There's something strange in the neighborhood. Who ya gonna call?

I parked just outside the Bodie State Park gates so I could get an early start in the morning before it got too hot and since I had quite a lot of ground to cover later. Bodie is what remains from one of the largest and wildest gold rush towns in California and even had a few residents up until World War II. Though only 5% of the town (an old picture can be seen on the right) remains after a massive fire in the 1930's it is still one of the largest remaining examples of life in that time period. As I mentioned once before, I really enjoy walking around such old and abandoned places, so this was a pretty nice treat. There were numerous interperactive signs around and well as informative talks given by volunteers and rangers that offered a glimpse into the history and lifestyle of those living here. Within 19 years, the are went from a population of 20 to about 10,000 and had about 65 Saloons (talk about a pub crawl!), brothels, and other establishments of ill repute. It was even said that there was one murder here every day, so the undertaker was always in plenty of work!

After checking out the place for a while, I had to head off for northern California since my next planned destination. The trip had me going briefly through Reno Nevada, so when I stopped for gas, I of course had to bet (and lose if I might add) a dollar at one of the gaming machines. This area was quite a trek, but I really wanted to check out the still active geothermal bubbling hot spots, mud pots, and mountain streams. Lassen National Park was a beautiful area and though it was a long trek, I am glad I made the journey. There was still a considerable amount of snow on the ground, yet the temperature was quite comfortable. I stopped at several of the overviews and short interperative pathways over the vents and mudpots. While quite vibrant, the area of course had a nasty sulfur smell and was not easy to which you could acclimate. I finally got to the parking area for the Bumpass Hell trail. This was a spot in which one of the old time residents lost his leg due to burning when he broke through thin crust into a boiling pool of water when guiding a reporter in the area. Fortunately in the hundred years since the park service has installed boardwalks for people visiting the area. The trail there though was 90% covered, so this was my first real exposure to snow hiking. It took a little getting used to, but the trekking poles were an incredible help. The boiling springs and vents were really neat to watch since all the white and orange-yellowing sulfates (crust) combined with the setting sun provided some great visuals. I wanted to hang out for a little while longer but had to follow the retreating sun since I didn't have any supplies with me for the hike. When I return the few cars that had been there were gone and since it was getting dark I just figured I would stay there for the evening since the parking lot for Mt. Lassen was nearby. As I was cooking dinner on one of the nearby ledges, a car pulled into the lot and the occupant took a while setting something up. He had a real nice electronic telescope that was probably as large in diameter as a small car tire. When started up, it looked like one of the automatic guns from the 'Aliens' movie as it tracked across the sky getting a fix for the location. We were far enough from any major city, even Reno and San Francisco, that there was very little real ambient light. I was too tired to stay up for long, but just before I crawled into the back of the car to sleep I was able to see more stars than I think I had ever done before. I am not any kind of real astronomer, but I could understand the interest and allure, especially with views such what we were treated to where the night sky was awash with the pinpoints of light that has spent the last million years or so racing across the galaxy.