Bear Hole

I did get the opportunity to swim here when the weather was blistering. It was crazy full of happy (er, drunk) young people in the water and spread out on the rocks like a bunch of sea lions. If you're in Chico this is one of the must-visit places. It's just up the dirt road in Upper Bidwell park. It's fun, and simply beautiful. If mobs of people aren't your forte, there are plenty of other equally gorgeous swimming holes that a short hike up or down the creek will reveal.

Feather Falls

Feather Falls is the most spectacular sight I've seen in the Chico area so far.

The hike gives you the choice of two trails. The lower trail is shorter but steeper. The upper trail is, you guessed it, longer but more easy-going. I've made it to the falls twice now, both times making a loop of the lower trail on the way there and the upper trail on the way back. Works out to a nice 8-mile or so (round trip) walk. Both trails are beautiful with creeks, huge trees, ladybugs, and pretty ferns.

Having now worked on a trail, I can see that a lot of love went into this one. Someone really wanted you to be able to see the falls in all their glory, and be safe at the same time. This picture was taken perched on a huge wood platform built out over the cliff.

Feather Falls is something like the 3rd largest waterfall in the U.S. It just barely fit in the lens of my little camera. It's also very old. The geologists say about 140 million years! Apparently the rocks it falls over are very resistant to erosion.

The hike to Feather Falls is something that can be done in an afternoon in a t-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes. You can bring your dog, just look out for ticks. I would recommend at least bringing a lunch to enjoy on the platform while you listen to the roar of the water. If you're more adventurous try camping out there under the stars.

Lassen National Park

I took a trip to Lassen National Park with Chico's Adventure Outings. Definitely a trip I could have made on my own, but it was a nice opportunity to meet people.

Our first priority was to hike to the top of Mt. Lassen. It was a short hike, about 5 miles, but that sucker is steep! I was getting over a cold so it seemed to take me forever to wheeze my way to the summit. The mountain, in true volcanic form, is naked. Meaning little vegetation and lots of gray rocks. I hear people hike it during a full moon, and it seems logical that the moonlight would light up the trail enough to find your way up at night.

Once at the top, you can see the beautiful Mt. Shasta, and probably the valley, if not for the haze. There are also nice views of the surrounding mountains, and some sparking little mountain lakes.

After Mt. Shasta we took a shorter, easier hike to the pretty little Kings Creek waterfall. The entire hike was gorgeous; lots of good-smelling pine trees, and the creek to the right put on a nice show of smaller falls before we arrived at the grand finale.

Finally to cap off the trip, we stopped to experience the sights, smells and touch (warm!) of the Sulphur Works.

I liked Lassen National Park for its variety and for the proximity of the different activities to each other. It also wasn't particularly crowded which made for a nice, peaceful, weekend getaway from school.