North Cascades National Park

We moved our camping location about 40 miles east to the Newhalem Campground. The visitor center for the North Cascades National Park was conveniently next to the campground and we decided to stay for the next three days. 

The campground was less than ½ a mile from the ‘company’ town of Newhalem where Seattle City Lights has a hydroelectric dam.  The waterfalls and ‘cascades’ of the Northern Cascades proved to be a rich source of hydroelectric power for Seattle and other developing cities back in the 1930s.  Today the dams are still an important source of power and the little town of Newhalem maintains a small community of workers.

The campground and visitor center had numerous trails and many more were within just a few miles drive, so we had a fine time hiking and learning new things at the visitor center.

Happy Creek from the Happy Creek Forest Walk Trail

 

Diablo Lake, one of the three lakes in the Cascades creating hydroelectric power

 

View of Picket Range in Cascades from Edward Munro Trail near Visitor Center
 

 

'Mountain Maya'

 

 

The North Cascades and Mt. Baker

After a brief stay in Everett, WA to change the oil in the Honda, resupply, and wash two weeks worth of dirty clothes (yes, we still have to do some chores...) we headed north on I-5 and exited Washington State Route 20 (the North Cascades Scenic Highway).  We happened upon Rasar State Park and it was a great find -- secluded, well maintained and very pretty. Rasar is right on the shore of the Skagit River and in the shadow of Mt. Baker, one of the better known peaks in the Northern Cascades.

 

Skagit River at Racer State Park - color is from glacial 'flour' suspended in water

 

There were many trails at the campground, most of them leading to and around the Skagit River. The Skagit River is the only river in Washington that you can see all 5 species of salmon (coho, chum, sockeye, pink & silver). They use the river, its tributaries or the nearby lakes to spawn depending on the species preference. We didn't see any salmon but one of the rangers told us she had seen sockeye in the Skagit just a few days ago.

 

David and Maya appear 'tiny' in the shadow of the sentinels

 

On Wednesday we headed a short distance to the Mt. Baker – Snoqualamie National Forest.  We hiked the Shadow of the Sentinels, a half mile interpretive trail, that has been designated a National Recreation Trail.  The trail meanders through a beautiful old growth forest with 600 year old Douglas fir. We have been through several old growth trails and this one had the best interpretive signage.  It was also quite beautiful.

 

View of Mt. Baker from Scott Paul Trail

 

After the Shadow of the Sentinels Trail, we drove a short way down to the Mt. Baker National Recreation Area to take a trail that climbed up near Mt. Baker.  The Scott Paul Trail started to climb immediately from the trailhead through Douglas fir, Pacific Silver fir and Hemlock.  It was a steady climb and the day was very cool and cloudy so we actually welcomed the effort.  It kept us warm.  About 2 miles in we hit some snow patches.  We stopped to lunch in a small meadow with what would have been a great view of Mt. Baker if it hadn’t been for the clouds.  We saw most of the lower half of the mountain with a good view of the Squak Glacier, but no view of the top.  Maya went wild playing in the snow – running in circles and slipping and sliding every which way.  It was pretty funny to watch…

After lunch and corralling our dog we hiked another 1.5 miles to just below the timberline before heading back down.  The alpine meadow was filled with lupine, monkey flower, flea bane and countless other wildflowers.  Many were just beginning to bloom as spring was late this year in the Northwest.  Although we didn't get a clear view of the top of Mt. Baker, it was still a very fine hike.

Takhlakh Lake and the Mt. Adams Wilderness

Our last two days in the Mt. St. Helens area were spent at gorgeous Takhlakh Lake Campground. The campground was nestled into the lake shore with Mt. Adams and its ever-changing reflections dominating the landscape.  Hiking the many trails and watching the sunsets and stars come out in the lake occupied our days and nights.

We took the Killen Creek Trail into the Mt. Adams Wilderness and up to the Pacific Crest National Recreation Trail on our last day.  Gorgeous wildflower meadows, snow patches above 5,000 feet, views of Mt. Ranier in the distance and incredible views of the glaciers on Mt. Adams were ours for the price of a little exertion, sweat and some dust and mosquitos (but nothing is perfect).  The climb was about 1,000 feet, so we got a bit of a workout - but what a way to go out!

