Seattle and beyond. Day 6

Rather than drive a direct route from Mount Rainier to Portland, some 135 miles, we decided to take in some scenery on the way. The Windy Ridge Viewpoint sounded attractive and seemed around half way to our destination. What we did not anticipate was that this site was up some very long and windy roads taking us a good few hours to reach. But the journey was worth it.

Windy Ridge has an elevation of 4,200 feet above sea level and looks out over the devastation caused by Mount St Helen’s volcanic eruption on 18 May 1980. The north face of the mountain collapsed sending searing avalanches of hot rock, gas, pumice and ash, killing everything in its path up to 17 miles from its centre. An estimated 520 million tons of ash spilled out from the volcano, enough to cover a football field 150 miles high. An ash cloud circled the globe for 15 days. Homes, bridges and roads were destroyed. Towns further afield were instantly put into darkness, and people lost their lives including David Johnston, a geological survey volcanologist who continued to take readings of the activity seven miles away at his observation post. Following the disaster and in recognition of his dedication an area was named after him, Johnston Ridge.

The Mount St Helen’s National Volcanic Monument, in which Windy Ridge stands, was established by Ronald Reagan in 1982 as a place for research, education and recreation as a result of the devastation caused. Today much of the land has been left as it stood after the eruption, while other areas are gradually being replanted. What surprised researchers was how nature has managed to re-establish itself. Some of the evergreen trees managed to survive having been buried under snow. Its Meta Lake was covered in ice at the time which protected its ecosystem. On slopes facing away from the eruption some plants and animals were protected by ridges and snow, all of which helped recolonise the landscape.

Our many photos taken today show some of that devastation as well as breathtaking views, making the extremely long detour (doubling our mileage) a trip worth taking.

Beautiful views from the top of Windy Ridge
The devastation is still apparent nearly four decades on
The burnt, dead, trees stand as a symbol of nature’s forces

A beautiful view over Spirit Lake, but what is not apparent is that the grey area beside the lake is not formed of stones, but floating dead tree trunks. The lake rose hundreds of feet following debris falling into the water
A prettier view. While dead trees act as a reminder and a monument, replanted areas show how human intervention can help to bring back growth, hope and beauty

Tonight we are in Portland and getting ready for a walking tour of the town in the morning.

Copyright: words and photos Sue Barnard 2019