Mt. Rainier, in Washington state, is the tallest peak in the volcanic Cascade Range that extends from British Columbia to Northern California. We visited in late June and the roads to the Sunrise section on the east and the rainforest in the northwest were still closed due to snow, but the mountain is so large that there was still a lot to see.
At 14,411 ft. and sitting alone, Mt. Rainier is easily seen and unmistakable from as far away as Canada and Oregon (Mt Whitney is the exact opposite, hidden as it is among similar peaks). On clear days, the mountain makes a dramatic background to Seattle, but it is often hidden in clouds--like most tall, stand-alone peaks, Mt. Rainier "makes its own weather".
Rainier's height and mass can be appreciated when you consider that it has three separate summits, two summit craters, and 27 named glaciers that are the source for six major rivers. As an active volcano, it presents a very real threat to Seattle, which is only 54 miles away, but what we saw on our visit were clear views of a beautiful place.
At these lower elevations are the hot springs, a rain forest, and old growth forests including the Grove of the Patriarchs. On our hike of the Grove trail we crossed the river on a swaying, bouncing bridge and saw specimens of 200 foot tall Douglas firs and red cedars, some over 1000 years old.
**Mt Hood
Summer skiing on the Palmer Snow Field is famous world-wide, but it is the Timberline Lodge that made that possible. The lodge was the first major project of the WPA and President Roosevelt personally dedicated the building in 1937.
Unique interior design features are everywhere throughout the lodge and were coordinated through the Federal Art Project. My personal favorite was a carving above one of the doors:
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Cougar Resting in Forest, Florence Thomas, wood relief, 1936-1937
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**Mt. St. Helens
In January 1980, Mt. St. Helens was a little-know, nondescript mountain in the Cascades owned by the Burlington Railroad and used primarily for lumber operations. Locals were more familiar with the namesake lodge at nearby Spirit Lake run by Harry R. Truman. But, the whole world learned of Mt. St. Helens on May 18th, 1980.
The eruption of Mt. St. Helens was not unexpected. Beginning in March, earthquake activity caused steam venting and a bulge appeared in April. But no one expected the magnitude of the eruption.
There were three main parts to the eruption. First, the side of the mountain blew out creating the largest avalanche and landslide in recorded history. This massive lahar--volcanic material, surface rock, and melted snow and ice all mixed to a consistency of wet cement--poured out in unimaginable quantities and sped toward Johnston Ridge which diverted it down the Toutle River creating massive flooding, destroying trees, plants, bridges and buildings in its path.
The lahar was followed immediately by a blast of hot volcanic gas with a force calculated at 1600 times greater than Hiroshima. Everything within a 10 mile radius was completely destroyed and trees within a 20 mile radius were described as "sheared like a mown lawn". There was no chance Johnson Ridge could divert this.
Finally, an ash cloud began erupting, reaching 15 miles high, sending ash north and east and into the jet stream for nine hours. In nearby Yakima, Washington there was daytime darkness as ash fell like some perverse, deep snowfall that didn't melt.
Volcanic activity continued until 1991 and then, after a pause, began again in 2004 with another series of lesser eruptions that continued until 2008 when the eruption was declared officially ended.
In January 1980, Mt. St. Helens was a little-know, nondescript mountain in the Cascades owned by the Burlington Railroad and used primarily for lumber operations. Locals were more familiar with the namesake lodge at nearby Spirit Lake run by Harry R. Truman. But, the whole world learned of Mt. St. Helens on May 18th, 1980.
The eruption of Mt. St. Helens was not unexpected. Beginning in March, earthquake activity caused steam venting and a bulge appeared in April. But no one expected the magnitude of the eruption.
There were three main parts to the eruption. First, the side of the mountain blew out creating the largest avalanche and landslide in recorded history. This massive lahar--volcanic material, surface rock, and melted snow and ice all mixed to a consistency of wet cement--poured out in unimaginable quantities and sped toward Johnston Ridge which diverted it down the Toutle River creating massive flooding, destroying trees, plants, bridges and buildings in its path.
The lahar was followed immediately by a blast of hot volcanic gas with a force calculated at 1600 times greater than Hiroshima. Everything within a 10 mile radius was completely destroyed and trees within a 20 mile radius were described as "sheared like a mown lawn". There was no chance Johnson Ridge could divert this.
Finally, an ash cloud began erupting, reaching 15 miles high, sending ash north and east and into the jet stream for nine hours. In nearby Yakima, Washington there was daytime darkness as ash fell like some perverse, deep snowfall that didn't melt.
Volcanic activity continued until 1991 and then, after a pause, began again in 2004 with another series of lesser eruptions that continued until 2008 when the eruption was declared officially ended.
