Picture of the week

Painted Dunes

The Painted Dunes of Lassen Volcanic National Park.  These unusually colored hills are formed from volcanic rock that have progressed through erosion by the weather into finer grained material.  I photographed these last week from the top of the Cinder Cone volcano during a visit to the more remote northeast corner of Lassen. Climbing up this 700 foot peak was more difficult than I expected, in comparison to the climb up Lassen Peak that morning.  This is because the trail to the top was very steep at an angle of about 25 degrees, and based on very loose fine grained basaltic rock. For every step you took forward, it seemed like you would slide back 1/2 a step.  I had to also stop multiple times in order to clear the rocks out of my low-top boots. 

Of the various locations I have explored in Lassen Park, this is one of my favorites for photography. The opportunities in and around the Cinder Cone, including the bird's eye view of the Painted Dunes below were spectacular. I was also fortunate to get some good clouds to help with the lighting that evening.  For the best results it is best to camp overnight at the nearby Butte campground. I was tempted to stay an extra day for extra exploration of these dunes if it wasn't for my sore knee still in recovery from an injury on my previous southwest canyoneering trip. After a couple of days of more hiking than I should have, it was starting to get painful again, needing a break to better heal. Next time out here I will bring a hiking pole and some taller boots.

All content and images are property of Stephen Fischer Photography, copyright 2014.  Last updated: 7/13/2014   ()