(0.2 mile)
57 This stretch of forest, especially on the east side of the road, may
be called a “MICRO-CLIMATE.” The southwest exposure, in a sheltered
depression, produces a warmer climate which supports white fir, incense
cedar, ponderosa pine, sugar pine, shrubs and annuals characteristic of
lower elevations. The green carpet covering the low rocks and parts of
the forest floor is called squawcarpet ceanothus.
(0.3 mile)
[Illustration: SUGAR PINE (cone 12 inches)]
[Illustration: INCENSE CEDAR (cone 1 inch)]
[Illustration: PONDEROSA PINE (cone 3 inches)]
58 On the eastern extension of the sharp curve is a loose ROCKY TALUS
SLOPE composed of fine-grained, dark grey boulders known as basalt.
Often basaltic lavas are very porous because they are typically gas-rich
when molten, and many bubble holes result as the escaping gases are
trapped during cooling. This lava is relatively low in silica and high
in iron, hence it is dark in color and heavy in weight.
(0.6 mile)
59 PROSPECT PEAKS are Hawaiian or shield volcanos made of countless thin
basaltic lava flows from a central vent, producing shield-shaped
outlines. The sharp peaks on top of these two mountains are small cinder
cones. Badger Mountain is a plug volcano like Chaos Crags or Lassen
Peak. West Peak is outside the park and on it is a Forest Service fire
look-out station. To the north and northeast are typical virgin forests
mantling a sea of minor volcanic peaks.
[Illustration: Landscape]
LATOUR BUTTE
MAGEE PEAK
SUGAR LOAF PEAK
HAT CREEK RIM
HAT CREEK FAULT
WEST PROSPECT PEAK
PROSPECT PEAK
BADGER MT.
The HAT CREEK FAULT SCARP, outside the park, is a great crack in the
earth where an enormous block to the east, known as the Hat Creek Rim,
rose. The scarp, or bluff, runs about 25 miles north. This is the
beginning of the so-called basin range structure of Nevada which is
largely composed of such variously tilted fault blocks.
(0.6 mile)
60 NOBLES PASS, elevation about 6,000 feet, was discovered by William H.
Nobles. In 1852 he offered to reveal the route to business men of Shasta
City, then the leading settlement of Northern California, for $2,000.
The new route, the most popular into this region, started at Black Rock,
Nevada, and entered the northeast corner of the park at Butte Lake. This
Nobles, or Old Emigrant, Trail is still visible to the northeast through
the chaparral. From this point, it went west along the south base of
Table Mountain and left the park near the highway “Y” beyond Manzanita
Lake. Numerous authentic pioneer relics have been found along the route.
The chaparral brush formation here is composed of greenleaf manzanita,
snowbrush, ceanothus, and bitter cherry. Establishment of the chaparral
is often the first step in the natural reforestation of an area swept by
forest fires.
(0.4 mile)
61 This is one of the largest WHITE FIR trees in the United States. It
is 168 feet high and has a circumference of 20 feet, 7 inches.
[Illustration: WHITE FIR]
This vicinity is known as SUNFLOWER FLAT due to the abundance of the
flower-like plant called wooly wyethia which blossoms in mid-summer.
Other flowers to be seen are: skyrocket gilia, California stickweed,
Nuttall larkspur, and Pacific monardella. A few brilliant red snowplants
are often to be found here up into mid-summer. Remember, no flower
picking is allowed in our National Parks.
[Illustration: SKYROCKET GILIA (red)]
[Illustration: CALIFORNIA STICKSEED (white)]
[Illustration: NUTTALL LARKSPUR (blue)]
[Illustration: PACIFIC MONARDELLA (white to lavender)]
(0.2 mile)
62 The sudden change in topography indicates the east edge of CHAOS
JUMBLES ... the huge landslide from nearby Chaos Crags.
This upper edge of the hummocky rock debris is thin, and lies on a
relatively flat undersurface. As a result, the forest trees grow
normally here, in contrast to the dwarf forest to be found on the main
mass of thick, sloping, and very porous Jumbles.
The pale yellow-green, moss-like material on the tree trunks is called
staghorn lichen. It is not a moss, but is a union of two plants growing
together; a fungus, giving it form and body, and an alga, growing inside
and manufacturing food for both from the air and sunshine. Lichens do
not in any way harm the trees, and grow as well on dead material.