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| Mt St Helens - Before and After -- Note Silver Lake in Foreground Which Doubled in Volume |
Today, over 36 years after the initial eruption, the damage is still quite evident in the Toutle River basin, but a Visitors' Center has been built on Johnston Ridge and recovery has begun. Today, wildflowers are flourishing around the stumps of trees destroyed in the blast.
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| Wildflowers and Stumps on Johnston Ridge |
**Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
There are over 400 units managed by the National Park Service, but only 58 National Parks. My leather-bound pocket guide to the National Parks covers all of the National Parks and only the National Parks, with one exception. Despite the fact that there are 41 other Historical Parks, this one, and only this one, is included. Strange, but here we are.
Fort Clatsop was built near the mouth of the Columbia River and marks the far point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was a simple structure consisting of two buildings surrounded by log walls. The Corps of Discovery only used the fort for three months before beginning the return journey east and they presented the still useful fort to the chief of Clatsops as a 'thank you'.
In 1955 the fort was reconstructed as part of the effort that designated the site as the Fort Clatsop National Memorial in 1958. This replica burned in 2005 and the current re-creation--a more accurate representation--was completed in 2006.
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| Fort Clatsop Re-Creation |
**Columbia River Dams
I had naively assumed that when Lewis and Clark entered the Columbia River from the Snake, they simply floated down to the ocean, the hard part of their journey over. And it was relatively easy until the river entered the Columbia Gorge.
When the expedition reached the gorge, William Clark surveyed the Celilo Falls and The Dalles rapids, and determined to shoot the narrows despite their fury. Sending most of the equipment and all of the valuables on a long portage, he made the effort. The story goes that hundreds of Indians watched from the cliffs above and were amazed when the explorers actually survived.
Today there are 14 hydroelectric dams over the length of the Columbia but the two dams that actually made the Columbia fully navigable are The Dalles (French for slabs) and the Bonneville. Both are Corps of Engineer dams, so, of course we had to visit.
The Bonneville is certainly the more interesting. A second power plant was added to the Bonneville in 1981 and it is of a typical modern industrial design, but the original power plant was completed in 1937 to fulfill a campaign promise by FDR.The result then was a perfect blend of industry and art, and the art deco features are highlighted during the tour. Perhaps even more interesting is a rejected proposal that would have had, among other oddities, nude water nymphs perched on the generator housings.
We boarded a big stern-wheeler to tour the river which was filled with sail-boarders and wind surfers every afternoon when the wind picked up. Historic Oregon Route 30 still exists for a short distance along the river where there are a number of well-known waterfalls, including Multnomah, Bridal Veil (how unique), Wahkeena Falls, and Latourell Falls. In addition, there is Vista House, built in 1916 well before the present dams, sitting high with commanding views both up- and down-river.
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| Multnomah Falls and Vista House |
**Mount Hood Railroad
This short line railroad follows the Hood River from the Columbia up to Odell, Oregon. I thought it might have been a ski train at some point, but it was always a freight line and despite the growth of trucking, they still carry freight two days a week. As we rode through the cherry and pear orchards, we saw the need for this service. Mount Hood Railroad is only one of a few U.S. railroads that uses a switchback to make a steep hill climb--Roaring Camp in Santa Cruz is another.
**Traveling the West
We continued our road adventures with this drive to Oregon and Washington state. Our route took us deep into the heart of the Cascades which could never be mistaken for the Sierras. Besides the fact that these are volcanoes, I'm sure it's due to the amount of rain they get.
We spent two travel nights in Oregon. On the way north, we stayed in Eugene, home to Oregon State University (or judging by the signage, Phil Knight's Nike University). Actually, this seemed a very friendly college town and the university itself dates back to 1868. The place was busier than we expected probably because we didn't know they were in the midst of track and field Olympic trials.
On our return, we stayed a night in Klamath Falls, stopping for lunch in Bend, Oregon. Bend is always included in lists of "Best Places to Retire." We arrived there on a Monday afternoon and can verify that the place is full of active retirees as well as a great numbers of college students. For a town out in the middle of nowhere, it was a very lively place.
Wildlife was a bit sparse on this trip. We saw a small herd of pronghorn in northern California and a bald eagle perched on a pole looking over Upper Klamath Lake in southern Oregon and lots of fish at the fish ladders on the Columbia. When our GPS unit took us on an adventure through the Oregon forest, we kept an eye out for Bigfoot, but all we saw was Bambi, pogo-sticking down the road before veering off into the woods.
For more pictures see: Mt. Rainier Trip Photos
