10/11 - 10/19 - CA/NV

10/11 - As a reminder, I just had my hot water heater replaced a couple of days ago in Bend, OR.  Everything seems to be dry in the water compartment, so it looks like there are no leaks thankfully.  This morning, I was running water fine, but then the water pump stopped working.  You've got to be kidding me!!!  I don't think they did anything with that, so WTF?  I pulled out the fuse and it looked fine, put it back in, but the pump still didn't work, so I tried another fuse, and that worked.  PHEW!!!  I don't get it.  The old fuse and new fuse seemed to be the same when I checked it with my ancient multi-meter.  

It was super foggy this morning when I got up.  This is my morning window view.

After a short walk with Zoe, we headed over to the visitor center, which was closed due to the shutdown.  That's really a bummer because I learn a lot at visitor centers.  I, along with a father and son team, was reading the information about caving and, of course, it said that you shouldn't go alone.  Also, I wasn't prepared for caving at all and had no helmet or knee pads, but I did have a headlamp.  Sawyer and Jacob said I could join them, which I did for the first few caves.  We did Mushpot (easy), Thunderbolt (difficult, but we didn't go too deep), then we entered Sentinel at the lower entrance and came out the upper entrance (easy).  I did go alone to a couple of other easy ones.  After parting with them, I went to try Golden Dome (intermediate), but there was a group that had just come out and they didn't recommend me going in without proper gear and on my own, so I passed on that and went back to my girl.

Lots of photos of cool formations and I'll try to add some info, but I don't remember all the details...  "The caves are basically Lava tubes, which are the complex vascular system of an eruption.  During the initial stages of a basalt eruption, molten rock floods the landscape.  In areas of steep terrain Laval moves faster, creating a network of tributaries, like arteries in our body, which supply molten material to the farthest reaches of the flow.  The surface of these fast moving torrents of Lava begins to cool and solidify, further insulating the rock below.  When the supply of Lava to a tube stops, it drains, leaving behind the cast or lava tubes."

Entrance of Mushpot cave.  The cave was mostly high enough to stand in, but you definitely had to duck a few times.  The ranger said that the typical injury is scalping.  😂  I wore a tuque just as a layer in between my head and the cave roof.  Not much protection, but thankfully I did OK.  

Lavacicles on the ceiling.  You can see why people get scalped!  These drips formed when the lava began to drain from the tube.  This still molten lava coating the walls began to drip and run before it eventually froze.

This is called a "pull off" (very technical name...)  This happens when the molten lava pulls away without completely detaching.  It's like onion layers.

I forget what this roll type formation is called and why it happens (didn't take a photo of the plaque, grrr.)

Sawyer and Jacob, who toured the first couple of caves with me 

After the caves, Zoe did her pose for the photo opp

Apparently the 72 sq miles of Lava Beds NM is only a fraction (<1/10 th) of the size of the Medicine Lake volcano that created all of this. 800 caves (discovered).

This was a very important smell.  Maybe some prehistoric odor???

Skull Cave - when I arrived, there was one other car here, but before I entered a whole group of teenagers showed up and wrecked my peace and quiet.  They were rude, pushing me out of the way, yelling, and completely unaware of others (though I was the only one).  Grumpy old lady!  LOL!

Icicle.  It was very cold down there!

Fleener Chimneys - hollow spatter cones form when hot gases spew hot lava into the air

I couldn't stop taking photos of this rainbow...

Much of this area was burned, but the dead trees can be beautiful

We found a Hat Creek campground near Lassen Volcanic NP, which was really nice.  I picked a nice site, but then had trouble getting Starlink to connect, so I moved to a less nice site, but I wasn't hanging out outside due to the chilly weather.  Zoe and I had a nice walk along the river, so we enjoyed the spot.  I had stopped just up the road at Cave Campground and wasn't impressed it and then found this one, which just had nicer access to the creek and had nicer sites.

10/12 - I drove up to check out Subway Cave, which was cool (right across the street from Cave Campground that I passed up last night).  

Lava began spewing from deep cracks in the earth some 30,000 years ago.  Rivers of molten, red hot rock flowed northward 16 miles and covered the floor of Hat Creek Valley.  While the top crust colled and hardened, rivers of Lava, insulated by the newly formed rock above, continued to flow.  Eventually the lava drained away, leaving tube-like caves.  

It really does feel like a subway tunnel

This is the floor that is very uneven and was formed as hot lava drained out of the hardened shell, a froth was left behind on the cave floor, which hardened into this.  

Partial collapse - cooling of the solidified lava caused shrinking and cracking which weakened areas where the shell was thin.

