One of the gems of Lassen County, is Juniper Lake tucked away high in the mountains of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Due to its remoteness, it is just not on a lot of people’s radar to visit. It should be duly noted ever since the Anglo settlement there was always some one to figure out how to utilize the natural resources and Juniper Lake was of no exception.

In the early 1900s hydroelectric power was playing a prominent role in the Feather River watershed. One of those developments witnessed the creation of Lake Almanor as part of Great Western Power Company’s hydro-power system. In two separate instances in 1908 and 1909 two individuals claimed the water rights to Juniper Lake for hydro-electric power purposes. On paper it looked fine, especially the sharp drop of elevation from the lake’s outlet. However, there was one crucial element missing. For it to succeed, a sufficient flow of water needed to come into lake, as needed to sustain the flow leaving the lake to generate power. Juniper Lake receives spring run-off and that was not enough. Interest quickly faded, and the proposed project abandoned.

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In keeping with the theme of Go Exploring, Skedaddle Creek and Mountain is worth not just one, but many visits. Actually, for the record we did a BLM tour many years ago crossing the mountain from Honey Lake Valley to Bull Flat. Of course, one of more interesting historical sites is the remnants of the Skedaddle Dam.  

This is an interesting stream which has a small drainage area of 32.1 square miles. In times of very wet years, it can be a raging to torrent.

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That was one of the front page headline stories of Susanville’s Lassen Advocate newspaper of April 1, 1927. The following is what the newspaper reported:

“James Madison, the young son of Mrs. Jessie Madison, saw a strange looking bird flying on the Hulsman Ranch about a week ago. After several attempts to get near enough to see what it was, he shot it. Nobody seemed to be able to tell what it was, so John B. Christie sent it to the University of California Berkeley for any information they might be able to give.

“During the past week a reply has been received that the bird was a Albino robin and that it is a very rare specimen for this section of the country.”

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Named for German immigrant John Ruf (1843-1904) who came to California in 1866 and to Lassen County in 1874. For several years, he worked at Adam Jakobs sawmill in Willow Creek Valley. In 1883, he married Mrs. Pauline Hulsman, and they had eleven children. In 1885, he purchased the Cyrus Myers place, just south of Susanville where he lived the rest of his life.

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