Wandering in Bumpass Hell

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First View of Bumpass Hell © 2013 Bo Mackison

Bumpass Hell is a geothermal area that spans 16 acres in Lassen Volcanic National Park. It has various hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots accessible by a 3 mile trail. What a sight, once the thermals are in sight.

Bumpass Hell

Thermals © 2013 Bo Mackison

The area is named after Kendall Bumpass, a cowboy who lived in the Lassen area in the 1860s. One day Bumpass stumbled upon the area and he was injured when one of his legs broke through the thin thermal crust. He told his friends and townspeople about it, describing it as “hell.”

Bumpass Hell

The Reward at the End of Bumpass Hell Trail © 2013 Bo Mackison

Bumpass Hell Thermals

Wandering in Bumpass Hell © 2013 Bo Mackison

Bumpass Hell Thermals

Boardwalk through Bumpass Hell Thermals © 2013 Bo Mackison

Boardwalks wander through the thermal area, often with no side rails. it’s a bit daunting to realize that one misstep and the fall could result in severe injuries. But it does give one a clear view of the marvels of the thermals.

Thermal Creek

Kings Creek – Thermal Waters © 2013 Bo Mackison

The creek running south from the thermals is a milky white, carrying minerals and hot water.

Bumpass Hell Thermals

Bumpass Hell Thermals © 2013 Bo Mackison

Wandering in Bumpass Hell

Walk on the Wild Side © 2013 Bo Mackison

 

Wandering in Bumpass Hell

Bumpass Hell © 2013 Bo Mackison

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Green Vegetation in Bumpass Hell © 2013 Bo Mackison

Some of the areas near the thermals are cool enough to allow vegetation to grow close to the hot springs.

The descriptions were abbreviated because, not only are the National Parks closed during the budget battles, but the National Park websites are also down.

Instead of descriptions, just enjoy the photo travelogue of Bumpass Hell Thermal Area in Lassen Volcanic National Park in California.

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Bo Mackison is photographer, book-artist, collector of stories, naturalist, curator and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Enjoyed hiking the Bumpass Hell trail when I visited California in August.

Autumn Blessing

Aubrey -

Autumn Blessing ©2013 Bo Mackison

One Autumn day, Aubrey entered my world, and opened my eyes and heart in a brand new way. I guess I am now officially a member of the grammarrazi – and that doesn’t mean I’ve joined the grammar police!

Such a blissful moment, becoming a grandmother. Ah, dear granddaughter, I am smitten.

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Bo Mackison is photographer, book-artist, collector of stories, naturalist, curator and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC.  Yesterday I became a grandmother. But only Aubrey has the privilege to call me Grandma Bo! 🙂

Listening to the Trees

Redwood National Park

Green © 2013 Bo Mackison

“A longing to wander tears my heart when I hear trees rustling in the wind at evening. If one listens to them silently for a long time, this longing reveals its kernel, its meaning. It is not so much a matter of escaping from one’s suffering, though it may seem to be so. It is a longing for home, for a memory of the mother, for new metaphors for life. It leads home. Every path leads homeward, every step is birth, every step is death, every grave is mother.

“So the tree rustles in the evening, when we stand uneasy before our own childish thoughts: Trees have long thoughts, long-breathing and restful, just as they have longer lives than ours. They are wiser than we are, as long as we do not listen to them. But when we have learned how to listen to trees, then the brevity and the quickness and the childlike hastiness of our thoughts achieve an incomparable joy. Whoever has learned how to listen to trees no longer wants to be a tree. He wants to be nothing except what he is. That is home. That is happiness.”
~ Hermann Hesse

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Bo Mackison is photographer, book-artist, collector of stories, naturalist, curator and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Today I wandered through my many notebooks and journals, in search  of quotes about trees.

Integration – A Prairie Wisdom Card

Integration - A Prairie Wisdom Card

Integration – A Prairie Wisdom Card © 2012 Bo Mackison

Spider teaches you to maintain a balance – between past and future, physical and spiritual, male and female. Spider teaches you that everything you now do is weaving what you will encounter in the future. ~ Ted Andrews, in Animal Speak

The spider’s web is intricate and purposeful. It is a visual reminder that whatever is woven in the gauzy fabric of our past will have an influence – sometimes delicate or unseen – in our present and our future. As the central figure in our life’s web, we are reminded that we are the weaver of our lives , using the threads of our thoughts, words and actions.

“In each of us lie good and bad, light and dark, art and pain, choice and regret, cruelty and sacrifice. We’re each of us our own chiaroscuro, our own bit of illusion fighting to emerge into something solid, something real…” ~ Libba Bray

The INTEGRATION card offers activities for contemplation, art, and writing and a call to action:

  • Art activities: Chiaroscuro, an art term, is used in the above quote by Bray, a metaphor for the illusions of light and dark that make up the human spirit.
    • Renaissance artists coined the term “Chiaroscuro” to describe how light and dark convey depth and volume. The word Chiaroscuro is a combination of two Italian words. Chiaro means clear or light + oscuro means obscure or dark. These artists discovered that the use of shading and tonal variety gave a 3D look to a 2D object, transformed a flat drawing into an illusion of dimension.
    • Draw a line drawing of a simple object — perhaps a piece of fruit or a ball. Then shine a light on the side of the object and draw it a second time, adding simple shadows and highlights. Compare the two drawings.
  • Contemplative practice: Compare the differences, nuances, and depth of character between a two-dimensional person and a three-dimensional person. When is a person more likely to be less dimensional? More dimensional?
  • Journal prompts: In your journal, discuss how the combination of shadows and light affect a simple drawing. Discuss how learning about the dark and light characteristics of oneself makes one more authentic, more self-aware, more fully responsible for his or her actions.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC.  Bo is creating a set of Prairie Wisdom Cards, second in her series of cards based on natural habitats, and used for exploration and self-discovery. The first set, the Desert Wisdom Cards, are now available.

Dreaming of Grasshoppers and Lions

Dahlia, Oh Dahlia

Dahlia, Oh Dahlia © 2012 Bo Mackison

 

In the dream, I rest under the red-streaked flower petals,
lean hard against the wooly stem, gulping air, out of breath.
The palms of my hands press deep, leaving imprints
in the sugary sap. A dahlia forest. And I am ant-sized

and suddenly outnumbered by a cloud of gray-headed
grasshoppers. Sap from the stem drips on me, thin and
opaque like school glue. The stem is a vertical rope
and I ascend, slide between the shivery-cool sheets.

A ragged grasshopper leaps high, plucking the lowest petals,
shredding them into flower confetti which falls to the earth.
I climb deeper into the flower as more grasshoppers
dance in wild catapults, flinging me about. The petals tremble.

And it’s a dream, yes, so as I spill out of the petals,
the roar of a lion frightens away the grasshoppers
and I awake, perplexed, then laugh amused,
as the cat’s tail flicks my face and he leaps from my bed.

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Bo Mackison is photographer, book-maker, collector of stories, naturalist, curator and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. Apparently I have wild dreams about miniature flora while under the influence of pain medication. Hmmm. Hoping to get back on track soon.