Summitting Coldwater Peak

My summer wildflower tour wouldn't be complete without a visit to Mt. St. Helens.  Beginning in mid-July, colorful flowers carpet the barren landscape around this mountain.  Some of the best floral displays occur along the Boundary Trail from the Johnston Ridge Visitor Center to Coldwater Peak.

Dewdrop-spangled lupine

For the past three years, I've driven the long two hours to follow this trail.  One of my very favorites, it's a "must-do" on my summer hiking list.  But although coming close, I'd yet to summit Coldwater Peak.  A long hike, (nearly 13 miles) both prior visits I'd run out of time, and had to stop short of the goal.

The paintbrush are out in force!

Two weeks ago, I decided today was the day.  I rallied my friends Young and John, enticing them with glowing descriptions of the beautiful landscapes.  We arrived at the Johnston Ridge Visitor center to chilly temps and thick clouds.  Not exactly the conditions I'd hoped for, but at least it wasn't raining!

Furry friend

My friends and I started out on the Boundary Trail from the visitor center parking lot.  The parade of flowers began almost immediately.  Although there wasn't the large purple carpets of penstemon like last year, lupine and paintbrush almost made up for the deficit.  Plus, many of the lupine's petals were drenched in dew droplets, which made for some fine photo ops.

Entering Devil's Elbow

For the first two miles, our path ambled downhill across desolate plains scoured by Mt. St. Helen's 1980 eruption.  When the volcano exploded, this area took a direct hit.  But bright patches of vivid orange paintbrush and deep purple lupine brightened an otherwise stark landscape.

Young traverses Devil's Elbow

At the two mile mark, the trail abruptly changes direction and follows a ridge southward around a gravelly plateau.  The trail across this ridge is narrow, with steep slopes above and cliffs below.  Dubbed the "Devil's Elbow," it's not for the faint of heart.

But there is a reward for this treacherous traverse.  Reaching the plateau's point gives visitors wonderful up-close views into MSH's collapsed crater.  Sadly, there were no views today.  MSH decided to be shy, and hid behind thick clouds.

First glimpse of Spirit Lake

But this plateau offered other views, almost as nice.  Looking to the east, my friends and I glimpsed the southern end of Spirit Lake, and above it the treeless slopes of Windy Ridge.

Wildflower-lined trail

Then it was back on the trail, winding through a lovely flower-strewn gully.  This section had a small spring flowing through it's center, and all sorts of green vegetation had taken root here.  Some of the trees and brush were almost tall enough to offer a little shade (if there would've been sun!)

Heading up the ridge above Harry's Saddle

Then my friends and I climbed up a hot, dusty path to a low point between two ridges, named "Harry's Saddle."  This feature's namesake was none other than Harry Truman, a crotchety old man who ran a resort on Spirit Lake, and famously refused to evacuate before the 1980 eruption.  When the mountain blew, he and his 40 cats perished.

Incredible views of Spirit Lake

From Harry's Saddle our trail began to climb.  We trudged up a steep ridge, amongst more barren landscapes.  Weathered old logs and stumps littered the hillsides, ghostly remnants of a pre-eruption forest.

Although the scene in front was barren, all one had to do was glimpse behind for some amazing views of brilliant blue Spirit Lake.  The higher we climbed, the better the scenery.

Young finds some wild strawberries

Lots of low shrubs covered the hillsides.  Amongst the greenery, eagle-eye Young spotted a bunch of ripe wild strawberries.  Although smaller than their domesticated cousins, these tiny berries packed a huge punch of sweet flavor.

Yummy wild strawberries

Mmmmm good!  Young and I could've picked berries all day.  But John reminded us if we wanted to reach the top of Coldwater Peak, we needed to keep moving .

Dead trees from the eruption litter the slopes

More elevation gain, climbing the ridge through ghostly gray tree stumps.  Although the cloud layer lifted slightly, revealing more of the surrounding hills, MSH remained firmly hidden.

Walking through the ghost trees

Reaching the ridgetop, my friends and I were greeted with a new panorama.  Round, ultra-blue St. Helens Lake sat far below, while the peaks of Mt. Margaret wilderness popped above the eastern sky.  Flowers again began to line our path.  We dipped down a steep slope and walked through a unique rocky arch.

Photo op at rock arch

Looking at our watches, I was surprised to discover it was well past 1:30.  No wonder my stomach was grumbling!  Hoping we'd soon stop for lunch, I was a little disappointed when John suggested we push on to Coldwater Peak's summit and eat there.

