A Weekend With Mount St Helens Volcano
Discussion
I had originally planned to post these shots up in the random photos thread, but to save flooding the thread I thought it'd be easier to make a seperate thread to share a few shots with you all from my weekend exploring Mount St Helens volcano...
Day 1 saw me approach the volcano from the South side and then work my way round the East side until reaching Windy Ridge which offered views of the North East side of the crater.
First glimpse of St Helens from the shore of Yale Lake
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 2 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Hiking into the wilderness from South of the volcano
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 39 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Over a mile underground inside Ape Cave lava tubes
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 15 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Ape Canyon to the South East of the volcano
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 49 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Lava Canyon
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 56 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Around 10 miles from the volcano on the North East side the devastation caused by the 1980 eruption is still clear to see, even 30 years later nature is still trying to rebuild the lush forests that surrounded the volcano
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 79 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
The closer you get to the volcano the more sparse the trees become, and these are only in their infancy after starting to grow again after the eruption 30 years ago
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 91 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Spirit Lake which lay almost directly in the path of the eruption which blew out the North side of the mountain, you can still see the massive number of tree trunks which litter the surface of the lake, to the top right there is a HUGE area which is entirely covered with the dead trees, and just above that area on the horizon Mount Rainier is just visible (another volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range)
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 108 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
A shot of the wood lying on the North East surface of Spirit Lake, and here you can also see that the sides of the hills which were facing the volcano still struggle to allow plants to grow, whereas the more sheltered areas are already starting to show signs of life again
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 87 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
And after ascending the hillside of Windy Ridge you finally get your first look at the crater area of the volcano, albeit from the North East side
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 109 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Day 2 allowed the chance to approach the volcano from the West and then to the North ending at the Johnson Ridge Visitor Centre from where a hike into the wilderness would allow views directly across the decimated valley into the crater itself.
Approaching from the North West of the volcano offers spectacular views which make it even easier to see just how much devastation was caused by the eruption, at this point I'm approximately 6 miles from the volcano, which is approx 4 miles inside blast zone inside which almost everything was completely destroyed, the pictures available in the local visitor centres and around the web of the devastation in this area are quite amazing.
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 92 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
From the Johnson Ridge Visitor Centre the devastation lies in the valley directly in front of you
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 6 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
A mile or so's walk into the wilderness affords much better views of the crater itself, and the dome which began forming over the period of 5 or so years and then stopped again around 2006.
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 8 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
A little hard to see in such a small pic, but if you look to the direct centre of this image and then a little bit to the left you will see a lone tree standing. Grazing around that tree was a herd of around 20 Elk, the first real sign of life moving back into the area in the last 30 years, the number of people there studying their movements etc was quite crazy, showing just how interesting the location is to not only vulcanologists but also several other groups.
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 12 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Around a half mile hike from the visitor centre lies a memorial plaque containing the names of all those who lost their lives in the eruption
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 28 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
It may only be a flower, but when you've walked several miles through what I can only liken to a rocky, desert-like area such a burst of colour doesn't half grab your attention
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 32 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
There's a couple of places to stop off for short rest, and enjoy the vastness of the vocano and it's destructive force
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 42 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Another such bench, around a 2 mile walk from Johnson Ridge
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 47 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
As the eruption ripped it's way through the surrounding countryside there's evidence of just how much force was involved when you find huge trees that were twisted round and round before snapping and being thrown far into the distance
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 62 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
A few miles further into the wilderness it's definitely not for the feint hearted or those who suffer from vertigo, the small winding path to the left of the image may look ok, but in reality it's wide enough for one person walking with their feet fairly close together, and the drop off to the right in this image is very deceiving, one foot on the edge and nothing will stop you sliding and tumbing several hundred meters to the valley floor below
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 64 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
This shot will show the path and drop to the right a little better, the path directly in front is around 2 feet wide, but after the first snake up ahead it narrows to around 1 feet or less, just when the drop off to the right gets more nasty too
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 68 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
For those prepared to continue onward the view is reward in itself, as you come head on with the crater of the volcano, and with the naked eye you can make out the 4 or 5 areas which are still warm enough to produce steam on the surface due to the magma below
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 101 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
The eruption may have brought death and destruction but it also gave way to changes in the surrounding landscape, such as Coldwater Lake which was formed by the effects of the eruption, in the years which followed the water was dark and full of debris and dust, but now 30 years later the water is crystal clear and fish live there in abundance
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 86 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
I'm not one for taking pictures of flowers etc, but having witnessed what the brutality of such a natural occurance can do it made me stop and shoot so many pictures of colourful flowers and animals on my way home again, all of which were still well inside the blast zone 30 years ago...
