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Author Topic: Cinder Cone  (Read 2025 times)

dreed

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Cinder Cone
« on: August 02, 2010, 04:48:47 pm »

I have just spent the weekend just gone exploring the various tourist traps at Lassen National Park. Most of the park is your ordinary Californian wilderness except for one location: Cinder Cone.

I hiked up twice in 24 hours. The first was a "recon" mission to learn the path before going back the next day to see sunrise from the top, which meant hiking out of the car park with a head lamp. Make no mistake about it, the walk up the cone is NOT fun and whilst there are two paths "down", you don't want to go up the long way. What is it like? Walking up a huge sand dune made of pebbles of varying sizes.

In terms of photography, from the ground, the cone itself is nothing special. But at the top it is a completely different story. So too are the painted dunes that lay at its base. As a single location, I suspect that it is more interesting than any other single location in Lassen National Park or Yosemite National Park. I'm not saying that it is more spectacular or beautiful for the eye to see, rather that it is more interesting for the photographer.

If I was to recommend a "how to do it", I'd say hike up to see sunrise, have breakfast at the top, wait until the sun reaches the bottom of the cone and then walk down.
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dreed

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Cinder Cone
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2010, 05:13:57 pm »

Addendum: the usual motto for national parks is "take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints." At Cinder Cone they ask people to only walk on established trails because footprints on the cone (and surrounding area) will last indefinitely. This limits your movements a little, but not too much. The temptation is to dismiss that advice because the footprints will wash away, but consider that the ground you're walking on there is made up of lots of small rocks that are not likely to be moved a whole lot by rain, snow (except if there is a lot of it) or wind. Whilst others have already scared various parts of the surface, please don't add to it by making your own tracks or trying to walk in the footprints of others. In any event, this restriction should not spoil the experience.
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Cinder Cone
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2010, 10:11:46 pm »

I hope you'll share some of your photos from the trip.

Eric

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dreed

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Cinder Cone
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2010, 01:46:58 am »

This is just a quick selection that I hope might give folks an idea of the landscape at Cinder Cone. The only post that I've done is to correct exposure and straighten. Otherwise, I've done very little with them. Obviously there's room for improvement with some photoshopping, but that will be later...

FYI, the slopes of the cone are the maximum angle allowed by nature, at around 30 degrees.

Cinder1 - base of the trail leading to the top (polariser is responsible for the funny blue sky shading)
Cinder2 - from the east edge of the cone, looking to the west (Lassen Peak)
Cinder3 - Painted dunes and lavafield from the top of the cone
Cinder4 - Looking towards Prospect Peak
Cinder5 - around the top of the cone
Cinder6 - amongst the Painted Dunes
« Last Edit: August 03, 2010, 01:47:44 am by dreed »
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Cinder Cone
« Reply #4 on: August 03, 2010, 10:38:16 am »

Thanks for sharing those. It looks like a fascinating place to photograph.

Eric

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