Marc's Public Blog - Trips to other locations


All | Aquariums | Arduino | Btrfs | Cars | Cats | Clubbing | Computers | Dining | Diving | Electronics | Exercising | Festivals | Flying | Halloween | Hiking | Linux | Linuxha | Monuments | Museums | Outings | Public | Rc | Sciencemuseums | Solar | Tfsf | Trips

This is a collection of my blog entries related to short or long trips I went on.
I have some master pages for some specific locations/trips:

paris over many years | UK over many years | Belgium over many years | Holland over many years | Vegas over many years | Australia over many years | Canada over many years | Japan over multiple trips | Italy in 2011 | France in 2013 | Indonesia in 2013 | Japan in 2013 | Japan in 2014 | Taiwan in 2014 | Indonesia in 2014 | New Zealand in 2015 | Japan in 2015 | Costa Rica in 2015 | Singapore in 2016 | South Korea in 2016 | Japan in 2016 | Germany in 2016 | Tasmania 2017 | Japan in winter 2017 | Great Britain in 2017 | Australia Flying Safari 2017 | Philippines 2018 | Spain in 2018 | Alaska in 2019 | England in 2021 | UAE in 2021 | Poland in 2023 | Portugal in 2023 | Thailand in 2023 | Japan Snow 2024 |

>>> Back to post index <<<

2017/08/21 Lava Beds National Park
π 2017-08-21 01:01 in Hiking, Ntrips, Trips
After flying from Madras to Klamath falls right after the total solar eclipse was over, we picked up a rental car waiting for us, and arrived at Lava Beds a mere 3h after having left Madras, while most everyone was probably still trying ot get out of the traffic jams. As a result the park was pretty much empty all afternoon, so we had a good 6H of visiting time until we watched sunset and went back to our campsite for the night.

Lava Beds NP is full of caves and lava tubes


The rangers in the visitor center were quite helpful at suggesting extra places to visit, and we started by doing a few caves on Cave Loop:




caves were dark, even when some light came in, this is without firesword
caves were dark, even when some light came in, this is without firesword

and lit with firesword, 4000 lumens
and lit with firesword, 4000 lumens

actually I had 2 fireswords, one set on low (1000 lumens), and one set on high (4000 lumens)
actually I had 2 fireswords, one set on low (1000 lumens), and one set on high (4000 lumens)

some lava tubes were quite big
some lava tubes were quite big

sometimes the cave split up, more than once even
sometimes the cave split up, more than once even

at times, it really looked like a tube
at times, it really looked like a tube

other times, it was triangular
other times, it was triangular

Nice ceiling formations:





Some caves required a bit of hiking:






We then did a hike to and around Mammoth Crater. It wasn't the best lighting, but still nice crater to hike around:


path around the crater
path around the crater


We still had a bit of time, so we went to check out skull cave. a huge cave opening with ice at the bottom floor:


it was quite hot outside, and yet cool enough for ice at the bottom
it was quite hot outside, and yet cool enough for ice at the bottom

We used to the rest of the time to hike up Schonchin Butte Cinder Cone for sunset views, an easy 25mn hike up:





nice plaques explaining the views
nice plaques explaining the views



We then went back to our campsite for dinner and stargazing:

we had a nice roomy tent
we had a nice roomy tent



We started the 2nd day with what we should have done the first day: the beginner intro mushpot cave, all lit up and full of signs, including an interpretative walk, there:









Next, we went to check out Valentine Cave, a pretty huge and interesting cave:



the roof got low eventually, Jennifer went to check it out (my light)
the roof got low eventually, Jennifer went to check it out (my light)

that was Jennifer coming back with only her light on
that was Jennifer coming back with only her light on


We then hiked to symbol bridge and big painted cave, which had indian cave pictographs:








I found a hole at the end of the cave and was able to descend to a smaller cave with ice
I found a hole at the end of the cave and was able to descend to a smaller cave with ice

Jennifer was a bit worried, the path in looked like it could collapse, but she came to check it out too
Jennifer was a bit worried, the path in looked like it could collapse, but she came to check it out too

more ice
more ice

the pictographs by the entrance were hard to find, but Jennifer found them
the pictographs by the entrance were hard to find, but Jennifer found them


By then, we were pretty much done, so on the way out, we stopped by the Black Crater lava flow:






One the way back to Klamath Falls, we stopped by Captains Jacks Stronghold, where he basically fought and chased off the native americans who were happily there. To be honest, the trail wasn't that interesting or really worth the time:





the native americans lived in small cool caves like this one
the native americans lived in small cool caves like this one

the battle was fought here apparently
the battle was fought here apparently

Lava Beds National Park was actually very nice. I had never heard about it, and that was a mistake. Thanks go to Arturo for recommending the place, we got to see more lava tubes than we had seen anywhere, including Hawaii. The only thing Hawaii has that Lava Beds doesn't, is fresh lava, and freshly cooled lava. Apart from that, this national park has a great variety of things to see and learn from.

See more images for Lava Beds National Park

More pages: December 2023 June 2023 April 2023 December 2022 December 2021 February 2021 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 June 2018 May 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 September 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 October 2012 September 2012 June 2012 April 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 June 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 September 2010 August 2010 May 2010 January 2010 September 2009 August 2009 June 2009 January 2009 December 2008 August 2008 February 2008 January 2008 October 2007 July 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 August 2006 July 2006 April 2006 March 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 April 2005 December 2004 October 2004 July 2004 June 2004 January 2004 January 2003 January 2001 August 1997

>>> Back to post index <<<

Contact Email