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 100 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 90 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Along with the amazing blues of Crater Lake, Mount St Helens was without a doubt one of the 2 main highlights of the trips I was able to make happen while working out in Oregon this summer....and if you ever get the chance to take it all in for yourself I urge you to do so...
If you want to see more, you can find the complete set on my flickr account here:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barryoneilphotography...
Day 1 saw me approach the volcano from the South side and then work my way round the East side until reaching Windy Ridge which offered views of the North East side of the crater.
First glimpse of St Helens from the shore of Yale Lake
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 2 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Hiking into the wilderness from South of the volcano
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 39 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Over a mile underground inside Ape Cave lava tubes
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 15 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Ape Canyon to the South East of the volcano
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 49 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Lava Canyon
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 56 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Around 10 miles from the volcano on the North East side the devastation caused by the 1980 eruption is still clear to see, even 30 years later nature is still trying to rebuild the lush forests that surrounded the volcano
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 79 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
The closer you get to the volcano the more sparse the trees become, and these are only in their infancy after starting to grow again after the eruption 30 years ago
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 91 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Spirit Lake which lay almost directly in the path of the eruption which blew out the North side of the mountain, you can still see the massive number of tree trunks which litter the surface of the lake, to the top right there is a HUGE area which is entirely covered with the dead trees, and just above that area on the horizon Mount Rainier is just visible (another volcano in the Cascade Mountain Range)
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 108 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
A shot of the wood lying on the North East surface of Spirit Lake, and here you can also see that the sides of the hills which were facing the volcano still struggle to allow plants to grow, whereas the more sheltered areas are already starting to show signs of life again
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 87 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
And after ascending the hillside of Windy Ridge you finally get your first look at the crater area of the volcano, albeit from the North East side
Mount St Helens Trip Part 1 - 109 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Day 2 allowed the chance to approach the volcano from the West and then to the North ending at the Johnson Ridge Visitor Centre from where a hike into the wilderness would allow views directly across the decimated valley into the crater itself.
Approaching from the North West of the volcano offers spectacular views which make it even easier to see just how much devastation was caused by the eruption, at this point I'm approximately 6 miles from the volcano, which is approx 4 miles inside blast zone inside which almost everything was completely destroyed, the pictures available in the local visitor centres and around the web of the devastation in this area are quite amazing.
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 92 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
From the Johnson Ridge Visitor Centre the devastation lies in the valley directly in front of you
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 6 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
A mile or so's walk into the wilderness affords much better views of the crater itself, and the dome which began forming over the period of 5 or so years and then stopped again around 2006.
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 8 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
A little hard to see in such a small pic, but if you look to the direct centre of this image and then a little bit to the left you will see a lone tree standing. Grazing around that tree was a herd of around 20 Elk, the first real sign of life moving back into the area in the last 30 years, the number of people there studying their movements etc was quite crazy, showing just how interesting the location is to not only vulcanologists but also several other groups.