Contouring around St. Helens Lake

Still over a mile from our day's goal, my enthusiasm for summitting began to wane.  Not only ready for some nourishment, I was also worried we'd end up finishing the hike at a really late hour.  But John and Young were set on reaching the peak's top, so I reluctantly followed their lead.

Coldwater Peak summit is in sight!

The trail contoured around the side of St. Helens Lake.  Lupine grew in great abundance, and before long we'd climbed high enough to get glimpses of Spirit Lake, over the ridge from St. Helens Lake.

We hit a junction, and then the climbing began in earnest.  Ascending 700 feet in a mere 0.6 of a mile, this was a sweaty slog.  And, looking towards the summit, I was disappointed to see it cloaked under a thick bank of fog.

Nice lunch spot

But, after what seemed an eternity, like ghosts out of a cloud, the summit's radio towers came into view.  Yahoo!  John found us a nice perch on the rocks, and we settled in to a well-earned lunch break.

Although there were no views to enjoy, I was still happy to be sitting on top of Coldwater Peak.  After two tries, I'd finally made it!  Now that the climbing was done, I was glad my friends had pushed me into completing this goal.

Flowers line the summit trail

But the afternoon was getting late.  Bellies full, and legs rested, it was time to head back.  The romp back down was a pure delight.  Numerous flowers bloomed thickly along Coldwater Peak's lush green slopes.  On the way up, I'd been too preoccupied with reaching the summit to stop and photograph anything.  But nothing was stopping me now.

Western Pasque Flowers (aka "Hippy on a Stick")

Some of my favorite blooms were the shaggy seed pods of the Western Pasque Flowers, or as I like to call them, "Hippy on a Stick."

Shades of pink and blue

These ultra-pink flowers (sorry, have no idea of the name) contrasted great with the bright blue waters of St. Helens Lake.  As I descended, the fog began to lift, offering tantalizing peeks of the landscape below.

Colorful lupine

The lupine here was gorgeous.  It came in several different shades of purple.  I've never seen different colors within the same plant.

Heading back to Harry's Saddle and Spirit Lake

After lots of camera clicks, we reached the main trail again.  From here, it was a quick romp back around St. Helens Lake, through the rock arch, and down the treeless slope back to Harry's Saddle.

Walking across a moonscape

Returning across the sandy plains, we again trekked around Devil's Elbow.  Only two miles left from here!  But I'd forgotten that the final stretch back to the visitor's center was uphill.  After nearly 11 miles, and over 2000 feet of climbing at that point, to our tired bodies this final leg seemed to go on forever.

Colorful flowers brighten the trailhead

After a long day's hike, there's no sweeter sight than glimpsing your vehicle in the trailhead parking lot.  (Especially if said vehicle contains post-hike goodies of microbrews and kettle chips!)  My friends and I cracked open some cold ones, and toasted to another successful hike - and now summit bragging rights!

Stats for the day:  13 miles traveled, 3000' total elevation gain.  Another year's visit checked off the list.

Sharing with:  Our World Tuesday and Wednesday Around the World

Glorious Day at MSH

Are you ready to hear about hike-o-rama day two?  Well, hang onto your hats, and join me as I journey to an amazing place.....

A bumper crop of penstemon!

Mt. St. Helens!  One of my all-time favorite hikes is the Boundary Trail from the Johnston Ridge Observatory to Coldwater Peak.  And the perfect time to go there is mid to late July when wildflowers cover the barren ground.

Super-foggy morning at MSH

I recruited my friend Katie to join me for this latest grand adventure.  After staying up way too late on July 4th, I made her get up at the crack of dawn.  The forecast predicted sunny skies, but driving the road up to MSH, we hit thick fog.  It stayed with us all the way up to Johnston Ridge.  Forget about viewing the mountain - we could barely see across the parking lot!

Follow the posts

But we'd driven all this way to hike, and I wasn't giving up easy.  Katie and I shouldered our packs and started out in the misty chill.

Flowers brighten the devestation

Although the weather was a disappointment, the Boundary Tail was anything but.  We'd hit the peak bloom for penstemon and paintbrush.  Right from the beginning, the sandy path was lined with bright purple and orange wildflowers. 

Cheerful paintbrush blooms

With thick fog blocking our views, it was nice to have something beautiful to gaze upon as we trekked along the trail.

