Exploring Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens
Mount St. Helens is an active and recharging Volcano nestled in the Cascade Mountain Range of Washington State. Washington State has five major volcanoes including Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams. These volcanoes are all a part of the Cascade Range. The Cascade Range runs for almost 1,200-miles from British Columbia, Canada to Northern California.Before that fateful day in 1980, Mount Saint Helens was an awesome place to spend the day, hiking through her many forests and camping in her shadows. Then came May 18, 1980, and the mountain and it's neighborhood changed for many years to come. A major volcanic eruption occurred on the mountain spewing ash on anything in its way. This was the last of the Washington volcanos to erupt. There are many other Northwest volcanoes that are active and ready to go, but as of the date of this article, they have yet to erupt. The eruption of Mount St. Helens was the only major volcanic eruption to occur in the lower 48 states since 1915 when Lassen Peak in California erupted.Each of the five Washington State volcanoes have erupted in the last 250 years. Many of them are today busy with recharging and getting ready for the next big eruption. As for Mount St. Helens, she also is busy recharging. It has been over 35 years and Mount St. Helens is once again the perfect place for an outstanding adventure or a beautiful hike in the woods. Yes, the old growth forests are gone, but there is beautiful new life to discover and enjoy.
Journey Into The Past
"A Journey into the past" towards Mount St. Helens through Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington. As you journey into the past, you can not help but see the present. The mountain is getting greener every year. It has been more than 35 years and the trees are starting to be tall, green, and sturdy. The shrubs are green and thick. Mount St. Helens is alive with new growth! The wildlife is returning to the mountain. Everywhere you turn there are signs of a renewed and vibrate forest. Life has returned to Mount St. Helens!"A Journey into the past" towards Mount St. Helens through Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington. As you journey into the past, you can not help but see the present. The mountain is getting greener every year. It has been more than 35 years and the trees are starting to be tall, green, and sturdy. The shrubs are green and thick. Mount St. Helens is alive with new growth! The wildlife is returning to the mountain. Everywhere you turn there are signs of a renewed and vibrate forest. Life has returned to Mount St. Helens!
Hiking Mount St. Helen's Today
More than 35 years has past and Mount St. Helens has experienced a total re-birth. If you enjoy hiking, Mount St. Helens should be on your bucket list of things to do. Most climbers that come to Mount St. Helens use the Monitor Ridge Trail to the top. This route gains more than 4,500 feet in a short 5 mile hike. This is a climb good for experienced and novice hikers in good physical shape. In this hike you will scramble steep boulders and the mountain is rugged. But the view from the top is amazing. Most climbers can do this hike in about 8-12 hours. While you may hike to the crater rim, you may not enter the crater. A hiking permit is required if you are going over 4,800 feet. The elevation of the rim is 8,328 feet high. The view from the rim is amazing.Hiking permits protect the mountain, it's rejuvenating resources, and those that climb her trails. You can secure a permit from The Mount St. Helens Institute website at:
http://www.mshinstitute.org/explore/climbing-permits/purchasing-your-permits.htmlWhile most climbers climb the mountain from Spring through Fall, but winter adventures provide amazing options. Participate in a Winter Adventure with qualified guides and Volcano Naturalists, Bob and Katherine Appling. See an amazing side of Mount Saint Helens that few will ever know. This is an amazing opportunity for adventure for those who desire to see more than the ordinary.Gear requirement for this climb can be found at:
http://www.mshinstitute.org/explore/field-seminars/gear-requirements.htmlYou can sign up for this amazing winter adventure latter in the fall at:
http://www.mshinstitute.org/explore/field-seminars/gear-requirements.html
What to Do On Mount St. Helens
Now that you have discovered this gem of a mountain, what is there to do? Volcano watching from Windy Ridge Observation Deck is an all time favorite. Photographers and amatures alike love photographing this amazing volcano. This is our volcano and we never tire of painting and photographing her in all stages of her recovery. Be sure to check out all the many exhibits and videos of all the different stages of this amazing American icon. Windy Ridge is one of the top places to visit. There is a gift shop in the visitors center where you can shop for many interesting small gifts, books, folklore, ect. Some of the other fun things to do at the mountain include taking a helicopter tour of the mountain. Even though when you visit Johnston Ridge and some of the other informative sites, you see and learn a lot, the helicopter tour is out of this world. Prepare to see this astonishing mountain as you have never seen her before.There are several viewing sites where you can see all the wildlife in the area. The Elk herds can be observed best from the Forest Learning Center View point. For the fishermen, Coldwater Lake provides excellent fishing. A perfect place to rest and relax. From the mud flow at Echo Park, you can rent horses and enjoy a magnificent ride.When it is time to eat, you will find good food and excellent service at Patty's House. Be sure to save room for her famous Blackberry Cobbler. You will find this small and friendly restaurant at 19 Mile House in Toutle.
Patty's House
15000 Spirit Lake Hwy.
Milepost 27 on WA 504
Toutle, Wa USA
(360) 274-5217
Whether you come to Mount St. Helens to explore the mountain, or to join one of the many seminars, tours, and workshops, an amazing adventure awaits. No passport is needed for American's or complicated visas. This is America's very own active volcano. She is spectacular! Mount St. Helens is in your own backyard.
Happy Travels,
ExploreTraveler Moderator is @vetvso
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If there is a particular location people are interested we can add some older blog posts or write something new if we have been there.
Damn my memory, I am fat, old, ugly and smelly ; now the memory is going . . .
I thought the eruption was in 1981 ; from memory : )
May 18, 1980 but double checked since I have the same issues with the smelly :-)