3/21/2023 0 Comments Johnston ridge observatoryHelens, but to the West a full moon and a band of pink over a beautiful range, behind me to the East the sun would eventually wage war on a thick marine layer that provided the most golden sunrise I've ever seen only to be lost in haze as quickly as it began. I arrived just as some orange coloring began in the South East over by Adams there, no clouds on St. It was nice to blow the dust off the camera and I wanted a dawn shot of Saint Helens before the anniversary date of it's eruption so I begged the day off and up I got at 1:50 am and with coffee in hand headed south to the volatile yet beloved little sister of our five volcanoes. Wind, Fog, Sun, Snow and Volcanic Eruptions all came together in one place for me, Lord, was that just yesterday? Still glowing. The link below is a nice brief history of the man. (the link above is a photo taken by Richard Droker that he so generously attached to a previous post of his friend the volcanologist Dave Johnston when he was livin' the life, give it a look, it's awesome to be able to put a face to the name. I know that he hoped that his research would continue after his passing and that his efforts were not in vain. He saw his fate coming and still called in. So this is his peak, his monument, his final resting place. I've seen the famous photo of him sitting with his feet up next to his camper many times and wondered how strong was his passion to watch this mountain grow at a rate of five feet a day and not only did he not RUN, he climbed on the bulge. ![]() Standing on the trail on the way to Spirit lake I looked back at the ridge with THE name and reflected once again on the man who died there. I didn't nail the flowers, but the mood shines through. A closer look at the falls in comment section, along with a description.Īs long as I'm being weepy (see previous post.) I want to post this one. Zoom in and look at the hummocks, fancy word for large pieces of mountain strewn about. It's a much shorter hike from Windy Ridge, but you won't get this view. Loowit Falls is actually visible from here just below the killer cloud to the right. It was several miles before the Truman Trail and I walked it in thick fog, never saw Saint Helens until I made that right and descended into the decimated Toutle Valley and then, there it was. I'd come without a plan, certainly hadn't packed for a 16 miler but I was going. Challenge accepted! I had NO idea that people were allowed down into the pumice fields and I was freakin' elated. Where? she hands me a map and says eight miles, she looks me up and down (I kid you not!), both ways. On a whim I stuck my head in and asked the ranger at the desk what else is out there, she said Loowit Falls. I'd been to Johnstons Ridge Observatory several times and always wandered along Boundary Trail #1 taking picks of our most volatile volcano, I'd never seen a spur and thought that was it due to the fact that this land is being studied to see how it reacts over time after the 1980 eruption. I've told the story before, so long time 'listeners' feel free to left click on by. And it reminds me of the dichotomous forces of nature - the massive destruction that happened with the eruption, but also the creation of things like new lakes that emerged from it. So much of nature is geologically ancient that when I visit this area, I always marvel at the fact that features like this lake were created by natural forces during my lifetime. This time I hiked a section of the trail that goes around the lake and then spent some time sitting in the sunshine lakeside, enjoying the warmth of the sun, the quiet day, and the spectacular views. The lake sits in a basin, surrounded by mountain peaks, and is a stunning place to explore by kayak in the summer (something I did on a previous trip here). ![]() ![]() The little island in the middle is known as Kim Island, and is a "hummock", which is a piece of Mount Saint Helens that slid off the mountain when the top of it collapsed. This lake was formed after the eruption when debris flows jammed Coldwater Creek and created a new lake. and is famous for the massive eruption in May 1980, an event I remember vividly from my childhood.Īlong the drive up to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, I stopped at Coldwater Lake. I will have more to write about Loowit when I post additional photos, but for those who are unfamiliar with this mountain, it is the most active volcano in the contiguous U.S. On what has felt like a rare occurrence here, a sunny Saturday, I made the long day trip south to the Mount Saint Helens area, since I have only been there in the summer and wanted to see Loowit (the native name for Mount Saint Helens) and the surrounding south Cascades while they were still snow covered. Coldwater Lake and Minnie Peak, Mount Saint Helen's Volcanic Monument, Washington
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