Mt. St. Helens--L&C were NOT here!
Journal Day 8
Astoria/Seaside, OR
Elk Turd Camp
(Lewis and Clark often named their campsites after something they found at that location!)
Orders for the day: Trip to Mt. St. Helens
The day starts with bird identification at camp; I'm pretty sure it was a dark-eyed junco of the Oregon race. Next we try, and fail, to get online. Blogging would be easier with some kind of wireless satellite connection or something.
Today's activity is a long drive to see Mount St. Helens. Lewis and Clark may or may not have seen it; but it looked a lot different 201 years ago. Actually, it looked a lot different 25 years ago, before it blew.
Mount St. Helens is truly indescribable. Nothing I write, none of the pictures, can even begin to convey the immensity of the devastation caused by its eruption in 1980. We went to the visitor's center closest to the crater--5 miles. From there you can see not only the crater, but the new, gradually rising lava dome. The devastation caused by the lateral blast, the lava flows, the falling ash, and the mud flows is also clearly visible from this point. Garrett's comment was, "It looks like Armageddon." Neither of us have ever seen anything to compare it to. The devastation alone isn't what's so amazing--it's the scale, the enormity of the event.
Equally amazing is that life prevails. Within weeks of the eruption, small plants, phoenix-like, were pushing through the ashes and debris. Smaller wildlife began to return to the area almost immediately. Today I had birds and plants and trees to identify--a gray bird in feeding on insects in the rocks; a black and white bird sitting at the very top of a fir tree and cliff swallows darting through the air in search of their evening meal. Various clubs and tree farms have planted trees, and put up signs giving the year they were planted. Life takes the raw materials left behind by what appears to us to be total devastation, and uses those materials to perpetuate itself. So perhaps there are lessons to be learned at Mount Saint Helens; lessons about who is really in control, and lessons about life.
On a less philosophical note: We had an equally miraculous experience on the way back to camp from Mount St. Helens. We stopped for gas in Clatskanie Oregon, and an attendant pumped it! And for only $1.95/gallon! Truly an amazing day. The evening is cool here, in the 50’s, unlike St. Louis on August 1st. Once again, we need a heater! We hate to leave the coast and head back on our return journey; but tomorrow morning, we begin the trip back.
Astoria/Seaside, OR
Elk Turd Camp
(Lewis and Clark often named their campsites after something they found at that location!)
Orders for the day: Trip to Mt. St. Helens
The day starts with bird identification at camp; I'm pretty sure it was a dark-eyed junco of the Oregon race. Next we try, and fail, to get online. Blogging would be easier with some kind of wireless satellite connection or something.
Today's activity is a long drive to see Mount St. Helens. Lewis and Clark may or may not have seen it; but it looked a lot different 201 years ago. Actually, it looked a lot different 25 years ago, before it blew.
Mount St. Helens is truly indescribable. Nothing I write, none of the pictures, can even begin to convey the immensity of the devastation caused by its eruption in 1980. We went to the visitor's center closest to the crater--5 miles. From there you can see not only the crater, but the new, gradually rising lava dome. The devastation caused by the lateral blast, the lava flows, the falling ash, and the mud flows is also clearly visible from this point. Garrett's comment was, "It looks like Armageddon." Neither of us have ever seen anything to compare it to. The devastation alone isn't what's so amazing--it's the scale, the enormity of the event.
Equally amazing is that life prevails. Within weeks of the eruption, small plants, phoenix-like, were pushing through the ashes and debris. Smaller wildlife began to return to the area almost immediately. Today I had birds and plants and trees to identify--a gray bird in feeding on insects in the rocks; a black and white bird sitting at the very top of a fir tree and cliff swallows darting through the air in search of their evening meal. Various clubs and tree farms have planted trees, and put up signs giving the year they were planted. Life takes the raw materials left behind by what appears to us to be total devastation, and uses those materials to perpetuate itself. So perhaps there are lessons to be learned at Mount Saint Helens; lessons about who is really in control, and lessons about life.
On a less philosophical note: We had an equally miraculous experience on the way back to camp from Mount St. Helens. We stopped for gas in Clatskanie Oregon, and an attendant pumped it! And for only $1.95/gallon! Truly an amazing day. The evening is cool here, in the 50’s, unlike St. Louis on August 1st. Once again, we need a heater! We hate to leave the coast and head back on our return journey; but tomorrow morning, we begin the trip back.
posted by carol1211k | 12:55 PM
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