Mt. Adams and Takhlakh Lake

Bluebonnets and Indian Paint Brush on Killen Creek Trail

Spring in August in the mountain meadows - Bluebonnet patch

Mt. Ranier from Mt. Adams section of Pacific Crest Trail

Mt. Adams sunset and reflection in Takhlakh Lake

Mt. St. Helens Trails

Mt. St. Helens was incredible and part of the experience included seeing the area from 'off road.'  David and I are firm believers in hiking a trail for a few miles... 

June Lake and Falls

Lava Canyon "Lava God"

Iron Creek Campground Trail

Cispus River from Iron Creek Trail

Shelf Fungi

North and East Mt. St. Helens

We spent a total of 7 days camping and hiking in the Mt. St. Helens area. It was very rugged and not all that easily accessible. In our explorations, it was easier to move the RV from the westside of the mountain at Seaquest State Park to Iron Creek Campground on the northside and then over to remote and beautiful Takhlakh Lake on the eastside of the crater near the Mt. Adams Wilderness.  We then used our car to travel the narrow and windy roads and get into the more remote areas and trails.

It was so beautiful in so many ways.  From the west were views of the massive landslides, mudflows and valley plus the awe-inspiring crater.  On the southside were lava tubes and flows from previous eruptions and the 'lahars' or mudflows from the melting glaciers after the 1980 eruption.  The eastside showcased the amazing power of nature.  From untouched areas of old growth forest to the huge log mat in Spirit Lake caused by all the trees being swept into the lake after the eruption, we were amazed by both the destruction and recovery.  

Southside Views:
Above: Young trees growing from the 'lahar' or mudflow

Below: Beautiful Lava Canyon created when the 1980 Mt. St. Helens eruption scoured
 out the canyon created by a previous eruption



Eastside Views

Above - Spirit Lake with log 'jam'still present 32 years later
Below - Windy Ridge area in the heart of the blast zone



Mt. St. Helens

First stop - Mt. St. Helens

Neither David or I had ever been to Mt. St. Helens and it wasn’t very far from Astoria, so we decided that would be our first stop in Washington. We were mere newly weds when the 1980 eruption occurred and we remembered watching the coverage on TV.  Very soon we came upon one of several Mt. St. Helens Visitor Centers, this one at Silver Lake on Hwy 504.  Seaquest State Park was right across the road from this visitor center and we found a very nice campsite there.

We spent the afternoon hiking around the many short trails in our campground and then went over to the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center.  We took in a very informative Ranger Program about the May 18, 1980 eruption and then we walked the 1 ½ mile loop nature trail around Silver Lake.  The views of Mt. St. Helens that day were very hazy as even Washington has not been immune to fires this summer.

Hazy view of Mt. St. Helens from Silver Lake

The next morning we spent a little more time at the visitor center at Silver Lake then we drove further up Hwy 504 to check out the views and the other three visitor centers along this road.  We especially wanted to visit the Johnson Ridge Observatory/Visitor Center (4,200 ft.) which has the crater view and was in the blast zone of Mt. St. Helens on that fateful day.

The Johnson Ridge Observatory is operated by the US Forest Service as part of the Mt. St Helens National Monument and it was very impressive.  There was an extensive nature trail (Eruption Trail) around the area, the center itself had interpretive exhibits and a huge theater with Mt. St. Helens movies every half hour plus regular Ranger Talks were continually going on in several places around the center. 

Above:  View of crater from Johnson Ridge Observatory
Below:  Wildflowers grow well in the blast zone

It was especially interesting to see how the forest was recovering around the St. Helens area and the different approaches to recovery.  Most of Mt. St. Helens is located in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Forest Service was allowing a natural recovery around much of the crater and monument area.  But the eruption also gave researchers a tremendous opportunity to experiment with different recovery methods. So there were many areas outside the monument area that were being selectively thinned or not thinned and some areas seedlings were being planted under certain conditions to be studied by researchers. 

