Lassen Volcanic National Park: Tribes, Trappers, Pioneers, And Eruptions

Above, a view of Lassen Peak from Devastated Area in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first national park I visited was when I was at age 14 with my parents in 1968. It was Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California. 

That got me hooked on traveling to national parks over the succeeding years. I visited Lassen again in 2017 during my Great American Eclipse trip. I camped at the Manzanita Lake Campground in my motorhome. 

Above, my campsite at Manzanita Lake Campground in 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

National Parks Traveler posted an article on how Lassen became a national park due to eruptions of Lassen Peak in the early 20th Century.

They start it with:

Native American tribes, fur trappers, pioneers, and prospectors have all wandered around and within the boundaries of what is now Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. Before it was a national park, though, the landscape consisted of two separate national monuments. It took a series of Lassen Peak eruptions between 1914 – 1917 to make national park establishment a “done deal.”

 To read more, go here.

Kilauea and Mauna Loa Volcanoes In Hawaii

Above, a helicopter view of lava inside a Kilauea volcano crater. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to TheTravel, Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano is the most-visited place in Hawaii.

I have never visited Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, but I did fly over the park, particularly Kilauea, in a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters in 2016. It is a well-worth excursion that I highly recommend.

TheTravel has posted an article on Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes on the Big Island.

The begin it with:

Located on the Big Island, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, one of the most beautiful national parks in the U.S., Kilauea, and Mauna Loa are among the places tourists should visit at least once in a lifetime. They are famous for being two of the world's most active volcanoes, and always guarantee the best experiences to vacationers who make it there.

There are five volcanoes on the Big Island; Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Hualalai, Mauna Kea, and Kohala. Mauna Kea, at 13,796 feet, is the state's tallest mountain and the world's highest sea mountain. Mauna Loa is the world's largest volcano, while Kilauea is the most active. Despite these figures, Kilauea is the most famous Hawaiian volcano and one of the world’s most active volcanoes.

To read more, go here. 

Mount Fuji Is "Screaming" From Too Many Tourists

Above, a Shinkansen view of Mount Fuji. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that Japan's Mount Fuji has a problem: too many tourists.

Years back, hiking Japan's volcanic symbol was somewhat a rarity. Not so many people hiked it. Today, the mountain is drawing too many people, causing an ecological problem for the mountain and a headache for authorities.

The Straits Times reported:

TOKYO - With its millions of visitors every year and the buses, supply trucks, noodle shops and fridge magnets, Japan’s Mount Fuji is no longer the peaceful pilgrimage site it once was.

Now the authorities have had enough, saying the number of hikers trekking up the world-famous volcano – night and day – is dangerous and an ecological embarrassment.

“Mount Fuji is screaming,” the governor of the local region said last week.

Hailing its religious importance and its inspiration to artists, Unesco in 2013 added the “internationally recognised icon of Japan” to its World Heritage List.

But as has happened in places such as Bruges in Belgium or Rio de Janeiro’s Sugarloaf Mountain, the designation has been both a blessing and a curse.

Visitor numbers more than doubled between 2012 and 2019 to 5.1 million, and that is just for Yamanashi prefecture, the main starting point.

To read more, go here. 

The Discovery of Crater Lake

Above, Wizard Island in Crater Lake is shrouded by smoke from nearby wildfires. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The state of Oregon has only one national park. That park is Crater Lake National Park.

I last visited Crater Lake National Park in 2017 as part of my Great American Eclipse trip.

Central Oregonian has posted a short article on the discovery of Crater Lake National Park. Before it became Crater Lake, it had other names.

The article begins with:

Ancestors of current Native American tribes 7,460 years ago witnessed the volcanic explosion of Mt. Mazama that created Crater Lake. Crater Lake is located within the collapsed caldera. The site has long been a sacred site for the native inhabitants. Early settlers were unaware of the existence of the lake because of the sacred aspects and natives were reluctant to tell about the site.

To read more, go here. 

Is A Yellowstone Eruption Closer Than Thought?

