Day: July 9, 2011

At the top Dad took a picture of us.

Isabel sad the sun was bright (and it was!) in her eyes.

The lake behind us (by Isabel’s elbow) to the east is Spirit Lake, which used to be a gorgeous, popular place to hang out before the eruption in 1980. The lake rose 200 ft and is 10 percent smaller and shallower then it was before May 18th 1980.

Grandma, Isabel and Grandpa. The area behind them would have been a rich forest of trees, now is lays bare with stumps and trees blasted away from their bases.

Heading back down the other side of the hilltop an arched memorial with the names of the 57 people who dead that day in May of 1980. Very nice.

Out of the ash, new life has begun to grow…

By this time we were all getting a little tired and hungry so we headed back down the mountain side to the the Forest Learning Center. Our hope was to spot some of the Elk that roam along the valley floor just below the Center. We did see a few of them but they stick to the trees and bushes that have grown in the area.

I tried to get a picture of the trees that were planted along the way. When you looked at them your eyes would go blurry from looking at them. It was odd.

After the eruption the area had problems with flooding and slides. So volunteer’s came in and planted over 800,000 trees by hand! Tree planting is still going on in the area today to help with erosion and to make the landscape more inviting to the elk that have returned to the area.

Finally a family photo… right on!

Even our “old girl” got to see Mt. St. Helen’s but this was the closest she actually got to see it because dogs are not allowed outside of the vehicle at the Observatory. Don’t think she’s to bothered by it though she’s just happy to be with her man!

Isabel and I.

Isabel doing her impersonation of a firework!

33 miles down from the Observatory we found a nice little place to eat called Patty’s Place at 19 Mile House.

The after dinner homemade berry cobbler with ice cream was yummy-good!!

After spending a bit of time at the Forest Learning Center and learning all about what happened that Sunday morning back in 1980 and beyond…

We drove 18 miles up to Johnston Ridge Observatory.

Mt. St. Helen’s along the way to the Observatory.
The lake along the right side is Castle Lake.

Flowers along the way to the Observatory.

The Observatory is 5 1/2 miles from the crater which is at an elevation of 4,314 ft.

Maybe she’s bored.

Mt. St. Helen’s today 31 years after the eruption.

Inside the Observatory before we went into the theater to watch a movie.

After the movie we headed back outside to head up the hill by the center…

While we waited for Grandpa and Gino, Isabel and Grandma started dancing.

Pretty flowers along the path as we walk to the top.

One of the trees that snapped off at the base.

We made it to the top and Grandma and Isabel are being silly. Grandma was cold with the wind that was blowing so she put on her gloves.

As Dad and Gino made their way up to the top, Dad took a picture of the Observatory. Looks like a bunker but if Helen erupts again this place would be gone!

Today we took a drive down to Mt. St. Helen’s.

On our way to Mt. St. Helen’s.

Stopping by the visitor’s center first…

Between Grandpa and Isabel you can just make out the mountain in the background.

A bit disappointed that visitor’s have to pay to go into the center however the bathrooms were free! We head back to the car to eat our lunch and get a drink before heading up to Johnston Ridge Observatory.

20 miles up the road we stopped at Hoffstadt Visitor Center.

Our first look of Mt. St. Helen’s from Hoffstadt Bluff Visitor Center.

Blowing dandelion seeds while we watch the helicopter tours at Hoffstadt Bluff.

Memorial grove dedicated to the 57 people who dead on Sunday May 18th, 1980.

Large leaves at Hoffstadt Bluff.

Back in the car, we drove another 6 miles before we stopped at the Mt. St. Helen’s Forest Learning Center.

Pretty flowers along the way to the lookout.

Mom and I walked up to lookout, while Isabel, Gino and Dad took Daisy for a potty break.

St. Helen’s from the lookout point.

Dad playing with the “critters” in the learning center.

Isabel with a black bear skin and puppet in the learning center.

Isabel playing in the virtual helicopter at the Forest Learning Center.