail to themselves.

Heading back to the car was quick and easy since it was 95% downhill. The Ridge Lakes day was definitely the most physically challenging day, but very doable with an easy to follow trail.

Lassen inspired me to spend an unnecessary amount of money on my first pair of snowshoes, the women’s version of the MSR Lightning Ascent. I hope there’s a new adventure in my near future: snow backpacking!