This is my first TR here -- please be gentle!
No trail problems to report. I was trying to give the wife a break, so I took the kids down to Mt. St. Helens to hike to Harry’s Ridge. I had an ulterior motive, as we have permits for the backcountry camps in August, and didn’t know what sort of trail conditions to expect. It was also good to get a peek at the snow levels -- there seemed to be just a few patches above 5000’. We got a late start from the Johnston Ridge Observatory parking lot at around 1:30. We made sure to liberally apply the sunscreen and double-check our hydration knowing that we would probably have full sun for the entire day. At about 1.5 miles in, the trail becomes very narrow with steep dropoffs.
Scary slope
It’s interesting to see how far down the trail the tourists are willing to travel -- I thought this section would discourage them, but we still saw plenty of sneaker-clad tourists clutching their 20-ounce bottles of gift shop water! We passed the junction with the (closed) Truman trail after about two miles. At three miles, the Boundary Trail continues on to the Mt. Margaret backcountry, while a sign directs you upward to Harry’s Viewpoint. I cut the kids
Tired kids
and my pack loose at the base of the ridge and sprinted to the top. Here there is seismic monitoring equipment powered by a large solar panel
Seismic equipment
and evidence of a previous lookout with a concrete slab and rusting propane tanks. Mt. St. Helens looks and feels much nearer than it does from the visitor center. The lava dome was spewing a steady stream of bluish steam, which piped upward to join the light cloud cover.
Mt. St. Helens
Mt. Adams loomed large in the distance, and there were great views down to Spirit Lake.
Spirit Lake
Wildflowers were in full bloom throughout the hike. Except for the glare of the sun, it was a great day for pictures. We made it back to the visitor center without incident -- but many a complaint of sore feet -- just in time to use the facilities. I was worried about getting gated in, but the park ranger announced that, while the visitor center was closing, we were free to explore the trails until 9:00 p.m. A delicious dinner and excellent service at the Country Cousin in Centralia topped off the day.
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