Above, a Yellowstone mudpot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yellowstone National Park is a super-volcano. Its features are the result of volcanic activity.

Scientists are studying the park's geology. Some are wondering whether or not an eruption of the super-volcano is closer than we thought.

This is the subject of an article in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.

They begin it with:

POWELL — In the same way digital photography has evolved from 3 megapixel state-of-the-art professional DSLR cameras in the late 90s to folks now carrying 15 megapixel cameras in their cellphones, scientists are enjoying the benefits from vastly improved imaging, a leading expert studying the Yellowstone Volcano reports.

A team of researchers from the University of Utah, New Mexico University and the Institute of Earth Sciences in Taiwan in 2020 deployed 650 temporary seismometers in Yellowstone to measure seismic wave speeds in the subsurface of the caldera’s magma chamber.

The massive deployment resulted in the best picture of the magma chamber ever seen and has led to interesting findings. Important — though rarely discussed around work-place water coolers outside of those intended for scientists — the deployment provided a view at how magma waves behave; specifically if horizontally oriented waves of magma are faster or slower than vertically oriented ones.

To read more, go here.

FAA Plan To Slash Hawaii Volcanoes Helicopter Tours 88%

Above, approaching a Kilauea crater by helicopter in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As one might expect, the current eruption of Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island in Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is drawing a lot of spectators. Along with that, demand for helicopter tours over the volcano are in high demand.

Getting a helicopter tour will be harder if a plan by the FAA and the National Park Service goes into effect. The plan is to slash tours by 88%.

Beat of Hawaii reported:

On an auspicious day when USGS just announced and shared photos (above) of the Kilauea volcano once again erupting, as seen within the Halemaumau crater, a visitors-welcome Zoom meeting will take place regarding the proposed drastic reduction in helicopter tours in the area. During the last eruption, your editors found it impossible to get a helicopter tour when they visited. With the planned reduction we imagine that tours will become far more costly too.

The FAA and the National Park Service (NPS) have issued a draft Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) with significant proposed changes and a massive reduction in helicopter tours for both Haleakala National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The issue is the overall environmental impact of the air tours, especially the constant noise helicopters create.

We have to say this is a good idea. We’ve hiked at Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park on Kauai many times,  only to have helicopters flying over us incessantly at the end of the trail.

The FAA and NPS plan is to severely limit helicopter tours at two Hawaii locations: the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island and the Haleakalā National Park on Maui. If you have any opinion on this, you are urged to comment before the June 20 deadline. More information is below.

I took a helicopter tour of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in 2016 and it was an enjoyable and interesting experience.

To read more, go here.

How To Explore Crater Lake National Park

Above, Wizard Island through the smoky haze. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in August 2017, during my Great American Eclipse trip to Idaho, I headed into Oregon to visit Crater Lake National Park. I hadn't been there since 1971 when I camped there with my parents.

Except for smoke from wildfires in and around the park at the time, Crater Lake was as I remembered it.  

Condé Nast Traveler has an article on the park on what one an see and do there.

They begin it with:

In the remote forests of southern Oregon, a dramatic caldera harbors the deepest lake in the United States. 

Cliff-encircled Crater Lake is what remains of a volcano, once taller than Mount Hood, that erupted here nearly eight thousand years ago. The snowmelt- and rain-fed lake is called Giiwas in the Klamath language. For the Klamath Tribes, the original stewards of these lands who continue to live in the surrounding area, Giiwas is the legendary site of a dramatic conflict. It remains a place of great spiritual significance—something respectful visitors will appreciate when they first take in the sight. 

To read more, go here. 

Yellowstone Misinformation Called "Hogwash"

Above, a geothermal hot spring in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's a lot of scammers out there. For the past ten hours, I have been dealing with counterfeit "silver" coins that I purchased. 

Scams now come in all shapes and sizes.

There's a story about Yellowstone National Park with misinformation being bandied about the park being closed due to an alleged "imminent eruption" of the park's caldera. It is totally bogus.

Oregon Live posted:

Did you hear that Yellowstone National Park is closed? Well, it’s not.

