Lassen Volcanic National Park

With two trips a year now standard operating procedure for Los Boyz, we followed up our spring Hetch Hetchy adventure with a fall expedition to Lassen Volcanic National Park. The plan? A little luxury car camping, a two-night backpacking loop through the Cluster Lakes, and the usual assortment of fine food, good scotch, and questionable decision-making.

As usual, getting the Boyz together required some logistical gymnastics. Mitch and Snyde would fly and drive, Doug would roll down from Oregon in his trusty rig, and Egg and Eric faced the long haul from the Central Coast. Mitch, Doug, and Snyde decided to get the party started a day early with a bonus night at McArthur-Burney Falls State Park.

And party they did.

With the campsite secured, Doug rolled in and the beers were cracked before the dust had settled. A short hike to the spectacular Burney Falls provided some much-needed exercise before the evening's main event: burgers courtesy of Doug's magical grill, accompanied by the requisite Balvenie and a healthy dose of Los Boyz banter. Life was good. Apparently a little too good for Snyde, who slept until 9 AM the next morning. Clearly, the man was conserving energy for the challenges ahead.

The next morning started with bacon and eggs, courtesy of Doug's equally magical skillet. But just as we were packing up, a call came from Eric. A family situation involving his mom needed his attention, and he was torn between joining the Boyz and heading home. Family comes first, and Eric made the right call. We were disappointed to lose our resident mixologist and joke teller, but we wished him well and carried on. Sometimes even Los Boyz have to put adventure on hold.

After a stop to explore a pretty cool lava tube, we rolled into Manzanita Lake Campground, where Egg was waiting. The crew was now four strong. Tents went up, beers came out, and the serious business of discussing the next day's route began.

The big question was what we'd encounter on the trail. The massive 2021 Dixie Fire had devastated much of the area, and reports of fallen trees and difficult trail conditions had us wondering what lay ahead. But hey, what's a little deadfall to a bunch of seasoned backcountry veterans?

That night, Doug worked his magic again, this time serving up a killer tri-tip dinner. A few drinks, some laughs, and we were ready for the wilderness.

Saturday morning arrived, and the traditional Los Boyz pre-hike ritual commenced: fiddling with our shit. Packing, repacking, adjusting straps, locating missing gear, and generally making a simple process more complicated than necessary. But after 25 years of practice, we've gotten pretty efficient at it. Before long, we were at the trailhead, snapped the obligatory group photo, and headed into the great beyond.

The weather was perfect, and the hiking was terrific. The fire-scarred landscape was a sobering sight, but there was still plenty of beauty to be found. After about five miles, we located a decent campsite, pitched our tents, and settled in for another classic Los Boyz evening. On the menu? Our now-famous beans and Fritos, washed down with a nip or two of Balvenie. Five-star dining at 6,000 feet!

Then the temperature dropped.

And dropped.

By morning, our water had frozen. Getting out of a warm sleeping bag was about as appealing as a root canal. But eventually the promise of hot coffee and oatmeal got us moving.

Over breakfast, we assessed the situation. The original plan called for another night in the backcountry, but with limited campsites in the fire-ravaged terrain and another freezing night ahead, we made an executive decision: finish the loop and head back to Manzanita Lake for a proper campfire and a little more comfort.

Seven miles later, we emerged from the wilderness, tired but happy. A quick 20-minute drive and we were back at our old stomping grounds.

That's when things got interesting.

Snyde and Mitch, thinking themselves particularly clever, decided to upgrade their accommodations and rent a cabin. No more frozen water bottles for these two geniuses! They had a reservation for Cabin #9 and were feeling pretty smug about the whole thing.

Until they arrived.

Turns out Cabin #9 was already occupied—or at least reserved—by a woman named Lydia from Florida. What the hell?

After some back-and-forth with the campground host, the mystery was finally solved. Snyde had indeed booked a cabin. Unfortunately, it was in NewMexico.

New Mexico!

Apparently, geography wasn't Snyde's strong suit that day. Dreams of a cozy cabin evaporated faster than a martini at a Los Boyz happy hour. Defeated and dejected they returned to the campground to rejoin Doug and Egg. At least they had a good story to tell. And you can bet Snyde won't be living that one down anytime soon.

The next morning, we squeezed in one final Lassen highlight—a hike through the otherworldly geothermal landscape of Bumpass Hell. Bubbling mud pots,steaming vents, and the unmistakable smell of sulfur made for a fitting finale. After all, we'd already been through a little hell trying to secure our cabin.

From there, Mitch and Snyde headed for Sacramento and flights home, whileDoug and Egg returned to Manzanita Lake for one more night.

And just like that, another Los Boyz adventure was in the books.

We didn't quite follow the original itinerary. We lost a member, froze our water, changed our camping plan, and somehow booked lodging two states away. But we ate like kings, hiked some interesting country, enjoyed plenty of laughs, and added another chapter to the Los Boyz legend.

Twenty-five years into this thing, we've learned one important lesson: the itinerary is merely a suggestion. The adventure is guaranteed.

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