The highway through Lassen Volcanic National Park has opened for the season. The 30 mile stretch of Highway 89 is a yearly challenge for plow operators, who generally start in early-to-mid-April on a roadway that reaches an elevation of 8500 feet with snowdrifts that can be as deep as 40 feet some years. Sometimes the plows meet in the middle as early as the first week of May, and this year had relatively mild snowfall. The latest opening was in 2017 when it wasn’t plowed all the way through until July 27th. Records date back to 1931. The Bumpass Hell Trail and many higher elevation trails are still closed. Full details on closures and activities are at nps.gov/lavo.
-Steve Gibson