At this point, any time we start a story with ‘did you hear...’ it’s a pretty safe bet that the thing you heard is online misinformation. That’s definitely the case with this one.

It’s true that Yellowstone did close areas last summer due to historic floods in the park. But the current claim circulating online -- that park officials have “closed down the park” due to a rising “volcanic uplift” -- has nothing to do with the very real floods back in June. Also, it isn’t true on any of the facts -- the park remains open, and there are no current signs of any “uplift.”

Claims about an imminent eruption of Yellowstone’s supervolcano pop up online pretty regularly -- and it’s easy to understand why. The Yellowstone caldera has erupted in the distant past, with global consequences, and modern scientists do monitor it for signs of volcanic activity.

That does not, however, mean an eruption is expected any time soon.

It seems that some people have nothing better to do than to spread misinformation and scam people.

To read more, go here. 

Bye-Bye To The Mirage's Volcano

Above, a daytime view of the Mirage volcano in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Looks like the new owners of The Mirage hotel and casino in Las Vegas will be doing away with the iconic volcano that is situated near Las Vegas Blvd. on the Las Vegas Strip.

According to the Las Vegas Sun:

Hard Rock International will do away with the Mirage volcano once construction begins to renovate and rebrand the property, the company’s CEO said.

“While we’re very respectful of the legacy of the volcano, we recognize that that is part of the Mirage of the past,” Hard Rock CEO Jim Allen during a Nevada Gaming Commission meeting today.

“We will not be continuing to operate the volcano once we commence construction,” he said.

Allen made his comments during a special meeting to consider approval of the $1.075 billion purchase of Mirage operations from MGM Resorts International.

Commissioners voted to OK the deal, which is expected to close as soon as Monday.

To read more, go here. 

How To See The Volcanic Eruptions On The Big Island

Above, approaching a Kilauea crater by helicopter. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Big Island is getting a lot of attention lately as it has two volcanoes erupting at the same time.

The volcanoes erupting are Kilauea and Mauna Loa at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Mauna Loa started erupting on November 27.

Many people are flocking to the Big Island of Hawaii to view the eruptions. Travel Weekly has posted an article on how to see Mauna Loa and Kilauea. 

Above, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters at Hilo Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I took a helicopter flight over Kilauea in 2016 with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters out of Hilo Airport. It was an interesting flight, one that I heartily recommend. Kilauea was quiet at the time, but we did see lava inside a crater as we flew over it.

Travel Weekly begins with:

It's been almost 40 years since the last time the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes were erupting at the same time. As such a rare event, it's already brought many visitors to the island specifically to see the spectacle, while others are still wondering whether they should get on a plane and go.

The answer to that question came earlier this month from Hawaii County mayor Mitch Roth. "It's actually a great time to come," he said in a press conference. "People are here and seeing some of the most unbelievable sights ever, and you don't have to go up Saddle Road. You can see [the Mauna Loa lava flow] from Hilo. You can see it from Kona. You can see it from Kau."

In order to see both the Kilauea and Mauna Loa eruptions at the same time, you'll have to go to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HVNP), atop Kilauea. The park is closest to Hilo, and it would be recommended to arrive at that airport if the park is part of the agenda. 

To read more, go here. 

Earthquake In Eddy County New Mexico

Yes, even New Mexico gets earthquakes on occasion. Some parts of the state has a history of volcanoes. Lava fields can be seen along Interstate 40 near Grants and Milan.

A 3.2 quake hit yesterday.

Volcano Discovery posted:

A magnitude 3.2 earthquake near Malaga, Eddy County, New Mexico, USA, was reported only 17 minutes ago by the United States Geological Survey, considered the key international and national agency that monitors seismic activity in the US. The earthquake occurred at a very shallow depth of 4.8 miles beneath the epicenter around noon on Thursday, July 28th, 2022, at 1:03 pm local time.

To read more, go here.

Tokyo Cheapo: Tokyo To Mount Fuji Guide

Above, a shinkansen view of Mount Fuji. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of these days, the Japanese government will reopen its borders to foreign tourists. But that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. (I would be happy to be proven wrong in this instance.)

