3 June 2019: O and I head off to Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument today for an explore while S and K head off to work. It takes us about 2 ½ hours to reach the Silver Lake Visitor Center, which is actually a state park and not part of the national monument. We take in the movie which focuses on the destruction caused by the eruption in 1980 and then wander through the museum. The day is brilliantly sunny, but cool and pleasant. The views are stunning.
We realize we have another 46 miles to drive up Route 504 to reach the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Up the winding road we go, with more wonderful views around each turn. At the observatory we again watch a film, this one about how life is renewing itself after the destruction wrought by the eruption in 1980. At the end of the film, the curtain behind the screen is lifted revealing an astounding view of Mt. St. Helen’s north face.
O and I exit the building. It’s hard to remain inside in this perfect weather. There is a young ranger intern talking about the volcano’s eruption. There are also people pointing at a ridge across the valley. Through binoculars a family of mountain goats can be seen. O and I help the young ranger set up his spotting scope so more people can view the animals. Next we wander up a paved path reading some explanatory panels as we go. I spot a herd of elk far below, but when I try to point them out to O they seem to have disappeared. We return to the visitor center to hear the part of the ranger’s talk we had missed. As I listen, I gaze into the valley and rediscover the elk. Photos are difficult at this distance.
The Mt. St. Helens area is so beautiful that O and I decide to stay in the area and return tomorrow for an easy day hike or two. As we descend along Spirit Mountain Road, we stop to view Castle Lake and Coldwater Lake, both created when debris from the 1980 eruption blocked their respective creeks. We drive back towards I-5 seeking dinner and a place to sleep for the night. The Fire Mountain Grill at mile 19 of Spirit Highway, (504) provides a good dinner, beer, and a yummy apple-caramel cobbler for dessert. There is a fine view of the North Fork of the Toutle River from their deck. A bit further down the road towards I-5 we turn off at the Silver Lake Resort and find a room for the night.
4 June 2019: A small bakery in Castle Rock near I-5 provides breakfast this morning. Then it’s back up Spirit Highway to the Hummocks Trail trailhead. This is a 2 ½ mile easy loop through terrain created by the debris avalanche from the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens and subsequently sculpted by erosion over the ensuing 39 years. The hummocks are composed of huge chunks of the north face of the mountain, plus ash, mud, and other debris which travelled as far as 14 miles from the erupting mountain. The debris in places is over 600 feet deep. Through this drastically altered valley the river is at work carving a new channel. The Hummocks Trail winds its way across this beautiful landscape. In the 39 years since the eruption this area had been recolonized by wildflowers, ferns, trees and animals which thrive in the varied terrain of forest, ponds, wetlands and open sunny slopes.
We wander slowly, savoring every moment of sunshine and shade. Birds abound but we are able to positively identify only our old friends: robins, juncos, chickadees, and white crowned sparrows, with occasional glimpses of small yellow birds, likely warblers of some sort. Frogs jump into the pond waters as we walk by. Small garter snakes in sunny areas slither into the brush. We emerge into an open area with long views of the Toutle River Valley. Although we are over 7 miles away, Mt. St. Helens dominates the landscape.
After our hike, we return to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Here we explore more of the exhibits that we had missed yesterday, some of which describe the fascinating geology of the area, and some of which discuss the toll in human lives of the eruption. There are several first person accounts of that awesome and awful day on 18 May 1980. We have an opportunity to watch the second film on the geology of the eruption as well. It is well done.
Time now to leave the National Monument and return to Bellevue. We stop at the Spar Cafe in Olympia for dinner and excellent beer before completing our drive home.