Mt. Saint Helens

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This was my second time to Mt. Saint Helens. The first was the week before with my wife. The drive to the Johnston Observatory was very beautiful and the closer we got to the mountain the foggier it became,which gave it a more ominous feel. When we arrived at the observatory, we where greeted by an opening in the fog that revealed the huge crater and the true size of the mountain. It was amazing. After a short look at the mountain, the fog returned and it was gone.
On the drive home all I could think about was hiking across the valley to the mountain. One week later my wife and I was on our way. The hike it self is was a bit challenging to and from the crater. There are parts that are at least 200 ft drop offs, but the rest is pretty easy. (Take your time and bring plenty of water) Once on the valley floor, it feels like you are on another planet. Very little vegitation and almost everything is an ashy gray color. I was suprised to find frogs and tadpoles in one of the small creeks that flows from St. Helens. I guess nature is coming back. Once we arrived at the base of the mountain, we took a short brake then continued to our final destination. Loowit Falls. I was hoping to get a bit closer to the falls then I did, but the ground was so unstable and as you can see from the photo, pretty steep and deep. I wasn't real keen on getting to close to the edge or hiking up the river below. At any time there could have been a small rock slide and that would have been the end of my trip real quick. I was very happy with the image I took and was more happy that my wife could share this moment with me. It was special for us both.
As we turned and started our way back to the Johnston Observatory we noticed the view from St. Helens to Spirit Lake had opened and we stood their for a bit and took it all in. The hike was just over 13 miles and was worth every step taken.

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Photos

Spirit Lake
Spirit Lake from Mt. St. Helens

Loowit Falls
An amazing hike.