Mt. St. Helens Trip

[georgem]

From our base of operations in Packwood, the trip to Mt. St. Helens was from the easterly side of the mountain. This side has no Visitor Center or restaurants. The Road Less Travelled. From RT.12 in Randle, you head south on Rt. 131, which becomes NF25 (National Forest Road). Continue south on NF25 to the intersection with NF99 West. NF99 meanders past several observation areas and ends at Windy Ridge Observatory.

Approaching the mountain on NF99.

mt st helens DSC_5838 by gmontjr, on Flickr

First stop within the park.

mt st helens DSC_5854 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Not very shy bird at the first stop.

mt st helens DSC_5844 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Another stop on NF99, Donnybrook

mt st helens DSC_5862 by gmontjr, on Flickr

A view of Mt. Hood, in Oregon, from Donnybrook. The lighting was very harsh, unfortunately.

mt hood GAM_7266 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Mt. Adams from Donnybrook.

mt adams DSC_5847_edited-1 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Spirit Lake from Donnybrook. The log mat is still quite extensive, but the lake has rebounded nonetheless.

mt st helens DSC_5863 by gmontjr, on Flickr


mt st helens DSC_5866 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Approaching Windy Ridge

mt st helens DSC_5857 by gmontjr, on Flickr

At Windy Ridge Oservatory

mt st helens DSC_5875 by gmontjr, on Flickr

There is a rather steep trail to an observation point that gives a better view of the area. From this point, you can see four volcanoes: Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, and of course, Mt. St. Helens.
About half-way up...

mt st helens DSC_5869 by gmontjr, on Flickr

The Pumice Plain

mt st helens DSC_5868 by gmontjr, on Flickr

The top...

mt st helens DSC_5877 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Mt. Rainier

mt st helens GAM_7294 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Mt. Adams

mt adams GAM_7290 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Mt. Hood

mt hood GAM_7292 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Mt. St. Helens

mt st helens GAM_7287 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Still active...

mt st helens DSC_5879 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Another view of Spirit Lake

mt st helens DSC_5880 by gmontjr, on Flickr

On the way back out, through the Scorch Zone.

mt st helens DSC_5897 by gmontjr, on Flickr

Mt. St. Helens Summit Panorama Cam

[Stevewebb]

Fantastic series, love it George.

[georgem]

Thank you for your comment, Steve!

[chrisc]

I went by there last summer but time didn't permit a stop. Now I wish I'd sacrificed something else. Good series. I made a lot of ceramic ware using ash glazes from the Mt St Helens eruption. Terrible thing but the glazes were spectacular.

[georgem]

Sept 30, 2013 12:31:18 GMT chrisc said:

I went by there last summer but time didn't permit a stop. Now I wish I'd sacrificed something else. Good series.warned against I made a lot of ceramic ware using ash glazes from the Mt St Helens eruption. Terrible thing but the glazes were spectacular.

There were signs posted that warned against pocketing any of the pumice - $200 fine.

[mariehass]

Just lovely series. Thanks for sharing these fantasic views.

'Rie

[georgem]

Oct 1, 2013 10:20:32 GMT mariehass said:

Just lovely series. Thanks for sharing these fantasic views.

'Rie

Thanks, 'Rie!

[maryloveslucy]

Really great shots. WOW...it has changed a lot since the last time I was there. When I was there last, the park had just opened. There was virtually no vegetation or anything. The day the mountain blew, I was sitting on top of a dugout at the ball fields with some of friends/teammates waiting for practice to start. It was so surreal to see and then the ash. Really neat to see what has changed over the years.

[georgem]

Oct 1, 2013 21:12:39 GMT maryloveslucy said:

Really great shots. WOW...it has changed a lot since the last time I was there. When I was there last, the park had just opened. There was virtually no vegetation or anything. The day the mountain blew, I was sitting on top of a dugout at the ball fields with some of friends/teammates waiting for practice to start. It was so surreal to see and then the ash. Really neat to see what has changed over the years.

It's nice to hear a different perspective. Here I'm thinking it's been 33 years and the area close to the mountain still looks devastated. Geologic time != human time.
I'm glad you liked the pics. I love taking them and I love the area.

[maryloveslucy]

Did you see the area shortly after? I remember the rivers full of ash and wondering if fish would ever live in them again, ash everywhere, the dark clouds that seemed to go forever and just dead, scorched everything.

[georgem]

Oct 2, 2013 0:43:26 GMT maryloveslucy said:

Did you see the area shortly after? I remember the rivers full of ash and wondering if fish would ever live in them again, ash everywhere, the dark clouds that seemed to go forever and just dead, scorched everything.

No, I did not. We live in southern New Jersey. In 1980, we were a year into our marriage and my wife and I were buying our first home. I don't remember anything about the eruption except that it had occurred. We first visited the area in 2005. We only visited the Seattle area because our oldest son and his wife live there.