Near Mount Shasta, in the northeastern corner of California, the activity of the Medicine Lake Shield Volcano has created a complex and storied landscape. Cinder cones dot the map. Glass and lava flows spill out from the ground.
A campground in the midst of this volcanic terrain is empty when I arrive late at night. The milky way passes by through the sunroof window as I fall asleep in the car,
Dirt roads lead through the forest to a lava flow area. A perfect cinder cone sits in the center of the solidified flow. It stood out to me like a bullseye on the map when I was planning this trip weeks ago. Walking across the jumbled landscape towards the cinder cone, I watch it take form in the groggy dusk. Forest fire smoke diffuses the quiet morning scene.
A deep growl cuts through the darkness. I freeze and scan the rocky surroundings for movement. The silence is palpable.
Again, the growl. A bear. I can't see it, but it sounds like it's about 200 feet ahead. Hurriedly, I backtrack to the car and slam the door shut. I'm awake now.
Fortunately there are plenty of other volcanic features nearby to explore this morning. Medicine Lake fills the shield volcano's central crater, surrounded by pumice and obsidian flows. I pick up massive pumice boulders that are so porous they're light enough to lift easily with one hand. Elsewhere, piles of shiny black obsidian glass rise from the earth. The Modoc people collected obsidian from this area for toolmaking as early as 4,500 years ago.
Nearby, Lava Beds National Monument is home to the highest concentration of lava tube caves on the continent. As lava flowed thousands of years ago, the outer surface of the flow often solidified first, while the liquid center kept flowing. Eventually the lava would run out, leaving behind a tube-like cave.
I enter one of the caves.
My headlamp lights the way through hundreds of feet of pitch black. Here, a roof collapse allows a beam of sunlight to pierce the dark. It reveals an otherworldly scene.
Another nearby cave stretches for nearly a mile, narrowing more and more until I have to crawl to advance.
The air inside the caves is cool and damp. It's a welcome relief from the sweltering smoke outside.
North of the caves is a rocky outcrop that was surrounded by Tule Lake for thousands of years, up until the early 1900s when it was drained to create farmland. Throughout that time, the area was inhabited by the indigenous Modoc people, until they were forced into reservations following a brutal war with the United States in the 1870s.
Long before they were forced out, the Modoc people left their mark upon the volcanic rock in the form of cave paintings and etchings. Scanning the cliffs for designs, I spot a small red cross. Upon searching the surrounding area, I find hundreds of ancient designs etched deep into the stone.
Circles, dots, waves, and other ancient motifs overlap one another in long horizontal panels. One panel is partially covered by rockfall. An anthropomorphic figure peeks out from the space between the rocks.
Falcons, owls, and swallows flutter above as I walk along the rock for awhile, entranced by the petroglyphs. I could stay for hours, but there's much more to see today.
Walking away, I turn back to look at the cliff. There, in silhouette against the sky, the stone shows its spirit.
To the West is one of the most popular rock art sites in California, Petroglyph Point. Due to its popularity, the series of panels has been heavily vandalized and subsequently fenced with barbed wire for protection. It's a sad frame though which to view a sacred site.
Nonetheless, Petroglyph Point is impressive. Over 5,000 individual carvings cover the cliff. Archaeologists estimate that the petroglyphs were etched over the past 6,000 years. Throughout that time, the level of Tule Lake fluctuated heavily, eroding some of the designs. It's thought that ancient people may have even paddled out in canoes to etch some of the petroglyphs that appear higher up on the wall. It's a stunning scene to imagine.
The sheer multitude of petroglyphs makes for an overwhelming display. The wall is blanketed in art. Orange light casts a shadow of barbed wire on the ancient canvas as the sun sets.
Sleep comes easily at my campsite near the caves. An hour before sunrise, I wake and hike out into the smoky dusk.
The path meanders through brush to the mouth of a cave. Stone steps lead down into the sacred chamber.
Pictograph panels line the walls. Some of the motifs here are similar to those at Petroglyph Point, yet rendered in stark black paint.
Hours pass. No one else visits the cave. Sunken in the ground, surrounded by ancient art, I'm completely removed from the world.
Hazy sunlight drifts into the cave. Above, birds sing. I put away my camera so I can be fully present for awhile.
With a deep breath, I turn and hike up the steps, back into the world.
Footnotes:
Rock art sites are sacred places. Please respect any rock art you encounter, do not touch, do not share unpublished locations, and leave no trace.