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Natural Beauty Returning to Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
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Spirit Lake and Mount Adams from Harry's Ridge. Photos by John R. Howard
After nearly 30 years since the cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens, the scars are healing and true natural beauty is beginning to replace raw devastation.
To see for yourself, pack the camera and drive to the Johnston Ridge Observatory just northwest of the peak. Don't delay, however -- the observatory will close for the season at the end of October. From Portland, drive 50 miles north on I-5, then turn east at Castle Rock (Exit 49) and drive another 50 miles or so on Highway 504 to road's end at the Johnston Ridge Observatory.
This handsome facility commands an impressive view of the upper Toutle River valley and into the maw of the crater itself. A fee of $8 per person is collected whether you hike or are content to stay at the observatory. The exhibits and film are well worth seeing, detailing the 1980 blast that blew the topmost 1,300 feet of the peak to smithereens and leveled 230 square miles of surrounding forest.
The trail that runs eastward along the ridge from the observatory is highly recommended. It is, in fact, the western terminus of the Boundary Trail that extends all the way to Mount Adams. From the observatory, the trail follows the crest of Johnston Ridge, named for a Forest Service geologist who lost his life in the violent eruption. Wildflowers bloom beside the path even into the fall. At 1.5 miles the trail veers southward and traverses a very steep slope (hold childrenís hands tightly!) to a dandy viewpoint. The ever-growing lava dome and lobes of the new glacier that encircle it are clearly visible from this vantage point. Elk are commonly seen on the grassy plain far below.
Ambitious hikers will want to continue 1.5 miles farther to Harry's Saddle, then another half-mile more up to the crest of Harry's Ridge. The panorama from this spot is truly impressive. From the volcano itself to Mount Adams on the eastern horizon to the craggy ridge of Mount Margaret directly behind, this is where your camera will be clicking! All of deep blue Spirit Lake is visible from here, including rafts of millions of logs still afloat after three decades.
On the return hike, note how many young fir trees are beginning to colonize the ravaged slopes. Some trees measure over 10 feet tall. Squirrels and chipmunks scurry among the prolific groundcover of huckleberry bushes, which turn crimson in the fall. Bears, deer and elk are making a comeback in the 110,000-acre preserve; there is elk sign everywhere. Once clothed in a dense forest of tall evergreen trees, Johnston Ridge and the other ridges in the blast zone today resemble a sparse, open tundra of low shrubs and short, widely scattered trees. For those who like open, alpine country with plenty of vistas, it is a great area to explore.
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