July 30 - Manzanita and Reflection Lakes (and Lily Pond) (Lassen Natl Park)

It's a cloudy with a good chance of rain. Heading up to walk Manzanita Lake in the NW corner of the park instead of Kings Creek/Hat Creek to Paradise Meadow. I want sun for the Paradise Meadow hike to increase my odds of seeing some butterflies.

The quickest way (not shortest) there is heading a bit east first but I forgot about the road construction AND there's blue sky. So I turn around head into the park from the SW. Again no one at the gate but it's just after 7am and I'm following 2 cars.

Aghh!

Thankfully, the 1st car pulls off and shortly after the 2nd car pulls off so I have clear sailing to the other end of the park. I note 1 car at Kings Creek when I pass.

The road gets much easier after the Summit Lake area; it's flatter, no switchbacks and less windy.

I make stop at the Crags viewpoint because it cool!

Then I'm at Manzanita Lake parking. No view of the lake for here which is a surprise for me.

I make my way down the trail in a counter-clockwise direction. I finally can see the lake thru the shrubs along the side of the lake. That's the disappointing part of the hike, the clear views of the lake a few. But is a quiet hike thru the woods - unburnt woods at that.

There are some clear views of the mountains.

But the nature part of the hike was there for me. First, I see a buck feeding by the lake. I watch him wander off.

Then there was a loud bird call that caught my attention. I look up and at the top of a tall pine tree is an Osprey!

Way cool!

I also see a shorebird.

And finally, I get a glimpse of a fawn spots and all. He is moving thru the woods toward the lake. 

It takes me awhile to find Mom. Holy cow! There are 2 fawns. They are tiny with lots of spots. The one is hanging close to Mom but the other is a little more daring.

I watch for quite awhile while moving closer. In fact I even take a sit on a log to simply watch. If I move along the trail and I don't want to do that.

Eventually, there are some folks coming the other direction. They do see the deer/fawn and are moving slowly forward.

When they get close, I decide to start moving forward as well. We pass and the deer are just inside the woods. Actually barely moving off the trail. Obviously Mom is used to people. Pretty cool!

I complete the loop and head across the street to walk around Relection Lake and check out Lily Pond. When I arrive, there's a Blue Heron sitting in the lake.

Moving on I scare 2 birds from the brush along shore. They land in a tree. They are White-headed woodpeckers and they are chirping up a storm. I watch as they both climb higher and higher. Mother and chick OR mated pair??

I reach the Lily Pond spur and decide to just go to the pond and then back. (It's a loop that I'm not looping on.) On my way, I see a deer (doe). She alarm cries/snort as she runs away.

I reach Lily Pond. Nothing exciting, no dragonflies (no mossies either) but there is 1 duck.

I head back to Relection Lake and scare a doe in the exact same spot as less than 10 minutes ago. I'm not sure if she came back to the spot or it's a different deer. Thinking its the same because the eating was good. I was tempted to stay and wait to see if she would come back but I decided to continue on and around the lake. Some nice views of Lassen Peak from the far side.

Soon I'm back at my car. Time to head for the Lava tube (Subway).

I get some help to reach the Subway as I have no service. I get out my headlamp and enter the tube.

Unfortunately, my light is not very strong so I decide to turn around earlier (at the Cul de sac). Probably the one who entered and exited the entrance.

Actually I didn't realize it was a walk-thru. Don't think it would have mattered though. The ground was bumpy and hard to walk on. 

The tunnel was smooth-sh and all the same. 

Maybe it changed later but I'm satisfied and heading out. 

The people whose car I followed saw me and said I could walk with them but I came, I saw, I'm done.

Time to find some place to eat on my way back to Chester.

I stop at a Rest Stop and couple miles from my turn south. And soon I'm back at the hotel.

Great, easy day filled with fun nature things. 

Total: 2.99 miles 75 ft.