I haven’t done any kind of road trip in ages, so it felt really good to get out and head up to Mount St. Helens in Washington today. Do not believe Google Maps when it tells you it’s only a 90-minute drive. It took about three hours to get to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. I did make a couple of quick stops along the way, but not another 90 minutes worth. Anyway, herewith, a few of the better shots:
This one I left uncompressed, embiggen at your peril.
It was hot, but the wind up at Johnston Ridge made it feel quite comfortable. It’s a breathtaking drive on 504. The surrounding countryside is lush and thick with trees. I tried to get pictures of Silver Lake as I drove past but they didn’t turn out. It had been a long time since I’d been up there, and I’d forgotten how spectacular it is. The pictures don’t really give a sense of how enormous the mountain is. I heard someone say the rangers had spotted some elk below in the valley, but I couldn’t see them.
fillingspaces.wordpress.com 
Wow, cool pictures, I only saw it from afar on my two visits to Portland, third time lucky!
I’d love to hear more about the effects the eruption had on the local physical geography.
I could of course google the info but would prefer to get a locals opinion. Do you know which would be the best website to visit?
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It was very hot and hazy yesterday, so the pictures aren’t as clear and sharp as I wish. As you can see there’s no snow left on the dome at all.
You can see some of the effects still, the gorges the mudflows created, and barren sticks that were once trees still stand on the hillside to the north.
I would suggest the Mount St. Helens Science & Learning Center site for the best info. I think the “Earth in Action” link right at the top may be what you’re looking for.
I hope you’ll have a chance to come back and visit it for yourself, it’s pretty amazing!
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Lovely photos. And most of all, I’m so happy for you that you got to have such a beautiful day trip out. 🙂
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Thanks Tasha! It was a good wake-up call for me to get out and about more often. Now I’m trying to decide where to go next weekend 😉
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Nice pix! There’s nothing like a road trip on a sunny day to shake the cobwebs out. In my alternative mind-universe, where we all live 10 minutes apart from one another, I’d head up there next time w/you and Rosie, and then pack the 2 of you into my car (ok, maybe Fang’s – it’s roomier) for a trip to Opus 40 in the Catskills. http://www.opus40.org/
(It could happen! Remember the story of my auntie in Poland, dreaming of that plane to America.)
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We’ll have to decide on a roadtrip soundtrack. 😉
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I just stumbled in from a twitter post. I had climbed the mountain recently and on the way home wondered how far away Johnson was. Nice pictures.
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Thanks, Mark 🙂 I just went up to take some photos. I got a late start that day (decided on the spur of the moment around noon to drive up) so wasn’t able to stay as long as I would have liked. I need to plan things better!
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