Coast to Coast Grankids Tour - Lassen Volcanic NP (July 2011)

Here's the gang at the entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park.  Lassen NP is the only place in the world to experience all four type of Volcano's.

Getting children involved and immersed in the park is especially important for our parks.  Here a Ranger explains why volcano's erupt and asks kids to assist her in demonstrating examples of each type of eruptions.  The park ranger is really excited!

Here Jake assists in how a Plug Dome Volcano erupts.  Mt St Helen's is a Plug Dome type volcano.

We are at the Trail Head for the Cinder Cone Trail.  The hike is 4 miles round trip and takes you to the top and bottom of a Cinder Cone Volcano. 

The hike is considered moderately strenuous due to the 700 foot elevation that you gain in the accent. The hike took us about 3-4  hours to complete.

The hike begins along fantastic lava beds, opens up with the views of the painted dunes and becomes steep with loose cinder base during the summit climb.   On this picture, Jake is about 1/3 up the hill and Kathy is just getting started.

Here we are resting after having made it up the loose cinder base where you take two steps to only gain one as you slide back down the loose cinder base.  Although, it did not seem to affect Ryan and Jacob. Maybe it's time to lose some weight.

Since Ryan was in training for his upcoming football season, he decides to hike down into the volcano base wearing both backpacks.  Jake is elated that he does not have to carry any of the packs or maybe he's leading a cheer for Ryan.

We are starting our trip down inside the cinder cone.  The trip down was fairly easy one, but I know what to expect on our hike out.

The boys and I are elated and celebrate our accomplishment.  Now who's turn is it to carry the pack?

This video shows the top of the volcano.  You can see in the video that there are many trails at the top of the Volcano. 

Here we are at the entrance to Subway Cave.  You can walk the entire length of the cave with a flashlight.

Subway Cave is a section of lava tube less than a third of a mile long, located between two areas of ceiling cave-ins. Substantial concrete steps have been constructed at both ends of the cave, providing easy access for visitors to access the cave.

Coast to Coast Grandkids Tour - Redwoods NP (July 2011)

During our drive to Redwoods NP in Klamath CA, we decided to take a side trip step into the Pacific Ocean.  The water was quite chilly as well as the ocean breeze. 

A video of our Pacific Ocean encounter.

More than one hundred million years ago, redwood forests spanned much of the earth's northern hemisphere.  Since the ice age, however, these "living fossils" have returned to a few distinct regions of the globe.  We are very fortunate they live and grow in our country.

Most visitors know Redwoods National and State Parks as home to the world's tallest trees, many spanning over 300 feet in height.  It would have looked more real if Kathy actually had her left hand on the tree!

Here we are walking along the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, one of the most popular trails in Redwood National Park.

When you stand among these giants, you get a feeling of just how small we are compared to the giant Redwoods.  Many of these trees will live 1500 years.

In this picture, you can see just how wide some of the trunks can be.  This one is about 7-feet in diameter.  The bark on these trees can reach 12 inches thick or more. 

Coast to Coast Grandkids Tour - Mt St. Helens (July 2011)

At 8:32 a.m. on May 18, 1980 a 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook the site we are standing at triggering a massive explosion.  The Johnson Ridge Observatory was dedicated to USGS scientist David Johnson who was one of 57 people killed during the eruption.

 

This is the auditorium where you can see an outstanding movie that documents the events during Mt St. Helens eruption. After the movie, the curtains draw back slowly showing Mt St. Helens in her dormant slumber.

Here a ranger briefs visitors on each phase of the occurrence.  In 1982, the United States Congress established the 110,000 acre Mt St Helens Volcanic Monument to preserve a portion of the blast zone for scientists, educators and visitors.

Here we are for the start of our hike at the Hummock trail head.  The Hummocks are massive mounds of rock, ash, and mud that were piled unceremoniously around the floor of the new Coldwater Lake valley by the mighty blow.

OK, I'm not kidding who took my GPS!

Coast to Coast Grandkids Tour - Olympic National Park (July 2011)

A panoramic view of Hurricane Ridge. 

Is it real snow Ryan?  It's July and they still have snow on the ground.  This is definitely not Baltimore!

Kathy and the boys near the avalanche sign.  There was plenty of snow still in the mountains.

Jake and Kathy on the beginning of our Hurricane Ridge hike. 

You can see we transitioned from snow to dirt as we climb higher.  We did not make the entire hike as someone had to use the bathroom.

During our return trip a local friend stopped by to say "Hello".  The boys enjoyed the cool weather during our trip to Olympic National Park.