Leaving Tall Chief’s RV Campground west of Seattle, we knew we needed fuel before we headed into the mountains on the way to Mount St. Helens. Norm spent a lot of time finding the best, most convenient place that would allow our 41 foot motorhome plus the towed car in and out without getting into trouble. Getting the lowest price was secondary. With the gas station coordinates placed in the GPS we headed off, new tow cable working wonderfully, as I sat in the co-pilot’s seat of the RV, happy as a clam. Life is good.
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| The drive from the Seattle area to Mount St. Helens |
The route should have been pretty simple - jump on
I-90, go up a couple of exit’s and we would be there. But for some reason, the GPS was taking us
the “back route”. Ok, we took that road
yesterday in the car, so we knew we would be fine. We thought.
As we drove, the roads got narrower. Tighter turns. More residential. There was nowhere to turn around, so when the
GPS read that the gas station was just a couple of miles away, we assumed this
was a short-cut into the back entrance of the huge truck stop.
Wrong. We ended
up on this tiny little dirt road with lovely farms and meadows. Which was a dead end. What the heck? Norm checked the GPS again, and it somehow
had weird navigational coordinates put in.
Weird, and terribly disturbing. This is actually the 2nd time
it happened! Is it broken, or is it “operator error?”
We had to
unhook the car ( you can’t back up an inch with a motorhome tow hitch ) then
turn around in someone’s driveway. If
anyone was looking out their window, they would certainly have laughed at the
fools in the bigger-than-anyone-needs RV!
Within a short time, we were back on the road and filled with diesel
fuel and finally headed in the right direction, having wasted a couple of
hours.
The traffic was horrendous going through Tacoma by
this time, but we finally got to our beautiful destination outside of Mount St.
Helens National Park. The glimpses of the volcano were spectacular and our
excitement of finally getting to see it up close ( well, pretty close )
lessened the fatigue of the drive.
Silver
Cove RV Park in Silverlake, Washington was a fabulous
little park. The staff was extremely efficient, and our site was large, flat,
and next to a canal that led to the huge Silver Lake. This campground also had adorable looking
cabins with large yards, picnic tables and back porches. Great for family
reunions.
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| Most of the Visitor's Centers have a model of their mountain and show trails and rivers. Here at Mount St. Helens' Visitor Center is no exception. It's a great way to check the trails for elevation changes. |
After setting up we took the car back down the road to
the Mount St.Helen’s Visitor Center and caught the last showing of the movie
telling of the history of the eruption and devastation of the area back in
1980. It was the perfect prelude to our
visit here over the next 3 days. Unfortunately, there was an extreme heat
advisory predicted, with temps to reach nearly 100 degrees, which is 30 degrees
above normal! Hopefully up at higher
elevations it would be cooler, and with the 50 amp service at the camp, the air
conditioners would keep us cool and comfy.
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The view from the Visitor's Center was spectacular. I was so excited to get a little closer tomorrow..... |
The setting, with cool breezes and brilliantly blue
skies made for the best evening outside to date! We relaxed in the shade and
watched people boat lazily down the river while we planned the next few
days. I was really itching to get the
kayaks out, but my tired body said no, not tonight
Friday,
June 22nd 2017 |
| Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument |
Today we got up and out and headed up the mountain to
the Johnson Ridge Observatory which is in the heart of the blast zone. There we
saw a movie and exhibits explaining the biological and geological story of
Mount St. Helens. The exhibits and movies
told of the human side of the eruption how they forested the trees damaged by
the blast, and how the mountain was reforested.
There was a slight breeze that made the warm
temperature and intense sun tolerable. It did, however, kick up the volcanic
ash and bother my very sensitive lungs, even from this distance. People hiking
near the crater rim are advised to wear masks if there is any wind.
After listening to a ranger speak, we hiked a 3 mile
trail with beautiful views, poked around the surrounding area and went back to
enjoy our peaceful campsite. It was so lovely in the shade I took a nap outside
on the yoga mat, while Norm took his inside.
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| What a fabulous view from a scenic viewpoint! I love the flowers! |
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| Norm hiking along the Hammock Trail |
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| Visitors can see the devastation the volcano caused during the eruption in 1980. The entire topography of the land changed that week. Lives and properties were lost. |
We had a relaxing evening hanging out and playing a
game until the sun was setting. I could
no longer stand watching others kayak by us for another minute, so when the
game finally ended, I decided to put one of our kayaks together ( they fold up
) and go out to the lake to hopefully get a view of the setting sun on Mount
St. Helens. As I paddled down the canal
past some ramshackle homes, I got rather nervous doing this alone. I went as fast as I could, but I would have
to get much further out into the lake to see the mountain than I thought, so
went back.
A busy beaver made a huge splash warning me to get
away not far from my kayak! Boy, I
thought, Norman will kick himself for missing the beaver he has been searching
for! After I called him on my cellphone, he came out and got a quick glimpse of that fast
swimming, illusive mammal.
Saturday,
June 23nd, 2017
The temperatures today were miserably hot and the
cooling breeze gone, so being out in the sun in 100 degrees doing anything was
not for us. Norm found a farmer’s market
that was about ½ hour away that we went to check out. It was terrible with only one small vegetable
stand, but across the street at the big agricultural convention center happen
to big a large FMCA ( Family Motor Coach Association ) RV show that we knew
nothing about. We browsed around some
new motorhomes just for fun, and went back to do laundry and relax.
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| Norm and I paddled the canals to Silver Lake to get a glimpse of the volcano from this angle. We were disappointed in the haziness and distance. Not the photographic opportunity we had hoped for. |
That evening ( it was still pretty hot ) we both took the kayaks down the canal and out onto the lake to take a picture of the volcano from the lake – hoping for a beautiful reflection for that perfect shot. What we got was a lake full of roaring jet skis, screaming kids and Mount St. Helens behind a veil of haze. Darn! We paddled around a bit talking with another couple kayaking, and hoped to see another beaver for Norm. No luck there, either.
All in all, it was a nice, relaxing day.
Sunday,
June 24th 2017
Today we did something really different. A few chores, and a lot of relaxing. It was miserably hot, with not a breath of
air outside. I washed the floors, did
laundry, worked on the blog and just goofed off. Norman puttered around. It was wonderful.
