Mount Saint Helens

During my summer at Mount Rainier, I wanted to explore the Park as much as I could. However, when a group of friends invited me along on a day trip to Mount Saint Helens, I found it hard to pass up. Although I worked on an active stratovolcano, Saint Helens' has the appeal of its recent eruptive history.

Mount Saint Helens is part of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It was designated a National Volcanic Monument in 1982, two years after the major eruption of 1980, which sent a massive column 80,000 feet high, depositing ash on 11 different states.

The most popular area to visit at Saint Helens is northwest of the volcano, where there is an observatory and visitor center. From that side, you get a great look at the massive crater and lateral blast area from the eruption. However, we decided to check out the closer and less visited Windy Ridge area on the northeast side of the mountain.

The group I went with took two cars, and although the plan was to head to the same area, somehow we got separated. When we arrived at Windy  Ridge, it was just me, my roommate, Shenon, and a co-worker named Casey.

It was the first time to the area for all three of us, and the plan was to find a good day hike. We found a trail map of the area and planned our route. There appeared to be a good half day loop trail that would take us right along the base of the mountain. So far, the weather was a bit gloomy, but if there were any views to be had, the trail we picked was sure to provide them.

The area was pretty, yet desolate. It was obvious that the 1980 eruption had taken a toll on the vegetation in the area. However, in some areas, I was surprised by how much had recovered in a relatively short 30 years.

When we started the hike, the base of Saint Helens was within our view. Unfortunately, it was mostly cloud-covered.



Hopefully things would clear up as the day went on.

There are several different trails that make up the loop that we had planned (see map above), starting with the Truman Trail. I enjoyed hiking with two other people who were also seeing an area for the first time. None of us knew what was around each corner. I liked that.

The trail was relatively easy, with just a light elevation gain. A couple of miles in, the trail opened up into a very large, flat area, which was obviously recovering more slowly from the eruption than the area where the hike started. By now, the clouds had begun to clear, and Saint Helens was in full view. (Also, note the extremely barren landscape in the foreground.)

 
 I couldn't help but wonder what this area looked like prior to the eruption, and what it might like like in a few hundred years.

After a lunch break, we continued on the trail right up to the base of the mountain, before ascending a steep, rocky area. This provided another interesting perspective of Saint Helens.



As the trail started to curve back towards the vicinity of the trailhead, we had fun glissading across some big snow drifts. (In my case, awkwardly stumbling across them.)

When we reached the trailhead, we were greeted by our other friends who got separated on the way there. They decided to go check out nearby Ape Caves without letting us know! It sounded like the caves were cool, but we got to see more of Saint Helens, and probably got more exercise in the process.

Before we left, the group of us hiked to the top of the Windy Ridge Viewpoint. This view gave us a great perspective of nearby Spirit Lake, which contained thousands of floating, dead logs - just one of many signs we found from the power of Saint Helens' immense eruption.

The viewpoint offered a nice view of Saint Helens, too, but the clouds were once again blocking most of it.

The clouds ended up obstructing some views, but they didn't get in the way of us having a good time. It was a great day to explore a new place. Then again, when isn't it a good day to explore a new place? I can't think of an answer to that.