Walking With A Friend From Down Under

One of the best parts of having a blog is getting to know other bloggers from all over the world.  After exchanging comments over time, you form online "friendships" with some of  the regulars.  And if you're really lucky, sometimes you even get to meet them in person.

Bloggers united!

In early June I had the pleasure of meeting Helen from Walking With Friends Down Under.

The flower show began right away

Helen traveled all the way from Brisbane, Australia just to see my little corner of the world (well, she happened to be visiting her son who lives in Banff, Alberta and decided to add a side trip to Oregon while she was "nearby").  Having followed her blog for a few years, I was thrilled to meet my Australian blogging pal.

Indian paintbrush dotted the hillsides

Like me, Helen's an avid hiker.  A regular reader of a few Pacific NW blogs, she already had a list of places on her "must visit" list.  One of them happened to be Mt. St. Helens.  One of my favorite spots, I was more than happy to show her around.

Vibrant orange paintbrush

Helen arrived in Portland in the middle of a beastly heat wave.  Temps the day before had reached into the 100s (or 38 degrees C for my Aussie friend).  Thankfully the day we'd chosen to visit MSH wasn't predicted to be quite that hot - however the weatherman still forecasted sunny, warm weather.

Then came the purple penstemon...

Despite the toasty temps, Helen chose a great time to see the famous volcano - 1.  the hot weather guaranteed clear blue skies, so we'd see the mountain for sure (no hiding behind clouds, as it sometimes does in the spring), and  - 2.  our warmer-than-normal spring meant the wildflowers were blooming early.

It's a banner year for penstemon too!

I picked Helen up at her motel bright and early.  We filled the long two-hour drive with great conversation.  Before I knew it, we were catching our first glimpse of MSH's truncated top.

Purple everywhere

After a quick potty break at Coldwater Lake, we arrived at Johnston Ridge Visitor Center.  The flower show began right away.  Before we even started hiking, Helen and I were whipping out our cameras to get some shots from the parking lot.

Heading out onto Devils Elbow

We began our trek on the Boundary Trail.  Wildflowers were abundant from the very start, with vivid orange Indian Paintbrush and lovely purple penstemon decorating the surrounding plain.  I'd never seen so much paintbrush and penstemon blooming - and so early in the season!  Needless to say, between the wildflowers and killer volcano views, our first mile wasn't very speedy.

The narrow path across Devils Elbow

But Helen and I found our groove, and soon we were approaching the infamous "Devil's Elbow" - a portion of the Boundary Trail that traverses the side of a steep cliff out to the tip of a pennisula.  The trail is narrow with a bit of exposure.  But Helen, not fazed in the least, marched right across.

Best viewpoint yet!

Our reward for traversing this perilous path?  Amazing in-your-face views of St Helens herself!

Crater close-up

We gazed at MSH's ravaged north side.  When the mountain exploded back in 1980, the blast traveled across the plains where we now stood, leveling everything in its path.  Although small plants and shrubs have since reestablished, larger trees have been slow to take root.  The area immediately north of the mountain still resembles a barren wasteland.

Great view of the blast zone

After soaking in the views and memorializing with countless photos, Helen and I continued our journey across a desolate plain sprinkled with colorful spots of flowers.

Flowers brighten the wasteland

Our goal for today was Harry's Ridge, site of a former lodge owned by a crotchety old man named Harry Truman.  Back in 1980, although an eruption was imminent, Harry refused to evacuate, and died in the blast.

Sheared off trees from the eruption

As we climbed up the base of Harry's Ridge, Helen and I passed by weathered stumps of old trees, sheared off by the blast's tremendous force.  A sobering example of this natural disaster's enormity.

First view of Spirit Lake

Reaching the base of Harry's Ridge my friend and I peered over the edge for a jaw-dropping view of Spirit Lake.  White-topped Mt. Adams anchored the skyline, and Helen gazed in awe.  As many times as I've seen this sight, it still thrills me too.

Climbing Harry's Ridge

Then it was a hot, dusty trek along Harry's Ridge to its terminus and another wonderful view of MSH.

Panorama included Spirit Lake and Mt. Adams

A perfect lunch spot!  Helen and I spread out our food and enjoyed a well-earned break while taking in the 180 degree panorama of sights.  Not only Mt St Helens, we had a killer view of Spirit Lake, Mt. Adams, and even a ghostly Mt Hood on the far horizon.

And up close and personal MSH views

We chatted with a friendly couple from Montreal, and the man was nice enough to snap a few photos.

Heading back down Harry's Ridge

Bellies now full, it was time to retrace our steps to the Visitor's Center.  Back down Harry's Ridge, again taking in the marvelous views of Spirit Lake, Coldwater Peak, and the surrounding Mt. Margaret backcountry.

MSH is always in view

Then across the plains of flowers and low bushes, with MSH anchoring our view.

Our last look at Spirit Lake

We made a brief stop at the tip of Devil's Elbow Peninsula, for one final glimpse of Spirit Lake and Mt. Adams.

Helen bids Mt. Adams goodbye

It was here Helen bid Mt. Adams goodbye.

Dark purple lupine

Then back across the sketchy trail along Devil's Elbow and it's steep slope, where I discovered this patch of deep purple lupine just begging to be photographed.

How to capture this marvelous field of paintbrush?

When wildflowers are in bloom, I never mind hiking the Boundary Trail twice.  Helen and I passed by vast fields of paintbrush and penstemon.  How does one capture such beauty?

Back past the purple carpet

Although by now we were both hot and tired, neither one of us could resist a few last photo stops.  The flowers were so amazing, I wanted to be sure not to miss a thing!

