We set out this morning towards the volcano, stopping along the way at view points and visitor centers. We learned a lot about the eruption and were awed by the power of the volcano.
 Chris, Annie and Lee stopped with Sweetie to take in the view of the volcano from one of the viewpoints. |  We enjoyed the flowers and the view of Mount St. Helens from the Forest Learning Center. |
The Spirit Highway, State Hwy 504, ends at the Johnston Ridge Visitor Center. It looks like you could almost reach out and touch the mountain, but it is actually over 5 miles away. That distance wasn't enough to save it from the "wind of rocks" that devastated a large blast zone. The whole north side of the peak blew away, two new lakes were created, mud and ash flows choked the Toutle River, and millions of trees were flattened or destroyed. Over 50 people were killed.
The landscape today is quiet, but the evidence of the volcano's power is everywhere. The video recreation of the May 18, 1980, eruption shown at the Johnston Ridge center is a powerful experience for the viewer, capped by the raising of the curtain to reveal Mount St. Helens itself, presiding over the surrounding landscape, projecting ominous power.
 Loowit Viewpoint gave us a good view of the north side of the volcano and some of the destruction it caused. |  The chipmunk was very comfortable being close to us humans, but it turned cautious when Lee brought Sweetie around. |
 We got a good look at a pair of barn swallows very close to where we had seen the eagle. |  The lakes near the volcano gave us pleasant places to take breaks along the drive to the volcano. Ken, Annie and Chris particularly liked this spot at Coldwater Lake. |
It was a long day, and we were all tired but impressed, when we returned to camp. After dinner Ken lit a campfire and we settled in to absorb the experience.
0 comments:
Post a Comment