Seeing our way through the fog

It's a 5.5 mile journey to the base of Coldwater Peak.  My plan was to reach the base of this mountain, and if time allowed, climb to the top.  Our trail would take us across a desolate rocky plain, strewn with debris from the 1980 blast.  This area, on the north side of MSH, bore the brunt of the eruption.  When the mountain blew, hot gases and debris from MSH's summit scoured the land.

Blue sky teaser

For the first three miles, Katie and I picked our way through the dense fog.  Although the weather wasn't what we expected, it did give an unexpected bonus.  The fog kept temperatures cool which made for very pleasant hiking.  With little shade (the eruption leveled the forests for miles) this trail is notorious for being hot and dusty.



Approaching Harry's Saddle

But as we climbed towards Harry's Saddle, the fog began to part, and I glimpsed some blue sky peeking through.

Looking ahead to our next climb

From Harry's Saddle, one gets the first view of log-jammed Spirit Lake.  And, joy of joys, by the time Katie and I arrived, things had cleared enough so we could actually see it!

Hiking amidst ancient decapitated trees

But more climbing lay ahead.  About 700 feet of climbing in roughly a mile.  As we ascended the ridge above Harry's Saddle, our trail was again enveloped in the cloudy mist.

Spirt Lake peeps through the fog

The ridge was littered with bleached stumps of long-dead trees, all decapitated by the eruption.  The fog gave everything a ghostly atmosphere.

A ghostly world

At the top of the ridge, Katie and I were treated to a lovely view of round, ultra-blue St. Helens Lake.  Then we followed the trail down a steep slope and through a unique rock arch.

The fog lifted for views of St. Helens Lake

By now, we'd been hiking way past noon and my tummy was protesting.  Although our initial goal had been summiting Coldwater Peak for lunch, both Katie and I were ready for a break.  We found a nice spot not far from the arch and happily dug out some nourishment.

Approaching the rock arch

Oh, it was a perfect lunch spot.  We had a front-row view of aquamarine St. Helens Lake.  The skies cleared, and the adjacent mountains showed themselves.  And - best of all - a small band of hummingbirds darted between trees, providing great entertainment. 

Our trail went through the arch

Our break finished, I realized it was getting late, and we needed to be heading back.  No Coldwater Peak this time - climbing it would have to wait for another day.  Seeing that the summit was still socked in, we decided it wouldn't have been worth the slog anyway.

Glorious views of Spirit Lake and Harry's Ridge

So back down the Boundary Trail Katie and I went.  And with the fog lifting, we were treated to jaw-dropping views of Spirit Lake and the surrounding terrain.  Seeing the miles of denuded hillsides really puts into perspective the magnitude of MSH's 1980 eruption.

Heading back to Harry's Saddle

Coming down the ridge to Harry's Saddle is my most favorite part of the trail.  The views are incredible.  I took dozens of photos, stopping every few feet to capture the scenery from yet another vantage. 

MSH hid behind the clouds all day

But although the fog lifted enough to see the surrounding scenery, MSH remained hidden under the clouds.  I guess she was feeling shy that day.  This photo was the best view we had of her.
  

Here the trail perched on a steep slope

As we wound down the trail a second time, it was fun to see the vantage points that were covered by the morning's fog.  Katie remarked it was like hiking a totally different trail.

The flowers were even better second time around

Every time I hike in the MSH area, I'm encouraged by the amount of recovery I see.  Lots of green covers the ground now.  Along with the lovely July wildflower displays, bushes are getting bigger and trees higher.  Katie and I noticed some of the trees are taller than us now.  We wondered aloud how many years it will take for the blast zone to fully recover.



Lovely penstemon


After crossing a steep slope, we entered back into the flower zone.  And it was just as marvelous on the return trip.  There were so many penstemon blooms, it created a purple carpet across the barren plain.  Absolutely lovely!

Mother Nature's purple carpet

As Katie and I traveled nearer to the trailhead and visitor center, we began to encounter more and more people.  MSH is a popular destination and being a holiday weekend, things were hopping.  But most people don't venture very far beyond the visitor center.  Too bad - as you can see, they're missing a lot!

Beauty returns among the devestation

We reached the car, tired but satisfied.  Although the weather wasn't perfect, the day couldn't have been more so.  Loads of flowers, stunning scenery, and a good workout. 

Can our smiles be any wider?

Final stats for the day:  10 miles round-trip, approx. 1500 feet elevation gain.  A memory card full of wonderful scenic photos.  Huge smiles on our faces.  And time well spent in a truly amazing place.



Linking to:  52 Photos Project, Gallery 14 "Down Below," and Weekly Top Shot.