Manzanita Lake
A pristine alpine lake just a few minutes walk from the “rustic” cabin.
Bumpass Hell
A hydrothermal wonderland filled with steaming ponds, sulfuric streams, bubbling mud-pots, and more. You’ll see why it got its name.
This picturesque mountain stream was on the way to the hydrothermal area, which I was lucky to catch on the way back at sunset as well. The fall colors were just starting.
The Painted Dunes
These volcanic ash-covered dunes were probably the highlight of the trip. The shots were taken after summiting a short but steep cinder cone volcano, one of the hardest hikes in recent memory, which made it all the more rewarding.
The color of the dunes and the pine trees poking up through them changed depending on the light, almost glowing at a certain point during sunset.
This is a panoramic view from the top of the cinder cone. The black area at the bottom is a dried lava bed, which goes all the way to Butte Lake in the distance. The painted dunes start at the bottom left side. Both were the result of an eruption from the cinder cone around 100 years ago.
I was so enamored with the view that I forgot to take pictures of the cinder cone itself. You can actually hike down into the crater, but I was too spent from the hike up. See below for an iPhone video.