2019 09 12 - 09 15 Mount St. Helens,WA, Portland OR.

Castle Rock, Washington - 11 September 2019

Longview North/Mount St Helens KOA, a terraced campground and we had a really nice patio. Sadly, with all the rain, we only got to use it once.  

Mount St. Helens, Washington - 14 September, 2019

Located about 25 miles from the mountain itself, there are no views from here but it's a good place to start getting information. The eruption on 18 May 1980 removed 23 square miles of the mountain,blasted sideways at 650mph. Temperatures reached 660 degrees. A massive debris avalanche was triggered by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale. This caused a lateral eruption (removal of the side) that reduced the elevation of the mountain's summit from 9,677 ft to 8,363 ft.

This is still some distance from the mountain. A tree farm owned since 1900 and measuring 63,000 acres was devastated. Within months Weyerhauser began planting 18 million seedling, by hand. Tree species of fir, hemlock and cedar now cover the slopes outside the National Volcanic Monument. The reforestation seen here is a private enterprise, not associated with the National Forest Service which is in charge of the crater and immediate surrounding areas. This is the first use of Bob's LONG lens.

At the right is a view directly into the crater which still emits smokes from several dome vents. Part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes 160 active volcanoes, Mount St. Helens is well known for its ash explosions and pyroclastic flows. On the left is surrounding devastation for miles. As with wildfire, the National Forest Service let's nature takes its course.

Inside the Visitor's Center this tree shows the forceful impact of the eruption as its top was removed by the blast. 

Comparative photos of destruction and regeneration within the National Forest area. We were told that all the logs within the surrounding private areas were removed. This "windfall" (sorry) was to be sold as lumber and products.  

Over Bob's left shoulder is the crater and the valley where the pyroclastic flows at 200 mph destroyed everything in its path. During the winter of 1980-1981, a new glacier appeared, now cleverly called Crater Glacier. It is the only known advancing glacier in the US. The collapse of the northern flank mixed ice, snow and water creating lahars which flowed down the Toutle and Cowlitz Rivers destroying logging camps and bridges. A total of 3,900,000 cubic yards of material was transported 17 miles into the Columbia River.

In the valley below the crater mountain, herds of elk have returned to graze on the natural plants which have regenerated in the volcanic rich soil. 

After a long day at Mount St Helens, we needed dinner and Stuffy's II Restaurant promised comfort food. A step back in time including Betty Boop and poodle skirts. A miscue in the kitchen on my steak garnered us a huge slice of German Chocolate cake. 

Portland, Oregon - 15 September 2019

Visiting Bob's cousin, Paul and Judi. Lovely area near there apartment with plenty of walking areas, easy access to buses and trains for commuters, eateries, shops and services. 

Getting Creative with Alex and Isaac, children of Rachel and Jim. Rachel is the daughter of Paul and Judy. 

Columbia River Gorge, Washington - 18 September 2019

1.4 mile round trip with an elevation of 565 feet. The falls are 645 feet high. The path continues switch backing to a viewpoint that provides expansive views of the west Columbia River Gorge. That slug is as big as my finger. 

Just 30 minutes outside Portland, the second falls in the area are by far the most astounding. A double falls with an easy, paved walkway and bridge spanning the runoff from the upper falls. Below the bridge is the Lower Falls. A total of 611 ft of roaring, awe-inspiring icy waters. According to Native Americans lore, the falls were created to win the heart of a young princess who wanted a hidden place for bathing. The lodge nearby was built in 1925 to serve throngs of tourists. Made of every type of rock within the gorge, the historic structure houses a gift shop, a restaurant and unbeatable views of the falls.Fed by rainwater, and underground spring and snow melt, the falls are fed through all four seasons. But short on parking, we ended up leaving our vehicle at Wahkeena Falls and hiking a half mile for this view.

Selfie on Benson Bridge with the Upper Falls behind us. There is another path for about a mile that is very steep to reach the top of the falls. We didn't feel the need to include that in our day. Historic Route 30 below and the Columbia River across the way. 

We know it's getting to be old news but an update on our suspension troubles is needed. As we were getting ready to leave the Roamers Rest RV Park outside of Tualatin, Oregon we noticed that our rear tires were canting inward on top. We were lucky to find a shop only 1.5 miles away. I explained our previous problems and the minute the description of our tires was stated the technician said to drive it around back. One look underneath and we were told the axle was installed UPSIDE DOWN!! Come on...really! So, there we were, stuck for another 3 hours while they unwelded the axle, flipped it over, rewelded and added U-bolts which were much more hefty than the new ones just put on in Ellensburg.