Then the timber companies such as Weyerhauser planted mostly Noble and Douglas Fir in their forests around Mt. St. Helens.  The commercial company areas looked like tree plantations without much diversity, but to some people those areas may look better because the trees are bigger there and it looks more like a forest. 

Thirty-two years later and things are very slowly and naturally recovering around the crater area.  One interesting result of the research so far is that birds favor the naturally recovering areas. A far greater number of bird species prefer the unmanaged stands of forest and the highest number of breeding songbirds live in the unmanaged stands with standing dead trees, next to water.

Up the Coast to Washington

New Territory!  We  headed up 101 hoping to stay somewhere near Astoria, Oregon on the border of Washington.  This was new ground for us as we had not ventured any further north than the Canon Beach area.  

Some scenes along the way...

Rock 'stacks' near Canon Beach

Gorgeous Oregon coastline

Early morning beach walk

It was only about an hour and a half drive to Ft. Stephens State Park which was minutes away from Astoria and we lucked out and got the last sight available.  This state park was a military base that had been used in WWII as a lookout for Japanese invasions.  Most of it is now a camping area and wildlife viewing area (mostly sea birds) with 12 miles of biking and hiking trails throughout the park.  Lots of families were enjoying the biking trails and visiting the beaches as well as the historic batteries and bunkers.

Seabirds at Ft. Stephens State Park

The historic seaport of Astoria was just a few miles up the road.  Astoria is a very much a ‘sea’ town at the mouth of the Columbia River.  Established in the 1800’s, it has many Victorian houses and is also the home to a Maritime Museum and a Lewis and Clark Museum.  We could  have spent more time exploring lovely historic Astoria, but since we only had one night at the State Park, we decided to go on into Washington and come back another day.

Goldilocks Goes Back to the Coast

It is such a luxury to be in search of "just right," and interesting to see how changing and illusive 'just right' can be. (But we will leave that discussion for another time.)  Leaving the hot weather in Corvallis we drove to the coastal city of Newport and then up Highway 101 to Nehalem Bay State Park.  We had stayed there one night after we left the Tillamook Forest several weeks ago and liked it very much.  Two peaceful days were spent in the park enjoying the gorgeous beach and driving up Highway 101 visiting the little seaside towns.  We especially enjoyed the charming town of Canon Beach with its art galleries, beautiful seaside views and Haystack Rock, a 235-foot monolith right off shore. And the weather was 'just right.'

Near the beach at Nehalem Bay State Park



Haystacks near Canon Beach



Seaside town of Nehalem


We had lunch at a little restaurant in Nehalem called Wanda’s.  It was a fun little place full of kitschy ‘state plates’ from someone’s collection.  David and I had a cool TV fireplace right at our table.  We had tasty sandwiches, mine a turkey Reuben and David's was a chicken, mushroom, caramelized onion and Swiss cheese sandwich. 

Dining by the fireside TV

Ecola State Park, a day use area, was just a few miles north of Canon Beach and it had great views of the nearby rock islands filled with nesting birds.  You can view ‘Terrible Tilly’ from the park, a rock island that was made into a formidable lighthouse in the late 1800’s and then decommissioned in 1957 and turned into a columbarium (where people’s ashes are interned) and eventually reclaimed by the nesting birds.

Ecola State Park

Leaving the Oregon Cascades

Summer finally made it to Oregon.  Hotter temperatures combined with the high humidity in the Cascades made us long to get back to a little cooler weather.  Originally our plan was to head for Washington through the Cascades, but we decided a coastal route would suit our need for milder days.  (I know, we are getting incredibly spoiled.) Being a Texas girl, it is hard to think about going to the coast in the summer to ‘cool off,’ but that is the way it works in the Northwest.

Corvallis, home of the Oregon State Beavers, was right on our way and we couldn't miss an opportunity to take another Scenic Byway so off we went on Scenic Highway 20.  Much of this route parallels the old Santiam Wagon Road that was built to lead settlers back east away from the Willamette Valley and to gold  mines in eastern Oregon and Idaho. 