So, as people are busy twitting their their thumbs waiting for that reopening, they should instead start planning their next (or first) vacation in Japan. If a visit to the symbol of Japan, Mount Fuji is in their plans, Tokyo Cheapo has an article on how to get there from Tokyo.

They begin with:

So you want to see Mt Fuji, that 3,776-meter-high icon of Japan? It’s actually a volcano, but let’s not think too much about that… Whether you plan to climb to the summit or just Fuji-spot around the lakes below, there are a few different transport options. Here’s an overview of how you can get from Tokyo to Mt Fuji, in or out of the climbing season, plus other useful stuff to know.

Above, a nighttime view of Mount Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Hike Along The Rim Of A Dormant Volcano

Above, the Phantom Ship in the smoky haze. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over the years, I have been to Crater Lake National Park three times, the last time being five years ago during my Great American Eclipse trip. One time, my parents and I hiked down to the water. That was enjoyable, but the hike back up was something else. It was a good thing I was 19 at the time and handled it okay.

While the trip to Crater Lake was enjoyable, it was slightly marred by wildfires in the area. The smoke from those fires settled inside the crater, giving it a hazy look.

Only In Your State has posted an article on hiking around the rim of Crater Lake.

It begins with:

There’s nowhere on Earth quite like Crater Lake, and here in Oregon, we are immensely proud to call it ours. There are many ways to experience this extraordinary national park in Oregon, from cruising the 33-mile-long Rim Drive that encircles the lake to chartering a boat that journeys through its pristine waters. Our favorite, however, is the old-fashioned way: on foot. Clocking in at an easy (and flat) four miles, the Discovery Point Trail is one of the most accessible and popular treks in the park, and it allows adventurers to literally hike along the rim of this magnificent dormant volcano in Oregon.

To read more (and see plenty of photos), go here.

New Instrument To Track Magma Is En Route To Kilauea

Above, aerial view of lava in a Kilauea Volcano crater. Photo by armand Vaquer.

A new "gamechanger" instrument is en route to Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii that will help keep visitors and locals safer.

According to Hawaii News Now:

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A state-of-the-art equipment upgrade is on its way to Kilauea and it’s expected to go a long way in tracking what’s going on underground.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is already the perfect environment for research and needs monitoring to keep the public safe.

Scientists now have a tool that’s expected to be a gamechanger in what’s known as the absolute quantum gravimeter.

The instrument arrived in the islands a few months ago from France and there are only a handful of these instruments in the world.

It’s believed that it’s only the second one that’ll be used on an active volcano as the other is on Mount Etna in Italy.

Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say it can track moving magma underground — by detecting tiny changes in gravity.

 To read more, go here.

Japan: Deepest Earthquake Ever Detected

Japan is well known for its volcanoes and earthquakes. It is right on the Pacific's "Ring of Fire".

Many volcanic eruptions have been noted in recorded history, most recently it was Mount Aso in Kyushu and the Tohoku Earthquake (the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami) is still fresh in people's minds despite having taken place ten years ago.

An interesting earthquake took place under Japan's Bonin Islands (Ogasawara Islands) several years ago. At a depth of 423 miles, it was one of the deepest earthquakes ever recorded. National Geographic has posted an interesting article about it.

They begin it with:

One spring evening six years ago, hundreds of miles underground, our planet began to rumble from a series of peculiar earthquakes. Most of Earth's temblors strike within a few dozen miles of the surface, but these quakes stirred at depths where temperatures and pressures grow so intense that rocks tend to bend rather than break.

The first jolt, which struck off the coasts of Japan's remote Bonin Islands, was recorded at magnitude 7.9 and up to 680 kilometers (423 miles) underground, making it one of the deepest quakes of its size. Then another oddity emerged in the cascade of aftershocks that followed: a tiny temblor that, if confirmed, would be the deepest earthquake ever detected.

 To read more, go here.

Mount Aso On Kyushu Erupts

Mount Aso on Kyushu, Japan should be a familiar place to fans of Godzilla and related kaiju movies.

