On the last clear day for a while, Janelle and I decided to head out to Mt. St. Helens for a little hiking and scenery… We definitely got the scenery part, it was an incredible day! Even better since while we were there, the area was being prepped for shutting down for wintertime, and will be closed in a couple of days for the season.
We started hiking toward Norway Pass, with great views of the top of Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, and Spirit Lake. Fall colors were mostly gone, but still a fantastic hike. We saw a large elk herd resting in the sun and eating… good to know the area has grown back enough to support such large animals again. This area really is an amazing science classroom, seeing how it’s going from a dead blast zone to very much alive again.
After enjoying the views of St. Helens and Spirit Lake for a while, we headed to the end of the road to Windy Ridge and climbed the 435 stairs to the top. The views here took my breath away. It’s hard to describe from this point how close you are to the crater, the new lava dome and glacier, and Spirit Lake. There was a constant column of steam at the lava dome, reminding us that she’s still an active volcano. Views from here also include Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood, and a full view of Spirit Lake.
All in all, a most excellent day, and much-needed attitude adjustment for me, some vitamin D even though it was cold out, time spent with friends, and mind-blowing views (pun intended).