Thimbleberry leaf with dew

Along the way, we stopped at the Hackleman Old Growth Trailhead.  The two short trails were gentle and the light rain from the night before made everything all ‘shimmery.’  It was nice to break up our drive and spend a few moments with some trees that have already lived 5 times more than I will. 

Corvallis is a vibrant college town with a riverfront section along the Willamette River. The OSU campus is beautiful and home to the Northwest Forestry Research Center. The city is located in the Willamette Valley which is the agricultural center of Oregon where vegetables, fruits and berries are grown and vineyards and wineries are plentiful.  It was hay bailing time so it was a bit dusty but other than that we had a lovely stay.

Views from the Three Sisters Wilderness

After a short hike one morning on the Proxy Falls trail, we took an afternoon drive on the southern portion of the Aufderheide National Forest Scenic Byway further into the Three Sisters Wilderness.  We stopped at a trailhead called French Pete for a longer hike into the wilderness.  We managed to hike in about 2 ½ miles that afternoon before the heat made us want to turn around and head back.  It was our hottest day out so far this summer and we felt it! 

But French Pete was everything you would want in a wilderness trail – remote, wild, winding up a steep canyon beside a fast running creek and no one else on the trail.  Except for the heat and humidity (and David said we could have had that back in Texas) we loved our hike in the Three Sisters Wilderness.



Lava field on Proxy Falls Trail in Three Sisters Wilderness



Along the French Pete Trail



French Pete Creek









McKenzie River National Recreation Trail - Clear Lake

Our next destination was another point on the McKenzie River Trail to Clear Lake.  An underground spring is the source of Clear Lake and the spring and the lake are the headwaters of the McKenzie River. The 5 mile trail around the lake travels through old growth forest, a lava field and past the beautiful spring.

Source Spring for the McKenzie River

One reason the water is so clear and blue is the temperature.  It is just above freezing varying from 34 to 42 degrees all year long.  The other reason is the lake bottom is full of deposits from diatoms (small organisms made mostly of silica). The silica is mostly white and helps refract the light so that the lake seems really blue.  Whatever the reasons, the effect is beautiful.

Clear Lake

At one end of the lake you can see an underwater forest.  A volcanic eruption about 3,000 years ago created a lava flow that caused the lake to fill very quickly submerging part of the forest.  The temperature of the water was too cold for the organisms that decompose wood, thus the forest still remains. 

Even though the water is cold, there is much aquatic life in the lake. Cutthroat trout are native to the lake and rainbow and brook trout have been introduced. An osprey soared above us at one end of the lake and although we kept an eye out, we didn’t see any eagles.

McKenzie River National Recreation Trail - Tamolitch and Waterfalls Loop

Thursday morning we headed back to Highway 126 and travelled east about 15 miles to hike two portions of the McKenzie River National Recreation Trail.  The first section took us on a 4 mile round trip to Tamolitch or Blue Pool.  Tamolitch is a gorgeous breathtakingly blue pool of water that emerges from lava tubes and underground caverns beneath the McKenzie River.  1500 years ago lava flows crossed the McKenzie river and blocked part of the river bed changing the course.  Above the Blue Pool, the McKenzie River disappears into the porous lava rock underground and then it resurfaces at Tamolitch.

Tamolitch (Blue Pool)

Our stay in the Willamette Forest brought a welcome change from the windy and cool weather at the coast.  The sun warmed our bones and we were hiking in shorts, something we haven’t done in several weeks. We ate our lunch beside the quiet navy blue pool of cold water and drank in the coolness of the air.  It felt great.

Next we hopped in the car and drove to our second leg of the McKenzie River National Recreation Trail, a 3 mile loop hike to two waterfalls, Koomah and Sahalie. This trail was shadier and again the air was cooled by the cold McKenzie River and the nearness of the two falls.  The loop trail allowed us to hike up one side of the two falls, cross the river and then hike back down on the other side of the falls.  It was just beautiful to get two views of the falls.

Koosah Falls

 Sahalie Falls