Entering Lassen Volcanic NP

Most of the park (that I drove through) was burned

Snow!  8500'

Lake Helen

I took the very popular Bumpass Hell trail a geothermal area.  Though there were lots of cars parked along the road, I got a perfect spot for leaving Zoe in the van.  It was only mid-40s, so she would have been fine, in fact I was worried that she might have been too cold with the windows open and fan on, but she was fine.

This trail is named after Bumpass, who wanted to mine this area as well as turn it into a tourist attraction.  Those dreams were dashed when Bumpass broke through the thin crust into mud that was nearly 240 degrees and severely injured his leg.  This was a good warning to everyone to stay on the trails!

The hottest feature here is Big Boiler where temperatures in this steam vent have been measured as high as 322 degrees, making it one of the hottest fumaroles in the world!

*Flowing lava 2200 F 

*Highest temp recorded in Big Boiler 322 F

*Boiling point of water at sea level 212 F

*2nd hottest feature at Bumpass Hell 200 F

*Boiling point of water at 8200' elevation 196 F

*Common temp for hot tubs 102 F.  

I decided with the acid and the high temps, that taking a soak would be a bad idea.  😂😂

Steep cliff from the trail!  Some people insisted on being on the inside of that trail as we passed each other.  Can't really blame them.

You can hear the boiling

This pool is very acidic and corrosive.  It eats away at the rock lining of the pool, releasing small particles of decomposed rock that give the pool it's murky appearance, along with streams of the outflow.

murky outflow stream.  I wanted to touch it to see if it was hot, but I decided that was a bad idea.

Lassen Peak

My girl was waiting patiently.  Too bad she doesn't enjoy the view!

If you think of volcanoes as mountain builders, glaciers are mountain remodelers.  This lone rock pays tribute to the rearranging forces of glaciers.  Glaciers carve, grind, and excavate mountains.  This rock is called a glacial erratic - a boulder out of context.  The rock I was standing on was smooth and worn by the friction of the glacier that moved over it 18,000 years ago, while the boulder was carried and dropped here by the same glacier.  As the glacier formed and flowed, it plucked the boulder from the mountainside and engulfed the rock into the ice mass.  Gravity moved the ice mass downslope over the surface of the rock and by the time the boulder reached this location, the glacier melted and set the rock at rest here.   I assume this is the same as all the enormous boulders seen around the Adirondacks and VT. 

I am guessing that the orange stuff on the bottom of these trees is fire retardant.

more boiling mud, called a mudpot.  To form it needs heat (from deep within the earth), hydrogen sulfide gas, water, thick layer of volcanic rock, heat loving microorganisms, and minerals.  It's a fascinating process.  Just thinking about the microorganisms that consume gases and help turn the mixture into an acidic marinade.  And the acid breaks down the volcanic rock into clay, creating the clay color.  Am I weird for finding this fascinating?

This looks like a drone shot of a river from far above, doesn't it?

Leaving Lassen.  Very few live trees.

When I was at Lassen, I got a notification that there was a winter storm warning for the next morning.  I'm so glad I got there when I did because the road would likely be closed from the snow (and it was).  When I left there, I headed to Susanville, CA and stayed at the Walmart there.  It's been a long time since I've stayed at a Walmart, so I guess I was due.  I grabbed an amazing Pizza and a beer from Lassen Ale Works Boardroom where I had a good long chat with Adrienne, my server/bartender.  She's from Susanville and is back to help her aging parents, but is eager to do some more exploring.

We took a walk at a park in town and these deer were very interested in Zoe, but Zoe has 0 interest in them, which I suspect is why they find her intriguing.

This buck was particularly interested.

10/13 - I took my time in the morning. We went to the Ace hardware to get a female to female hose connector that I need for my new water fill system, but no such luck.  I had to walk over to Tractor Supply and get one.  It was a good opportunity to walk Zoe since she's allowed in the stores.  From there I headed to Reno to visit Bob and Sherry.

It was really good to see Bob and Sherry again.  It felt super comfortable to be with them and they were super kind and generous with their home.  I'm staying in their house.  This is the first time sleeping out of Big Bertha since I left Eleanor's in Tucson on February 6th!!!   😲

The storm is coming in

Ahhhh.  The comfort of a house. 

On a walk from their house

Boone enjoying the fire from his bed

Zoe enjoying the fire from Boone's bed

10/14 - Zoe was due for Lyme and Bordatella vaccines and I really don't like the right front limp, so I scheduled an appointment with a vet.  They seemed great.  They aren't fear free certified, but they were very fear free like, so that made me happy.  I didn't want to have them take her away from me for the vaccines and blood draw, so they did it in "our cabin", but they did take her for the x-rays.  They said she did great (but they likely always say that!).

