Climbing and Skiing Lassen & Shasta: Day 2 of 8

Field Notes

May 29

Day 2: Getting My Bearings at Mount Lassen

as always, the full gallery is at the bottom, so skip there if you don’t care about the words

I woke up at four in the morning with big plans. Sunrise photography at Mount Lassen. Epic light. The whole adventure photographer dream. I dragged myself out of bed, looked outside the van, and immediately knew those plans were dead. The fog was thick. The clouds were heavy. Everything was gray and soupy and there was zero chance of anything epic happening before sunrise. So I made the smart call. I went back to bed.

A few more hours of sleep made a huge difference. When I finally got up and had some coffee, the world felt a bit more manageable. I took my time that morning because I knew this day was about getting my bearings, not making magic happen. I wasn't going to rush into this project half awake and exhausted.

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Once the van was rolling, I backtracked a bit because I'd spotted something from the road the night before that looked promising. I flew my drone and shot from the ground, but honestly, it was so foggy and gross that nothing really came together. That's adventure though. Sometimes you try something and it doesn't work out. You learn and you move on.

As I kept driving, I made a stop at Mill Creek because the roadside view just grabbed me. I took a bunch of photographs there. The light was still terrible, but the landscape had character and I wanted to document it. Then I headed toward the south entrance of the park, thinking that would be my main access point. When I got there, I realized the road was closed. Just like that, my plan changed. I walked around, took some photos, talked to a ranger, and accepted that this entrance wasn't happening.

Camera Gear I Packed For The Shasta & Lassen Project:

Sony a7r4
Tamron 16-30; probably my favorite lens right now
Tamron 28-75; I think this is the best all around focal length
Tamron 70-180; I don’t use this a ton, but it’s a great lens
Peak Design Tripod
Peak Design Lite strap (I was lucky enough to get the camo version from the Sitka collab that sold out in less than 24 hours and feel cool about that)
GoPro 13

So I did what any reasonable person would do. I drove an hour and a half all the way around the outside of the park to the north entrance where Manzanita Lake sits. When I finally got there, it was still rainy and foggy. Not ideal. But I made the most of it. I shot some product work for the brands I was working with, explored the area, and drove as far up the road as I could go to see what was around the next bend.

I thought about hiking the approach to scope out my ski line, but then I looked at the time and reality hit me. I still had commercial work to finish for the day, work that actually paid the bills and kept these brand partnerships alive. So instead of hiking, I grabbed my binoculars, looked at the route from a distance, and made a mental note of what I'd see. The day was slipping away and I needed to be smart about it.

By late afternoon, I knew it was time to head out. I had no cell service most of the day, so I wanted to check in with Kristin and let her know I was okay. Then I found a spot to sleep for the night, knowing exactly what tomorrow would bring. I was going to wake up early, really early, and hit Manzanita Lake at first light. I'd do a preliminary ski to scout the base of the route and get eyes on exactly what I'd be dealing with when I went for the real ski attempt on day four.

Again, thank you to anyone and everyone reading this. If you have enjoyed this journal entry, shoot me an email to say hey: dj@dalton-johnson.com

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