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Monday, August 14 - West Prospect Peak Fire Lookout
First of three scenic Syncro trips – West Prospect Peak Fire Lookout. This will be the shortest outing of the week and we’ll likely be done to have time for other activities, like kayaking on Butte Lake. We’ll pass by the gas station at Old Station before returning to camp. Trail Description - Excerpted from Backcountry Adventures Northern California. by Peter Massey and Jeanne Wilson Buy this book if you plan to do any exploring in Northern California. It's terrific! Northern Sierra Route #45 - West Prospect Peak Trail Total Mileage: 11.1 miles (one-way) Driving Time: 1 hour (one-way) Elevation Range: 4800-8000 ft. Difficulty Rating: 1 Scenic Rating: 9 Special Attractions:
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Syncro design by NRWSTR.com
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History
The final climb to West Prospect Peak provides an excellent opportunity to observe a volcanic landscape. Between 1914 and 1921, Lassen Peak exploded in a series of eruptions. In 1915, locals witnessed a massive eruption that sent a 7-mile-high cloud of steam and ash into the stratosphere. A national park was established in 1916 to preserve the landscape resulting from this dramatic activity. Lassen Peak was then the most recently active volcano in the contiguous United States, a title it held until Washington’s Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. Varying degrees of recovery can be seen across this explosive landscape of lava beds, cinder cones, and steaming hot springs. Conifers are returning to some areas, and in some regions different kinds of trees have established themselves than were there prior to the eruptions. The cinder cones southeast of West Prospect Peak have seen little re-growth since the eruptions.
Prospect Peak, a conical and slightly higher peak immediately southeast of West Prospect Peak, was the site of a fire lookout from 1912 to 1935. In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed a 10-foot-tall enclosed structure just outside the national park boundary on West Prospect Peak. Today’s tower, at an elevation of 8172 ft., is still in service. The fire spotter can watch over an area of more than 200,000 acres, including Lassen National Forest to the north and Lassen Volcanic National Park to the south.
Description
This graded gravel road travels through Lassen National Forest and climbs to West Prospect Peak Fire Lookout. The trail leaves California 44/89 and travels past the site of Twin Bridges, a stopping point on the Nobles Trail. An undeveloped USFS camping area is at Twin Bridges, and there are some excellent backcountry campsites along Hat Creek on 32N13.
The main trail runs close to the northern boundary of Lassen Volcanic National Park. The park can be reached via the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, which crosses the vehicle trail and connects with hiking trails in the park, or via a couple of vehicles trails that stop at the park’s boundary.
The trail climbs a shelf road toward the lookout; views over the surrounding area open up the higher you get. The lookout tower is manned during fire season and can be reached by climbing up a short flight of stairs. Visitors are welcome to admire the sweeping 360-degree view between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM. Mount Sugarloaf is a prominent symmetrical cone to the northwest, with the open area of Old Station at its base. Lassen Peak, Mount Loomis, and the Chaos Crags, among others, stand out to the southwest. The lookout has pointers to the main peaks around its interior walls. Hat Creek Rim is a prominent feature to the north.
The final climb to West Prospect Peak provides an excellent opportunity to observe a volcanic landscape. Between 1914 and 1921, Lassen Peak exploded in a series of eruptions. In 1915, locals witnessed a massive eruption that sent a 7-mile-high cloud of steam and ash into the stratosphere. A national park was established in 1916 to preserve the landscape resulting from this dramatic activity. Lassen Peak was then the most recently active volcano in the contiguous United States, a title it held until Washington’s Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. Varying degrees of recovery can be seen across this explosive landscape of lava beds, cinder cones, and steaming hot springs. Conifers are returning to some areas, and in some regions different kinds of trees have established themselves than were there prior to the eruptions. The cinder cones southeast of West Prospect Peak have seen little re-growth since the eruptions.
Prospect Peak, a conical and slightly higher peak immediately southeast of West Prospect Peak, was the site of a fire lookout from 1912 to 1935. In 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed a 10-foot-tall enclosed structure just outside the national park boundary on West Prospect Peak. Today’s tower, at an elevation of 8172 ft., is still in service. The fire spotter can watch over an area of more than 200,000 acres, including Lassen National Forest to the north and Lassen Volcanic National Park to the south.
Description
This graded gravel road travels through Lassen National Forest and climbs to West Prospect Peak Fire Lookout. The trail leaves California 44/89 and travels past the site of Twin Bridges, a stopping point on the Nobles Trail. An undeveloped USFS camping area is at Twin Bridges, and there are some excellent backcountry campsites along Hat Creek on 32N13.
The main trail runs close to the northern boundary of Lassen Volcanic National Park. The park can be reached via the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, which crosses the vehicle trail and connects with hiking trails in the park, or via a couple of vehicles trails that stop at the park’s boundary.
The trail climbs a shelf road toward the lookout; views over the surrounding area open up the higher you get. The lookout tower is manned during fire season and can be reached by climbing up a short flight of stairs. Visitors are welcome to admire the sweeping 360-degree view between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM. Mount Sugarloaf is a prominent symmetrical cone to the northwest, with the open area of Old Station at its base. Lassen Peak, Mount Loomis, and the Chaos Crags, among others, stand out to the southwest. The lookout has pointers to the main peaks around its interior walls. Hat Creek Rim is a prominent feature to the north.
