MtStHelensHikes2013

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Wednesday, we drove up the west side of the Mt. St. Helens Nat'l Monument, and started a hike from the Johnston Ridge Visitor Center. In case y'all are unaware of the events of that day, Johnston Ridge is named after David Johnston, the USGS scientist who was observing the volcano from near this spot that Sunday morning. When the north face of the volcano slid away and the volcano exploded, he radioed these famous words: Vancouver! Vancouver!!? This is IT!!. He died in the blast a few seconds later.

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Looking to the north. Note how the ridges are scoured.

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We are north of the volcano right now, looking into the maw of the blast area.

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There was a section of trail that reminded us of the Goat Trail in Wrangell-St. Elias Nat'l Park: http://www.twohikers.org/WesternMtns/Chitistone95/Chit95_day5.htm

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You can see the visitor center in the hillside as we start hiking out.

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But life goes on. Some paintbrush.

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Like I said, life goes on. An elk herd has moved in.

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No, this is NOT Alaska, just some nice foliage along our route.

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Looking right into the crater. Note the glaciers forming. It has only been 33 years.

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Hiking up to the north end of Harry's Ridge

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Final push to the knob on the ridge.

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Lunch, with the USGS instrumentation pod, at Harry's viewpoint. (Harry is Harry Truman, not the president, who was the caretaker of Spirit Lake lodge, and who perished in the eruption.)

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Looking toward the east across Spirit Lake. Note Mt. Adams in the distance

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A telephoto shot of Mt Adams.

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Note how the trees were blown off their stumps

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Looking back to the east at Harry's Ridge.

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Looking WNW across one of the main blast zones. Johnston Ridge is out of the photo on the left.

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One last look at the route. Harry's view point is the knob just above the center.

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Back at the start of the narrow part of the trail. If you have problems with exposure, the trail is probably not for you.

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Two days later, we are hiking the Norway Pass trail on the NE corner of the Nat'l Monument.

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Looking in the general direction of our hike. Norway Pass is out of the photo on the left.

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Some mountain ash.

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As we climb up, we notice Rainier peeking above the mountains to the north.

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Closeup of the berries.

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A closeup