Pacific Northwest - Summer Sojourn 2014

[Pmount]

Sunday, June 29
Start & Finish: Centralia, WA

More rain forecast for mid-day so we decided to stay put for another day. After getting a haircut and some stocking up we went to downtown Centralia. What a wonderful surprise! Lots of active stores, including a number of antique stores. As we walked around we noticed an 'army' of volunteers power washing the sidewalks. It was a community and family effort. What a cool tradition.

Sidewalks Awash - power scrubbing


Downtown Centralia


Centralia also has a McMenamin's hotel, theatre, pub and billiards room in the re-stored Olympic Hotel. Always a treat to enjoy a drink and food at any McMenamins.

Olympic Hotel - McMenamin's


Monday, June 30
Start: Centralia, WA
Finish: Kid Valley, WA

What a difference a day makes - sunshine! Not only sunshine, but warmer temperatures. Over the past 2 weeks the temperature has been in the 60s, fairly comfortable with a shirt or jacket when the wind was blowing. Today the forecast was for upper 70s, clear and light breeze, summer has finally arrived. You know it is bad when all of the locals we spoke to over the past several days were also despondent over the weather.

Our destination was Mount St. Helens Volcanic National Monument (USFS). We think this is our 6th visit since the late 1980s, or since the eruption on May 18, 1980. Each time we come back we notice the change in the landscape, more areas looking more forested. Our first couple of visits were limited to a short distance from I-5. In 1997 the USFS opened the Johnston Ridge Observatory, 50 miles from I-5 and within 5 miles of the crater. I am so glad we stayed back a day because the views today were spectacular. This is the first time we were able to see the whole crater and over to Spirit Lake.

Mount St. Helens


Royal Beardtongue



While up there I completed the Junior Ranger booklet, which included a ranger talk. Ranger Jim gave a dynamic presentation about the events leading up to the eruption. He kept a diverse group of adults and kids engaged for over 30 minutes standing outside at the view area.


Tuesday, July 1
Start: Kid Valley, WA
Finish: Swift Campground, E of Cougar on FS 90

Down the road from the campground was a menagerie of farm animals. When we set up camp yesterday morning we heard a couple of roosters crowing or some such vocalization, we also heard it prior to going to bed. We assumed it would start at daylight, which has been 4:30. Nope - 3:30 AM! Luckily by closing the window in the van we were able to drown out the noise and sleep until our normal waking time.

Kid Valley campsite


Be careful what you ask for - sunshine and warmer days. Forecast was for 90 degrees throughout Washington today. As part of a commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the eruption, in 2010 Cowlitz County issued a special passport to be stamped at locations surrounding the volcano. My husband had picked it up in 2010 as we were leaving the area. He brought it on this trip and the plan to get as many of the stamps as we followed the route around the area. In 2 days we have found that some sights still have the stamp unique to their site and others did not.

Today we went south on I-5 from Castle Rock to La Center, just north of Vancouver. In La Center we stopped for a tasty Mexican lunch. We followed some back roads east to Amboy to the Headquaters of the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument for their stamp. We picked up WA 503 to Cougar, a small commercial area serving the recreational area. We then continued east on FS 90 along Yale Lake and Swift Reservoir. At the east end of Swift Reservoir we camped at Swift Camp, sponsored by the utility company that built the dams. A few campsites left, but 4th of July activity was evident.

After setting up camp we visited the Pine Creek Info Center (USFS). The volunteer working the counter had been camping on the east side of the volcano at Bear Meadows on May 18, 1980. He had a camera set up on a tripod because the mountain had been active, but of course no one knew when it was going to erupt, just soon. On the counter he had a 14x18 poster of a series of pictures he took as the eruption happened. Amazing! Really cool to speak to someone who witnessed the entire event and had it documented in photos, about 24 photos. The massive landslide occurred first, then the eruption of steam and ash. He also had a small albums of his photos from that day which he showed us. Well worth a stop at this office/gift store.

Wednesday, July 2
Start: Swift Camp
Finish: Iron Creek Campground (USFS), near Randle, WA

We have been in new territory since we left I-5 at noon yesterday. This trip around Mount St. Helens has been on we have always wanted to do, but it never worked into our plans. We followed FS25 north along the east side of Mount St. Helens and took the Windy Ridge Road to the end, the closest you can drive to the volcano. The weather was staying nice. There ewe also several views of Spirit Lake. Also an interpretative sign about the photos I wrote about yesterday.

Mount St. Helens


Interpretive Sign


Spirit Lake


Mount St. Helens from Windy Ridge


Back on the road north we stopped at Iron Creek Falls for lunch and an easy walk down to the falls.

Iron Creek Falls


We ended the day at Iron Creek campground (USFS), near the end of FS 25, almost to Rangle. After setting up camp we drove into Rand
le to visit the Cowlitz Ranger station, library time and dessert before heading back into camp.


Passport Stamps
Bonus
- Forest Learning Center
Johnston Observatory
Mount St. Helens Headquaters (Amboy)
Pine Creek Info Station - Eastside
White Pass Scenic By-way
Mount St. Helens -Cowlitz Ranger District

Collectible Tokens
Mount St. Helens - 3

Smashed Pennies
Holfstadd Visitor Center
Johnston Ridge Observatory

Letterboxes
Sunday - 1
Monday - 2
Tuesday - 0
Wednesday - 0

Wildlife Sightings
Townsend's Chipmunk
Ladybug
Pine Squirrel
White-tailed Deer

Turkey Vulture
Common Raven
American Robin
Barn Swallow
Steller's Jay
Osprey
Spotted Towhee
House Sparrow
American Crow
Dark-eyed Junco