This was one of those places of a different flavor.  And it has nothing to do with there being no one on duty to charge admission.  (Hey, the park opens at 8am, we were there at 8:15am, so there should have been a ranger there if they wanted our $10.)  In a nutshell, this is a big ol' lava flow, stretching for miles and miles.  Between that, and the elevation (about 6,100+ feet), the air is thinner, dryer, and you tend to get thirsty faster.  Thank goodness for Pepsi...

And it begins as so many of my visits do, with a stop at the sign...	Just to set expectations, you can't take rocks with you; if they get stuck to your feet, well...	As I'm sure with any hill or mountain, it doesn't look that big from the ground, but...
... but the time you're halfway there, you start to feel that you're not even halfway there...	... once there, it's worth it.  Dead quiet, just a slight breeze, and you can see forever...	... and ever.
Of course, you've got to walk back.  And yes, that dark green dot there is the car.