Making Friends on Mt. St. Helens

One of my favorite places to hike is at Washington State's Mt. St. Helens.  It's such a fascinating place - where else can you see the aftermath of an enormous volcanic eruption and witness the recovery of its surrounding area?  If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you have probably read posts from many of my hikes around this famous mountain.

In late spring, I always plan a visit to the mountain's north side to check out the wildflowers and look for wildlife.  Recent online hiking posts had mentioned numerous mountain goat sightings near Johnston Ridge.  Eager to see (and photograph, of course) the goats for myself, I rose early one late May morning for the long drive to the Hummocks Trailhead.

MSH in early morning light

Mountain weather is always unpredictable, and today was no exception.  Although the forecast called for sunny skies, as I drove the long highway to Coldwater Lake, my car was enveloped in a thick bank of fog.  There were no other vehicles on the road at this early hour, so I wasn't too worried.  Or so I thought - about 20 miles from my destination I came upon a pickup driving a bit slower than the speed limit.  There being no passing lanes, I had to tuck behind the vehicle and putz along.

A few Indian paintbrush were blooming

I told myself there wasn't any hurry, but it's always a bit frustrating to follow a vehicle that's traveling slower than you want to go.  Finally, a passing lane came into view and I sped past the slow truck.  I drove along through the thick fog, hoping no wildlife would pop into the road.  I did scare a bald eagle off of a deer carcass - that was exciting!

As the road climbed in elevation, the fog settled in the valleys, and surrounding mountains began to appear.  I spied Mt. St. Helens' deflated summit and smiled in joy.  I'd see her after all!  Then a sign indicated an overlook.  A fog-shrouded MSH summit?  Well, of course I had to stop for the photographic opportunities.

MSH slowly emerging from the fog

A lone car was parked at the overlook, its occupant a young man who was outside cooking his breakfast over a backpacking stove.  It appeared he'd slept in his car overnight, an observation verified when I said hello and we began to chat.  As I clicked away at the mountain, we both exclaimed at the wonderful view of MSH coming out of her foggy prison.  The man said he'd gotten some great nighttime photos of the mountain with the milky way as a backdrop.  I was instantly awed and jealous.

However, my pit stop at the overlook cost me my lead over the slow pickup.  As I readied myself to pull out of the parking area, the pickup passed by.  Again I was back in the rear position, eating its exhaust.  Good thing the trailhead wasn't far now!

Mountain peek-a-boo

As the road wound downhill, I was again enveloped in the thick fog.  The pickup ahead continued on the same course, and ended up turning into the Hummocks Trailhead, the same destination as me.  Emerging from my car, a man and woman from the pickup walked over to where I was parked.  The woman asked if I was hiking the Boundary Trail to Johnston Ridge, and if I was, could she join me?

Apparently, the woman's husband wasn't interested in hiking that far and she didn't want to hike alone.  Always one to enjoy company on the trail, I said "of course!"  The lady introduced herself as Linda - we then both had a good chuckle when I told her that was my name too.

Almost clear!

Linda's grown son was going to meet her here - but he was running late and planned to catch his mom on the trail.  So after donning my boots and eating a second-breakfast granola bar, I was ready to go.  My new hiking companion and I began our adventure from a very foggy Hummocks Trailhead.  The fog was so thick, it hid all the nearby scenery.  With both of us in search of mountain (and mountain goat) views, we both hoped it would dissipate as the day went on.

Wonderful views from the trail

Chatting as my new friend and I walked along, I discovered we had much in common.  Linda was a few years older than me, loved hiking, and was a member of a local outdoor group in her hometown.  She also was in to plants and birds, and could identify most of the local flora we passed by.  Unlike me, she loved backpacking and usually completed several trips over the summer.  

Red currant was blooming

It didn't take long for Linda's son to catch up to us.  He was a nice man, and it was heartwarming to see a son that loved to hike with his mother.  Our now band of three began climbing the Boundary Trail out of the flat Toutle River valley.  The higher we rose, the thinner the clouds became, and the mountain began giving us a few peek-a-boo views.  Finally, rounding a bend in the trail, MSH emerged from the fog in a most dramatic fashion.  Made for some wonderful images!

Panoramic viewpoint

A little over 2 miles in we came upon an impressive overlook.  The trail wandered onto a ridge, providing breathtaking front-and-center views of MSH.  Lucky for us, the fog was nearly gone by that time.  We took a short break to take photos and enjoy the scene.

