For those who remember “the big one” when Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980, you will recall that it was a gorgeous spring day. Although volcanologist had been on pins and needles about an eruption, life continued down in the valley a lot like every day since the last blow up centuries before.
After the eruption, the landscape was fried into a grotesque moonscape that left many of us in absolute awe of nature’s power. The carnage was sickening. Giant trees looked like toothpicks and lovely Spirit Lake was covered in those toothpicks.
These days the flora and fauna has returned to a startling degree. Nowhere can the changes be seen better than at the St Helens National Park’s Forest Learning Center (360-414-3439) and the Johnson Ridge Observatory (360-274-2140) in Cowlitz County. Other important stops include the Silver Lake Visitor Center (360-274-0962)and the Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor (360-274-5200).
Although summer is a popular but crowded time to visit the park, other seasons provide a different experience and perspective. In winter with snow on the still, ash-grey landscape, the barren mountain feels and looks other-worldly. Yet, in spring and summer when glorious wildflowers awaken the slopes with color, the horror and decimation of the past seems remote, indeed.
If you don’t want to hassle with camping, there are a number of attractive and close-by lodgings around the perimeter of St. Helens such as the Mount St. Helens Motel in Castle Rock (mountsthelensmotel.com), Quality Inn & suites in Woodland (qualityinn.com) and Treehouse Island Zip Line Adventures (thetreehouseisland.com).
To access Mt. St. Helens territory: Off I-5 from Exit 49 it is about 120 miles to Seattle. On the other hand, entrance to the St. Helens experience from Portland is only about 21 miles off Exit 21.
Cowlitz County Tourism: 360-577-3137; visitmtsthelens.com