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 12 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Around a half mile hike from the visitor centre lies a memorial plaque containing the names of all those who lost their lives in the eruption
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 28 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
It may only be a flower, but when you've walked several miles through what I can only liken to a rocky, desert-like area such a burst of colour doesn't half grab your attention
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 32 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
There's a couple of places to stop off for short rest, and enjoy the vastness of the vocano and it's destructive force
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 42 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Another such bench, around a 2 mile walk from Johnson Ridge
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 47 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
As the eruption ripped it's way through the surrounding countryside there's evidence of just how much force was involved when you find huge trees that were twisted round and round before snapping and being thrown far into the distance
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 62 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
A few miles further into the wilderness it's definitely not for the feint hearted or those who suffer from vertigo, the small winding path to the left of the image may look ok, but in reality it's wide enough for one person walking with their feet fairly close together, and the drop off to the right in this image is very deceiving, one foot on the edge and nothing will stop you sliding and tumbing several hundred meters to the valley floor below
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 64 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
This shot will show the path and drop to the right a little better, the path directly in front is around 2 feet wide, but after the first snake up ahead it narrows to around 1 feet or less, just when the drop off to the right gets more nasty too
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 68 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
For those prepared to continue onward the view is reward in itself, as you come head on with the crater of the volcano, and with the naked eye you can make out the 4 or 5 areas which are still warm enough to produce steam on the surface due to the magma below
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 101 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
The eruption may have brought death and destruction but it also gave way to changes in the surrounding landscape, such as Coldwater Lake which was formed by the effects of the eruption, in the years which followed the water was dark and full of debris and dust, but now 30 years later the water is crystal clear and fish live there in abundance
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 86 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
I'm not one for taking pictures of flowers etc, but having witnessed what the brutality of such a natural occurance can do it made me stop and shoot so many pictures of colourful flowers and animals on my way home again, all of which were still well inside the blast zone 30 years ago...
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 100 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Mount St Helens Trip Part 2 - 90 by www.bazpics.com, on Flickr
Along with the amazing blues of Crater Lake, Mount St Helens was without a doubt one of the 2 main highlights of the trips I was able to make happen while working out in Oregon this summer....and if you ever get the chance to take it all in for yourself I urge you to do so...
If you want to see more, you can find the complete set on my flickr account here:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/barryoneilphotography...
Thanks for posting these Baz. Nice pics. It's a beautiful neck of the woods isn't it? I have family who live in Sweet Home so know the Pacific north west fairly well and love all the volcanos, Sisters, Jefferson, Hood, Crater lake etc. I did pop in to see St Helens on a drive back to Sweet Home from Spokane. I say pop, but as you know it's an hour there and an hour back from I5, boy that was a long days driving! Unfortunately when I finally got to Johnston's ridge observatory, cloud sat over St Helens, so didn't really see it. 
Although the devastation around was amazing to see even after all that time, the brutal power of nature etc. God help anyone near Rainier, or any of the Cascades, if they decide to burp!
These were just snaps from a compact shot on my last visit in 2003. The crop just shows the force of the blast and how mighty firs were blown over like matchsticks.
It's nice to see it recovering, I hope to go back soon and maybe climb it with my cousin (who has a habit of climbing them, although it might kill me), if it's open to the public.
Although the devastation around was amazing to see even after all that time, the brutal power of nature etc. God help anyone near Rainier, or any of the Cascades, if they decide to burp!These were just snaps from a compact shot on my last visit in 2003. The crop just shows the force of the blast and how mighty firs were blown over like matchsticks.
It's nice to see it recovering, I hope to go back soon and maybe climb it with my cousin (who has a habit of climbing them, although it might kill me), if it's open to the public.
They open the mountain to 100 hikers/climbers each day from (iirc) mid May to end of October, you have to pre-register for such a pass and sign your life away.
I really wanted to do the climb too, which would encompass a long days walking up and down what are at times steep gradients and a lot of "scree" as you approach the top of the crater, but sadly with me being there working Mon-Fri it meant weekends were my only option and they were pretty much all booked up by the time I arrived out there at the end of May.
I really wanted to do the climb too, which would encompass a long days walking up and down what are at times steep gradients and a lot of "scree" as you approach the top of the crater, but sadly with me being there working Mon-Fri it meant weekends were my only option and they were pretty much all booked up by the time I arrived out there at the end of May.
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