Distance: 5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,957 ft (8,500 ft at the trailhead to 10,457 ft at the peak)
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult, depending on your fitness level and altitude acclimation.
(LVNP rates it as strenuous and suggests 4-5 hours. It took us 2 hours – the threat of a storm kept us on pace.)
When it’s your last day in LVNP, and you haven’t “bagged” Lassen Peak yet, you make a run for it. And so we did. Actually, it was more of a fast walk than a trot, but a steady pace to try and outpace a looming monsoon. Mission accomplished. This was a fun hike and a solid workout. In my opinion, the trail is runnable – mostly smooth gravel with some short rocky sections. It’s a moderate, though consistent, incline with sweeping switchbacks. (Unfortunately, my knees no longer sanction running, so I have to settle for brisk walking.)
Since we had just hiked the Ridge Lakes Trail with 1k of elevation gain, we were warmed up for the climb. If you’re just hopping out of the car, you may want to take a little stretch band stroll before you hop on the “hill”.
The immediate scenery is a bit stark, but the panoramic views are splendid.
Happy Trails!
On the Loose Live 