Hi 2 Cents. You would be surprised at the amount of vegetation that can be found in the area. You can find “Mule Fat” which is bush type plate with leather like leaves and “Buck Brush) which the deer can browse on.

At the north end of the volcano vegetation consists of scattered low brush and grass with occasional juniper trees. Farther south, larger brush in the form of mountain mahogany appears, and juniper trees are more abundant. At the southern boundary of the volcano, ponderosa pine is common. Continuing up the north side of Medicine Lake volcano, vegetation zones continue to change and the forest cover increases.

In the Hat Creek area there is a lot of sagebrush, with sand on the surface. However if you dig down about 6 inches you will find nothing but lava.

You can find lave tubes in the area also. One such tube is named “Subway Cave”. It can be 100 degrees outside, but when you go inside the cave you need a jacket, as it gets pretty darn cold once you get inside. It’s also darker then the inside of black dog so you need a flashlight.

There are indications of volcanic activity all over the place, but whether it came from Medicine Lake, or Mt. Shasta I don’t know.

It’s rather doubtful that I will ever climb to the top of the volcano again, as the pain in my legs would prevent it.

The pain is like a faithful friend. It never goes away and always reminds you that you are still alive. It limits the things I can do, which is just about anything that involves walking for any great distance. Take Care…Don in creepy town