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