My new friends take in the scenery

Another thing Linda and I had in common - we'd chosen to hike this particular trail in hopes of seeing mountain goats.  Both of us had read the same online trip reports, and seen the numerous goat photos posted by other hikers.  As we rounded another bend, Johnston Ridge and the visitor center came into view across a large valley.  Linda noticed a few tiny white dots on the slope directly below Johnston Ridge.  With the aid of her binoculars, she confirmed that the dots were mountain goats.

Mountain goat!

Although it was exciting to see the mountain goats, I wished that they were a bit closer.  Even with my 400mm zoom lens, they were too far away to get decent images.  However, the trail would take us closer to the slopes where they were sitting, so my friend and I hoped we'd get some better views.

Mama goat with baby hidden in bushes to the left

Onward we trekked.  Our group of three passed by the Loowit Viewpoint, where Linda and I scanned the hillsides for closer goats.  Linda's son decided to press on to Johnston Ridge Observatory, while we ladies chose to take a more leisurely pace.  After parting ways temporarily with her son, Linda and I continued walking towards Johnston Ridge.  We hadn't traveled far when she spotted several mountain goats on the slope ahead directly below the trail.  Although we couldn't get good photographs at our present location, there appeared to be a good viewing opportunity up the trail.

Another goat checking us out

Passing over a high spot on the trail that blocked all views of the mountain goats, we descended and rounded a bend and came upon a nice overlook with the goats in clear sight.  A young man with a long camera lens was set up here.  Approaching the photographer, I recognized him as the car camper I'd met at the viewpoint that morning.  Small world!

Linda, the young man, and I hung out for a bit, taking copious photos of the goats.  There were three adults.  Two of the adults were mama goats, with their tiny babies hidden in the nearby bushes.  The third goat was a single, resting in the shadow of a small rock face.  It was amazing to see these shaggy, white beasts at a close (but safe) distance.

Golden-mantled ground squirrel

After a few minutes, Linda decided to continue on to the observatory and catch up with her son.  Hoping that the goats would start moving around, I elected to stay put.  The young man also initially stayed, but after another five minutes, he too decided to head for Johnston Ridge.  I waited a bit longer, but after several minutes with no goat movement, I decided those guys weren't going anywhere soon.  Time to move on.

Mountain bluebird

I hadn't traveled far when I met Linda and her son coming in the opposite direction.  They were heading back to the trailhead - she had to be home by a certain time.  I was sorry to part ways with my new trail buddy so soon.  But before saying our goodbyes, I made sure to exchange contact information and friended her on Facebook.  Linda, it was great to hike with you!  Hopefully our trails will cross again in the future.

Goats resting below Johnston Ridge

I continued on to the Johnston Ridge Observatory.  Normally, this visitor's center is open by Mother's Day weekend.  However, a huge landslide took out the entrance road last spring and it had been closed ever since.  When the landslide happened, it stranded several visitors and their vehicles - the people had to be rescued by helicopter.  (You can read more about the landslide here)  It was a bit sad to see the shuttered visitor's center and have the entire viewing area to myself.  However, I wasn't quite all alone - the young man I'd met in the early morning hours was also here, camera in hand, watching another small group of mountain goats directly below.

 

Mother goat giving me the stink eye

I had another great conversation with the young man.  I learned he was a wildlife biologist, currently traveling between jobs.  He gave me a card with his website - which I'm now following.  It's called "A Woods Walk Photography" ( https://www.awoodswalk.com/) and you can sign up for his monthly newsletter.

Not only did we spot more mountain goats, the man also pointed out a mountain bluebird perched on a nearby tree.  It's handy to hang out with someone who watches wild animals for a living!

Afternoon clouds over the mountain

After lunch, more wildlife viewing, and a bit more great conversation, the young man bid me goodbye and headed further up the trail.  Since the observatory was my turn-around point, I began retracing my steps back to the trailhead.   

Wonderful views on the return trip

After hiking with people all morning, my return trip was a bit lonely.  The only stop I made was to check out the mountain goats between Johnston Ridge and Loowit Viewpoint.  The three goats were all in the same spots, however, one of the babies was now out in the open.  I snapped a few images of the cute little kid, while mama goat gave me the stink-eye.  By early afternoon, the fog had entirely cleared and I enjoyed wide-open vistas and slopes full of wild strawberry flowers as I rambled downhill.

Wild strawberry blooms lined the trail

Another great hike in the Mt. St. Helens area!  Not only did I enjoy dramatic, foggy scenery, I also got to see some mountain goats.  And I met three nice people - Linda, her son, and the young wildlife biologist.  A wonderful day indeed!