Lassen - Bumpass Hell Hike - Exactly!

This was one of those hikes that we did with our little children and the destination was stinky!  What I remember about it was that it smelled like rotten eggs and Kate especially hated the smell.  Imagine my surprise when she said she wanted to take her kids on this hike to Bumpass Hell!  Kate had invited Hillary and her family to join us for the day and so they went with us on this hike.  When we got to the trail head it was covered in snow but we decided to plug on anyway...

This is a pic of me at about the halfway point -- Once I got a "walking stick" that Hillary kindly gave to me, I was able to travel much more quickly, but until then it was a tough go on the slippery snow...

Rob fit as a fiddle enjoying the out of doors :p

Here is a picture of our destination....the sulphur pits and hot pools...No one gave up and we all made it even Hillary's littlest one, Max, made it after a little coaxing...

Chase taking a break at one of the pools.  The great thing this time was that it really didn't smell as bad as what I remembered - maybe it was the way the wind was blowing, but both Kate and I agreed that it didn't stink as bad as what we had remembered!  Chase and I played a game where I would ask what I called the proverbial question -- he would say what's that and I would say "Are we there yet?" and he would say no not yet -- finally we made it and I asked the proverbial question and finally, finally, Chase said we were here!

I asked the boys to pose for this picture and hold their noses, but in actuality they didn't seem to think it was so stinky! LOL  Tyler had a walking stick, too, and I think he enjoyed it and felt like a real hiker...

Rob and I, Tyler and Chase in front of the turquoise, clear pool...

Coming back we stopped close to Helen Lake and it was covered with snow and ice.  In all the years that I have been going to Lassen, I don't remember this much snow in August!  The climb to Mt. Lassen Peak was closed 1/3 of the way up...

One of the big snow banks close to the lake.  You can see my "walking stick" in this picture.  Hillary and Max and Ryan and Chase are in this picture, too.

Then after that great hike, I asked Kate, Ryan, Tyler and Chase to push this huge rock.....

Then Kate asked Rob and I to carry it on our backs....The things we will do for a picture!

All in all it was a good experience, but I was glad it was over and that we all made it safely back.  (I only fell once and that was after some guy told me the best way to walk on the snow) -- I think I was doing pretty well without his help... BTW it wasn't Rob who gave me his advice, but someone else along the trail!