Penstemon as far as the eye can see

As we neared the visitor center, the crowds thickened until the last half mile we were passing hordes of people.  Having had most of the trail to ourselves, it was hard to adjust to all this humanity. 

My calendar shot

As wonderful as this hike had been, I was still very happy when my car came into view.  I'd placed two water bottles in a cooler - and the cold water tasted heavenly after such a hot trek.  We took a quick trip through the visitor center, but time was getting late, and we both needed to get back to Portland.  However, I had so much fun hanging out with Helen, I wished the day wouldn't have to end. 

Enjoyed the journey, Helen!

So nice to meet and share a hike with one of my blogging buddies!  As we parted ways, I promised Helen I'd save my pennies for a future visit down south.  It's my turn to hike one of her favorite trails!


Stats:  8.5 miles round trip (about 14 km) and 1000 feet (300 meters) elevation gain.

Read Helen's recap of our day here.

Tail End of the Bloom

Mt. St. Helens is such a fascinating place.  Even 35 years after the mountain blew it's top, forever altering the landscape, recovery is just beginning.  Where else can you witness a drastically devastated area slowly returning to life?

MSH in the morning

A huge recovery indicator is the fabulous summer wildflower show that brightens the mountain's bleak plains every summer.  One of my favorite summer wildflower hikes, the Boundary Trail from Johnston Ridge Observatory to Harry's Ridge never fails to impress.  (Long time blog followers have no doubt seen a post or two about this ramble.)  Usually peak bloom occurs mid to late July.  But 2015 has been anything but a normal year.

Dry, dusty paintbrush

This summer, I begin to hear wildflower reports from MSH as early as mid June.  By the time my foot had healed enough to hike, nearly half of July had passed by.  If I wanted to catch the bloom, I needed to get my tail up the mountain pronto!

Curious chipmunk

So one Sunday morning in mid-July, I rose insanely early and withstood the long, 2-hour drive to MSH.  Blazing hot temperatures were predicted that day, and knowing this hike had little shade, I needed to take advantage of the cool morning.  Lack of crowds at that early hour would also be a plus.

Approaching Devils Elbow

Setting out from the trailhead, I realized I'd come just in time.  Most of the remaining Indian Paintbrush blooms were dry and dusty, and looked very much on their way out.  I was only able to locate a few scraggly plants of penstemon sporting flowers.  And the lupine, although more plentiful than the other varieties, were smaller in size and quantity.

Lupine in the morning light

At least I wasn't totally skunked.  There were still a few hardy blooms hanging around.  Enough to photograph anyway.

Crater close-up

I followed the dusty trail, marveling at the blue morning skies, and lovely early light on MSH's crater.  But the lack of snow on top was truly heartbreaking.  Another casualty of this unusual hot, dry summer.

MSH selfie

About two miles in, the trail follows a narrow peninsula that juts out over the blast area.  Nicknamed "Devils Elbow" a slender paths snakes across it's steep slope.  Traversing this ridge, the valley is a long ways down.  Not for the faint of heart!

Lupine lined trail

But I've hiked this trail many times, and the narrow tread doesn't bother me.  The views of MSH and the barren plains below are some of my favorites.

A glimpse of Spirit Lake

At the peninsula's furthest point, the mountain filled the skyline.  It looked close enough to reach out and touch.  Perfect place for photo ops!

Barren land

Nowhere is the eruption's damage more apparent.  When the mountain blew, this is the direction the debris cloud traveled, leveling everything it its path.  Wrinkled land directly below MSH is now scarred by many deep gullies, forever reminders of that fateful day.  And although vegetation is returning into these barren plains and valleys, it will be several decades before lush forests again cover the land. 

My trail markers

I was tempted to take the trail all the way to Harry's Ridge.  The scenery always beckons me to go just a little bit farther.  But I knew the longer I extended my hike, the more miles I'd have to travel for my return trip, and the later in the day I'd be hiking.  I had no desire to be out in the midday heat. 

Beauty amidst the devestation

So I turned around and headed back across Devils Elbow, stopping to capture a few more panoramic shots of the scoured Toutle River Valley.

A bee in mid-flight

I revisited my favorite lupine patch, and even caught a bee in mid-flight.  (Can you see him in this photo?)

Color spots

A typical Boundary trail scene.  Wood posts stuck in the ground that give hikers a visual guide to follow.  Small patches of orange and purple provide bright color spots in an otherwise dull landscape.

Last of the penstemon

But up close, the few blooming wildflowers stole the show.  One of the very few penstemon flowers I was able to find.  Usually so plentiful, in other years I've seen them carpet the hillsides purple.

Windy, dusty trail

Much of the return trail is slightly uphill, which isn't a lot of fun when you're tired and the day is beginning to heat up rapidly.  (And did I mention the lack of shade?)

Lovely yellow blooms

Traveling back towards my car, I was amazed by the number of people who were just beginning their hikes.  And many of them didn't appear to be carrying any water.

My fave MSH image

I reached the parking lot just after 10 am.  By then, the sun's rays were beating down, and temps were already in the 90s.  Although it was difficult to get up so early that morning, I was now thankful to be done.

Coldwater Lake pano (click to enlarge)

I ended my day with a quick visit to Coldwater Lake, a short distance down the road.  The mountain reflections on its calm waters were nothing short of fantastic.  Click on this image for a better view.

Glad I was able to get up to MSH for my annual visit before the flowers were all gone.  Although not as spectacular as past visits, at least I didn't totally miss this year's bloom.

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