Mount St. Helens…and One Last Hike

After leaving Seattle I knew I had a little extra time on my hands. National Parks always entice me, but most of them would take me out of the way. Mount St Helens was at least on the way as I’d be flying in the afternoon the next day.

I decided to book a hotel along the way to the Salem Liberty Bell but close enough to make a visit to Mount St Helens possible. Kelso became that stop. As I looked at my options, I felt traveling to Mount St. Helens was doable. Google said I’d have to drive 1.5 hours, so without question I set off.

The beautiful drive had many lookout points, so I stopped a few times just to admire the views. I knew the Johnson Ridge Observatory had been closed through 2027, so I set my course for Coldwatwer Lake.

While the pictures I took display a magnificent scene, in person viewing beats any photo I could take.

Mount St Helens last erupted on May 18, 1980 leaving a changed landscape. As you might imagine the forest lost so many trees. Driving along the highway, however, you can see the growth since then. Signs post the month and year sections of the forest had been replanted. As a lifelong learner, I loved comparing the years as I could see exactly how tall trees would get with each year.

I passed Elk Rock on my way to Coldwater Lake. It’s hard to imagine how long the mountains took to form. Eventually I reached my destination. I noticed two other cars in the parking lot. While I loved the peace and solitude, I also recognized that if I met with any danger, help would be further away. The sun was beginning its descent, and I had no cell service, yet I wanted to hike. Should I forge ahead or heed my gut feeling?

I decided to compromise. I’d walk the paved path along Coldwater Creek and spend some time exploring this area, but I’d not venture any further because familiarity did not come with this visit. Thankfully the views kept me from any major disappointment. In addition, my former informal ornithology training came into use. The birds loved the area.

Heading back toward Kelso gave me another chance to admire the views. I would look at the trees, and with so many, they made me feel like I was trying to look at a 3-D movie without the glasses. Everything looked blurred. That’s how close the trees were.

My day ended unremarkably, so I slept and awoke for the final adventure. I wrote in my last blog about the visit to Salem, but I returned to Portland just a bit earlier than I needed. I searched for a city hike and found one less than 15 minutes from the airport. Of course, I forget the name, but my photo says “Portland-Cully”.

This day was the first rainy day, but the rain felt more like mist. I decided to take advantage of the city park with a .5 mile trail. Because I visited on a Sunday, the construction nearby was on pause. That allowed for plenty of birds on the lakes. I hiked the path twice then headed to the car rental return.

What a trip it was! I’d like to say returning home felt good, but I sure do love the Pacific Northwest!