Thursday, August 11, 2011

OUR DAY AT MT. ST. HELENS, AND A VISIT WITH A BLOGGER – KELSO, WA

LB and OK at St. HelensOn our way south to Oregon, we planned one day to visit Mt. St. Helens.  The weather report looked promising; we figured we’d get lucky – or not. The day dawned foggy and overcast but, with help from The Weather Channel, we kept our optimism, expecting the skies to clear around noon. 

Like Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, the Johnston Ridge Observatory (for observing the volcano, not the heavens) has a webcam (click here for the current view), and we checked conditions every 30 minutes from the time we got up.  The first several views showed nothing but a dense cloud.  Then, around 10:30, Odel yelled “it’s clearing"!   We grabbed sweatshirts and sandwiches, and off we went.

Our campsite at the Elks Lodge in Kelso (click here to read our review and see photos) was about 60 miles from the observatory at Johnston Ridge, the closest interpretive center to the volcanic crater.  After we exited I-5, our first stop was in the little town of Toutle, where Barbara and Ron – known to us through her blog – were camped with about 20 other rigs, a group of WINs (Wandering Individuals Network) in a field next to the Toutle school. 

Closer to Mt. St. HelensWe know other members of this interesting RV club (which, since we are not single, we are not eligible to join), but hadn’t met Barbara and Ron.  She left a comment inviting us to stop by on our blog, and a visit fit right into our plans for the day.  We caught them at home, and spent an hour chatting about mutual friends, our backgrounds, and the WINs RV club.  Barbara and Ron, I hope we will run into each other again some time.

Then we were on our way east once again.  This is our third visit to Mt. St. Helens, our second to Johnston Ridge.  We planned to drive right on up to the top so we would be able to explore the Boundary Trail more fully, but were distracted by Coldwater Lake – and the picnic area there.  My stomach was growling!  After eating our lunch at a sunny (!) picnic table, we took a short lakeside hike, dozens of photos, then we were back on the road.

The clouds continued to clear, and we caught glimpses of both Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens as the road snaked its way up Johnston Ridge.  Soon we pulled into the big parking lot at the end of the road and made our way to the observatory.  An entrance fee is required for all visitors, whether simply viewing, visiting the observatory, or hiking: $8 for people between ages 15 and 65.  With Odel’s Golden Age Pass, we both slipped in for free.  Ya’ gotta’ love it!  :)

Boundary Trail Odel takes a break

The narrow thread you can see here is the Boundary Trail.

Nice benches along the way!

Every 30 minutes, Johnston Ridge Observatory plays one of my favorite “shows”, a narrated sequence of photos and computer graphics explaining the huge landslide, volcanic explosion, and pyroclastic flows that reshaped the landscape here on May 18, 1980.  We’ve seen it once, so decided to head out on a hike, then relax in the theatre afterwards. 

St. Helens out the window of Johnston RidgeThe Boundary Trail, stretching to the east towards Windy Ridge, follows the top of Johnston Ridge, with the story of the explosion and subsequent mud flows writ large in the landscape – the crater in front, the sediment below, and blasted tree trunks, both downed and standing, on slopes to the north.  Wildflowers – primarily lupine and Indian Paintbrush – bloomed in trailside gardens. 

We had enough energy left for a couple of miles out and back, arriving back at the observatory a few minutes before the doors to the theatre opened.  And this is what EVERYONE remembers best about the presentation: when it has ended, with a picture of the blasted crater of Mt. St. Helens, the screen recedes into the ceiling, and the floor-to-ceiling draperies behind the screen part to reveal the exact same view of the crater, huge, up close and personal (this photo shows about 1/6 of the panoramic window).  Stunning!

19 comments:

  1. I enjoyed your blog and photos of Mt. St. Helens. Another area we need to visit and your photos and narrative have piqued my interest.

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  2. great tour of mount saint helen's..and yet another place to add to our list!!

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  3. Ohhh.....it gives me goosebumps!!! I can't wait to see it some day.

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  4. I sure would love to get up in that area & see all those great places. I liked that panoramic window idea & your photo. The silouetted person at lower left gives it perspective. (if that is a person)

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  5. Glad you had a sunny day!! We were given the opportunity several years ago of flying around Mt St. Helen's in a small plane. It was one of those glorious sunny fall days and oh my, we remember that day as one of the highlights of our life!

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  6. Thanks for taking us back.....lots has changed..except the crater.

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  7. Great photos of a great area! If Odel hasn't played the Kelso Elks Golf Course, try it on the next visit. It was created on a fill of volcanic ash the COE moved there to clear the river after the eruption and the sand traps are filled with the ash. They are fluffy and you can really spin the ball out of the traps. Also, because there are several feet of the ash under the course, it's about the only course you can play in the area during the wet season...great drainage. Wish I was there with you!

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  8. We didn't get a chance to visit Mt. St. Helens last year and it is definitely on our list. Thanks for the tour.

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  9. Ah yes, we remember that same experience! And Coldwater Lake -- we had a picnic there too! Same table? Maybe!

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  10. Beautiful photos... when we were there it never cleared up!!! We did fly over it a couple of times and could see it then! Have fun & Travel safe
    Donna

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  11. Amazing view ... nice way to end the show. They do something similar at Ft McHenry in Baltimore ... seeing the fort to the tune of the Star Spangled Banners is a moving experience.

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  12. We were stationed in Tacoma at McChord AFB when the volcano erupted. What chaos - no one knew what to do or what to expect. We ended up sealing doors and windows with the RVer's best friend; duct tape. As it turned out, the wind blew everything east. BTW, Laurie, just think, only 15 or 20 more years and you'll be eligible for the Golden Access Pass, too!

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  13. It's hard to believe that was in 1980. It seems much more recent! But then our big earthquake was in 1989, and it feels like yesterday. Guess that's just how fast time flies.

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  14. I climbed a volcano back in the early 1990's (when I was much younger). It was in El Salvador and we climbed from the bottom, up through the coffee groves, and I got to within about 100 yards from the crater and crashed! That was my volcano experience. Your visit to Mt. St. Helens sounds a lot nicer, especially with all the info and presentations on the way up.

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  15. Some gorgeous shots there!! Went to St.Helens many years ago, but definitely gotta go back again!
    Nina

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  16. I have a special love for St Helens, Laurie, so it was fun reading about your visit there. I was married in 1980, the day St Helens blew, in Moscow Idaho. She dumped volcanic ash all over my wedding and I spent the next three days in our tiny house with my new husband, my three teenaged daughters, my foster mother and my best girlfriend, all trapped in town by the ash. Our honeymoon to Jasper never happened and I saw Jasper for the first time two days ago. Such memories you brought up.

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  17. It was great meeting you - thanks for stopping by. It makes it ever more interesting to read your blog. I wanted to hike that trail, but we seemed to run out of time. I agree the flowers were spectacular.

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  18. Hi Odel and Laurie, this is my first comment, even though I've been reading your blog (which I love) for a couple years. I'll never forget the feeling when that curtained open in the theater to show the crater. It took my breath away. It was one of those moments that we are lucky to experience that stay with us forever. Hope to meet you guys on the road sometime.

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