Crete Pilgrimage 2016 - Day 4

Seattle to Portland via Mt St Helens

Introduction

We left early Monday morning, but not early enough to avoid the commuter traffic on the I-5. We cleared that as we headed south and a while later reached the small town of Castle Rock and the turnoff to the 504-Spirit Lake Highway. I had been up this road before, in 1984, just four years after the eruption of Mt St Helens. I was interested to see how the landscape had recovered. But it was still Spring and maybe the road all the way was still closed by snow. There were no signs to tell us, so off we went.

The start of Spirit Lake Highway.		Hoffstadt Creek Bridge
Hoffstadt Creek Bridge	The edge of the blast zone
Young growth after the eruption.	Our rental car at the Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center (closed).	View looking up Hoffstadt Creek
And looking down Hoffstadt Creek
The answer about road closure - yep, still closed.		Coldwater Lake
Fallen trees are all that remain of the evidence of the eruption	Mt St Helens was hidden by cloud - its in there somewhere.
On to Portland where we stayed at the Grant Creek Inn.	Where they had an enormous flag.

Back to previous day------------- Forward to next day

Return to Trip Index

Last updated: 23/01/2017