(0.6 mile)
63 The pink mountain mass to the south is CHAOS CRAGS. It is composed of
three plug volcanos of a lava known as dacite. This material was rapidly
pushed up in a molten state, much as one would squeeze paste from a
tube. As the lava plugs cooled and hardened, steam explosions took place
from the base of the cliff, undermining it and causing at least three
tremendous avalanches estimated as occurring about 1700 years ago, 700
years ago and the most recent in about the year 1690. Due to the small
amount of soil and porous rock, many of the stunted trees in this Dwarf
Forest are over 200 years old.
(1.1 mile)
[Illustration: Landscape]
64 VISITOR CENTER, LODGE and CAMPGROUND, elevation 5,950 feet, is the
center of visitor facilities and services.
The Visitor Center is open daily. Free naturalist-conducted hikes,
caravans, and nature walks originate here. Informal campfire programs
are presented nightly in the Manzanita Lake Campground Amphitheater from
June through mid-September.
The LILY POND SELF-GUIDING NATURE TRAIL, an easy 1-mile loop route,
starts just across the road from the Visitor Center. It is unique in
having ten species of cone-bearing trees and three species of
broad-leaved trees along its short and nearly level route.
[Illustration: GOLDEN-MANTLED GROUND SQUIRREL · CHIPMUNK]
Abundant wildlife, including deer and a large variety of birds, is found
in the Manzanita-Reflection Lakes area. The most common rodents are the
golden-mantled ground squirrel and the chipmunk.
The Loomis Museum, with a tract of 40 acres, was given to the Federal
Government in 1927 by Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin F. Loomis in memory of their
daughter, Mae. On this land are now located the public lodge and dining
room, curio store, service station, grocery store and postoffice.
[Illustration: National Park Service logo]
The National Park Service emblem pictured here was adopted in 1953. Many
visitors confuse the Park Service (Department of the Interior) with the
Forest Service (Department of Agriculture). Briefly, the National Park
Service preserves the National Parks and Monuments in an unchanged
state, while the U. S. Forest Service operates National Forests on a
sustaining yield basis.
(0.1 mile)
[Illustration: JEFFREY PINE (cone about 5 inches)]
[Illustration: SNOWPLANT (red)]
[Illustration: COW LILY (yellow)]
65 REFLECTION LAKE, elevation 5,880 feet. A few hundred feet ahead is
the road to the Reflection Lake Picnic Ground. There tables, fireplaces,
and rest rooms are available for free visitor use.
Reflection Lake gets its name from the fine reflections of Lassen Peak
and Chaos Crags to be seen in it from near the picnic ground. It is an
excellent place for photography, especially in the afternoon or early
evening.
On summer evenings nighthawks can be seen cruising over the lake,
emitting their unique harsh cries and their startling “whoomm” sound in
flight. Bats on the wing also are seen in the evenings feeding on
insects.
(0.2 mile)
[Illustration: BROWN BAT]
[Illustration: NIGHTHAWK]
66 On the down hill side of the road is MANZANITA LAKE, elevation 5,845
feet. This lake is young, formed by the Chaos Jumbles landslide. The
water level was raised a few feet in 1912 by the Northern California
Power Company, for electric power development purposes by the
construction of a small earth dam at the lake’s southwest extremity.
Like most of Lassen’s lakes, it is well stocked with trout. In the fall
large numbers of waterfowl, including Canada geese, stop here en route
to their wintering grounds.
The lake derived its name from the abundance of greenleaf manzanita on
its shores. This shrub can be seen across the lake to the south.
(0.2 mile)
67 MANZANITA LAKE ENTRANCE STATION. Vehicle entry permits and
information may be procured daily during the summer season.
Lovely views of Lassen Peak are to be had along the Lake Trail just a
few feet from the Entrance Station at this end of the lake. It is a fine
area for taking photographs, especially in the afternoon and early
evening. Lassen Peak towers 4,625 feet above Manzanita Lake to an
elevation of 10,457 feet. The summit notch in the 1917 crater, and the
black tongue extending down toward the right is the youngest rock in
contiguous United States, pouring out as molten, redhot dacite lava on
the night of May 19, 1915.
[Illustration: Landscape]
1915 DACITE (SW LAVA FLOW)
1917 CRATER STEAM
EAGLE PEAK
SKI HEIL PEAK
CHAOS CRAGS
LASSEN PEAK
LOOMIS PEAK
MANZANITA LAKE