Above, inside Aso Volcano Museum in 2007. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was where the Rodans met their demise in Rodan (1956). I paid a visit to Mount Aso National Park in 2007. I couldn't see much as a snowstorm blew into the area at the same time I was there. However, I was able to see inside of the crater through television monitors set up in the visitor center.

Well, the old mountain has decided to erupt again.

Reuters reported:

TOKYO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - A volcano erupted in Japan on Wednesday, blasting ash several miles into the sky and prompting officials to warn against the threat of lava flows and falling rocks, but there were no reports of injuries or casualties.

Mount Aso, a tourist destination on the main southern island of Kyushu, sent plumes of ash 3.5 km (2.2 miles) high when it erupted at about 11:43 a.m. (0243 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

It raised the alert level for the volcano to 3 on a scale of 5, telling people not to approach, and warned of a risk of large falling rocks and pyroclastic flows within a radius of about 1 km (0.6 mile) around the mountain's Nakadake crater.

 To read more, go here. 

Japan Travel Planning: Mount Fuji

Above, Mount Fuji as seen from an Osaka-bound Shinkansen. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With travel to Japan seemingly opening up to those who are vaccinated next month (I'll believe it when I see it), now's the time to study what the country has to offer for vacation planning.

World Atlas has posted information on Japan's tallest mountain peak: Mount Fuji.

They start with:

Rising to an elevation of 3,776.24m, Mount Fuji - also referred to as “Fuji-san” in Japanese, is considered the tallest mountain in Japan. Mount Fuji is situated close to the Pacific coast in the Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectures in the heart of the large island of Honshu, about 100km to the southwest of the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area. Geologists classify Mount Fuji to be an active stratovolcano, which last erupted from 1707 to 1708. The mountain is considered as the world’s 7th highest mountain peak of an island and Asia’s 2nd highest volcano that is situated on an island. 

To read more, go here. 

How To Safely View Kilauea Eruptions

Above, a helicopter view inside Kilauea's crater in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The recent eruptions of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island is drawing a lot of attention and people want to see it for themselves.

Travel Weekly has posted an article with tips on how to safely view it.

They start it with:

Kilauea, a volcano at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, started erupting on Sept. 29, and, so far, the activity is contained within its crater, making for some spectacular sights.

During the day, spectators can see volcanic gas and steam billow out of Halemaumau, the summit crater. The park is open 24-hours a day, and at night visitors are entranced by the 127-acre lava lake casting a reddish-orange glow against the crater walls and into the dark sky. 

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Erupts

Above, a smoking Kilauea volcano crater during our approach by helicopter in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Thanks to Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, COVID-19 has been slightly bumped from the news coming out of Hawaii.

The volcano has decided to erupt again.

From ABC News:

HONOLULU -- One of the most active volcanos on Earth is erupting on Hawaii's Big Island.

Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed Wednesday that an eruption has begun in Kilauea volcano's Halemaumau crater at the volcano's summit.

Webcam footage of the crater showed lava fountains covering the floor of the crater and billowing clouds of volcanic gas were rising into the air. The same area has been home to a large lava lake at various times throughout the volcano's eruptive past.

The eruption is not in an area with homes and is entirely contained within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

To read more, go here. 

How To See Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Above, a 2016 helicopter view of a Kilauea crater. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one is interested in geology or volcanoes in particular, they may want to check out an article on how to see the best of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.

That is the topic posted by The Travel.

Five years ago, I took a helicopter trip over Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters from Hilo. It was an interesting excursion and one I would recommend.

They begin with:

Hawaii owes its whole existence to volcanoes - it is not built on a continental shelf at all unlike the vast majority of land in the world. It is a volcanic wonderland and boasts multiple active volcanoes. Two of these active volcanoes are in the stunning Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

The two volcanoes are Kilauea and Mauna Loa, not only is this park stunning for visitors, but it is also an important area for volcanologists to study. It is a trip into another world and an experience not to be forgotten. 

To read the full article, go here.