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| This is the
sight that greeted us as we climbed the hill to Johnston Ridge Observatory. |
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| Tim's Mom was
so happy to see it. |
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| There was even
a short glimpse of some blue sky. |
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| Tim's Dad liked
it too. |
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| Mt St Helens
is about 5 miles away from the observatory. |
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Tim's Mom
and I agreed it was pretty chilly out on the deck! 43°F!
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I took a
short hike up a trail. Here's the stump of a tree blown down by
the volcanic blast.
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| Tim kindly
clears a path for me. |
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| Despite some
colorful foliage, the dusting of snow reminded us winter is coming. |
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| Hillsides still
bear the remains of the trees which were blown down like matchsticks. |
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| I hope the chipmunks
can read! |
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| In the valley,
hummocks caused by the volcanic blast were visible. |
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| Bright leaves
provided splashes of color here and there. |
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| Deciduous and
evergreen trees combined to make a lovely texture. |
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| Gift shops in
the area sell items made of blown volcanic ash glass. |
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| Outside one
of the visitor centers was a bronze tree planter. |
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| Inside was a
learning center with many beautiful displays. |
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| A bronze elk
peeps out of some bushes near the door. |
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| The Bigfoot
statue is made of volcanic ash. |
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This A-frame was still under
construction when it was filled with volcanic mud and debris in
1980.
And with that, we headed home
to Seattle, glad we'd taken a chance and visited today.
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