Instead of exam rooms, they had these cute little cabins.  Only in CA.  LOL.

Our cabin

Zoe was getting a little impatient - oh, maybe that was me!

They were very nice, but the price tag was crazy.  Visit, vaccines, blood work, x-rays, radiologist to read x-rays - about $1300!!!  Damn, Zoe, I love you, but seriously???  So, though I was totally shocked, I said yes, and we proceeded.  What's a girl supposed to do??  She gave me a new med (Amandtadine HCL - supposedly blocks pain receptors) and told me to give her gabapentin.  Since I'm writing this a bit later, I won't leave you in suspense, though I haven't actually spoken to the vet yet.  Apparently, her kidney numbers are elevated and urine wasn't very concentrated indicating kidney disease.  I guess it isn't surprising since she's been on Apoquel since I got her.  Every time I tried to reduce what I gave her, her ears started to get irritated, so I just gave up and kept giving it to her.  Probably not a great idea.  Anyway, she said (this is all in a voicemail) that I should start her on a kidney diet and then we should retest her in 3 months.  Kidney food is low in protein and I've been giving her high protein food forever.  Maybe my vet should have recommended a senior food a while back??  

Dr Soltana also said that the radiologist saw something in her right elbow, but then her message was cut off.  I tried to get in touch with her, but no luck.  

After the vet, I took Zoe for a walk and then to a pet store for a bath.  She was so dirty and I didn't want her in Bob and Sherry's house like that.  She did great and felt so clean afterwards!!!  I wish I could keep her this clean!

A well deserved rest after a busy, stressful day

10/15 - My turn for an appointment.  I had a dermatology appointment for a basic skin check and a couple of items I questioned.  I wouldn't say I was concerned, but I wondered about them.  She ended up doing a biopsy on a thing on my cheek, which turned out to be nothing.  Phew.  And the scar looks like it will heal pretty well.

The next morning - snow on the mountains

After the appointment, I went to the Auto museum in Reno.  It was very cool.  I started out reading all the plaques, but then realized I'd never get out of there if I kept doing that.  I really enjoyed it.

After I got back, Sherry and I went into town with the pups.

Very artistic bicycle rack!

When we got back, we made an amazing red Thai curry salmon dish.  They have a ton of salmon that they shipped back from Alaska.  I would have done the same had I had somewhere to ship it!

Bob just had shoulder surgery the day before and is doing great.

Someone decided to get on the furniture...

10/16 - I did laundry, cleaned the van, baked 2 Bundt cakes for a pumpkin cake for a party on Saturday.  

Dinner at Whispering Vine - very good!!!  I had brisket sliders and they were phenomenal!  Great $20 bottle of wine too.  

10/17 - We assembled the gorgeous pumpkin cake!  Both Sherry and I had an addiction to candy corn, so we had to be careful with an open bag around!

Teamwork!

Bob, Sherry, and I went for a walk.  Bob's first outing since his surgery.

Boone in his basket that traveled with us from Carcross, BC!

Kim and Mark are staying tonight and we had another amazing salmon dinner.

10/18 - No Kings Day!!  I went on my own and did not have a sign, but I was a body and voice.  It's always good to be among like minded people.  I really cannot believe where we are today and that the republican congress continues to support him.  And now, tearing down with East Wing of the White House?  The things he does and gets away with are just baffling to me.  Ugh.  Enough of that!

Kim and Mark's flight got cancelled, so they stayed another night.  We went out for BBQ and then to a local restaurant/wine bar to listen to music.  Both Sherry and I had the same Ugh reaction when we walked in.  The guys voice left a lot to be desired.  I can't remember the song, but fortunately, he was much better after that and we really enjoyed the evening.  

10/19 - After a lovely and relaxing 6 days, it's finally departure day.  I hadn't planned to stay so long, but I really enjoyed Bob and Sherry, and their friends, and it just felt really good to chill out in a house and have a nice roomy, very comfortable bed.  My bed is comfortable, but it's not the same as a bed where I can fully stretch out without hitting the windows.  Also, when I realized it was No Kings Day, I wanted to stay to attend that.  

From here I'm heading to Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe - the color is as blue as Crater Lake.  Tahoe is over 1700' deep, which Crater Lake is over 1900' deep.  

I left Zoe in the van while I took a hike to Monkey Rock, when after I took Zoe for an easy walk.  Dogs are allowed on the trail, but she couldn't have done it as it was fairly steep.  

The turquoise near the shore and the intense blue further out just mesmerizes me

Rock lounger

I wasn't sure where I was going to stay for the night and hadn't planned to have to head back north after Lake Tahoe, but I decided to go to Washoe Lake State Park Campground, which is in or just north of Carson City.