Mount St. Helens Boundary Trail

Mount St. Helens Boundary Trail 

The Mount St. Helens Boundary Trail is 53.7 miles long and has numerous access points and trail junctions. The trail once formed the boundary between the Columbia and Rainier National Forests. Now it marks the southern boundary of the Cowlitz Valley District. This was an important trail in the early history of the Forest Service as it was the principal route used by rangers on horseback patrols. The trail was well established by 1911.

From the west the trail begins at Norway Pass area within the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. From Norway Pass to Bear Meadows the trail is open to hikers only. Enjoy excellent views of Mount St. Helens as you hike through the blown-down forest. From Bear Meadows eastward the trail is open to hikers, horses, motorcycles and bicycles. From Bear Meadow to Elk Pass (4.5 miles), the trail is on a timbered, broad ridge, with occasional views of St. Helens Along its length, this trail offers views of St. Helens, Rainier, Adams and a few glimpses of Hood.

This area was glaciated repeatedly during the Ice Age. The marks of the glaciers' passage can be seen in the knifelike ridges and cirque basins all along the trail. The trail ends in the east at Council Lake.

·         Boundary Trail #1: Hummocks #229 to Johnston Ridge Observatory

·         Boundary Trail #1: Johnsons Ridge Observatory to Truman Trail #207

·         Boundary Trail #1: Norway Pass TH to Norway Pass

·         Boundary Trail #1: Norway Pass TH to Truman #207

·         Boundary Trail #1: Norway Pass to Elk Pass

·         Boundary Trail #1: Elk Pass TH to YellowJacket #1A

·         Boundary Trail #1: YellowJacket #1A to Council Lake

Boundary Trail is a very challenging long-distance route beginning off of the Spirit Lake Highway in the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and ending at Council Lake.

Along its length, the trail has fantastic views of St. Helens, Rainier, Adams with a few glimpses of Mt Hood. During the Ice Age, the area was heavily glaciated, evident by the knife-edge ridges and cirque basins seen from the route.

Due to its length and technical challenge, Boundary is often done as an out-and-back along portions of the trail or by shuttling to the end of the trail. There are significant climbs and descents throughout the route.

From Elk Pass to Badger Peak, there is a long, steady climb. From there to the south ridge below Craggy Peak, the route follows a more mellow grade to the east side of Hat Rock. The segments from Langille Ridge to the eastern end are a series of very steep climbs and descents through creek drainages, accessing Juniper Ridge Trail #261 and Dark Meadow Trail #263. Throughout the hike you'll have expansive views of the South Cascades in a very remote setting.

Johnston Ridge Observatory St Helens

Johnston Ridge Observatory St Helens

The Johnston Ridge Observatory is located 52 miles (84 km) east of Castle Rock, Washington, at the end of Washington State Route 504, four miles from the mountain. Exhibits focus on the geologic history of the volcano, eyewitness accounts of the explosion, and the science of monitoring volcanic activity. Two movies and ranger-led programs are available every hour. A half-mile paved trail provides views of the lava dome, crater, pumice plain, and landslide deposit, with access to hiking trails in the restricted area. 

The observatory is located in the heart of the blast zone, near the site of volcanologist David A. Johnston's camp on the morning of May 18, 1980, and opened in 1993. It offers grand views of Mount St. Helens and much of the 1980 blast zone.

The observatory hosts interpretive displays that tell the biological, geological, and human story of Mount St. Helens. Visitors to Johnston Ridge Observatory can enjoy multiple award-winning films, listen to ranger talks, observe the landscape, purchase souvenirs, set off on a hike, or get a light lunch from the food cart.

The 110,000-acre Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was established following the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1982. The Monument was set aside for research, recreation, and education. Inside the Monument, the environment is being left to respond naturally to the disturbance. It is the first such monument managed by the U.S. Forest Service and Fees is $8/person/day.

Mount St. Helens Facts to Know :

·         During the past 4,000 years, Mount St. Helens has erupted more frequently than any other volcano in the Cascade Range.

·         March 20, 1980—A magnitude 4.2 earthquake signaled the reawakening of the volcano after 123 years.

·         Spring 1980—Rising magma pushed the volcano’s north flank outward 5 feet per day.

·         Morning of May 18, 1980— The largest terrestrial landslide in recorded history reduced the summit by 1,300 feet and triggered a lateral blast.

·         Within 3 minutes, the lateral blast, traveling at more than 300 miles per hour, blew down and scorched 230 square miles of forest.

·         Within 15 minutes, a vertical plume of volcanic ash rose over 80,000 feet.

·         Afternoon of May 18, 1980—The dense ash cloud turned daylight into darkness in eastern Washington, causing streetlights to turn on in Yakima and Ritzville.

The Johnston observatory is open mid-May until early-November, and is the only source of water. The Johnston Ridge Observatory is open 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Daily from mid-May to the end of October. 

Johnston Ridge Eruption Trail : Mount St. Helens’s most popular walk also contains some of its most mind-blowing views. This short, paved half mile hike is dotted with interpretive kiosks and stumps of blown-down tree as it skirts Johnston Ridge, which was shattered by a “stone wind” traveling 300 miles per hour in the 1980 eruption. Panoramic views across the pumice plain and into the volcano’s crater and lava dome reveal a lunar, contoured swath of burgeoning earth.

How To Reach: Located approximately 70 miles north of Portland, Oregon. Within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. From Castle Rock, WA take State Route 504 east for 52 miles to Johnston Ridge Observatory at the end of State Route 504.

St Helens Johnston Ridge Observatory. 21500 Spirit Lake Highway, Toutle, WA 98649. 

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

Mt. St. Helens is an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon and 96 miles (154 km) south of Seattle, Washington. The volcano is located in the Cascade Range and is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes over 160 active volcanoes. This volcano is well known for its ash explosions and pyroclastic flows.  

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a U.S. National Monument that includes the area around Mount St. Helens in Washington. It was established on August 27, 1982 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan following the 1980 eruption. The 110,000 acre (445 km2) National Volcanic Monument was set aside for research, recreation, and education. Inside the Monument, the environment is left to respond naturally to the disturbance.

Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was the United States' first such monument managed by the U.S. Forest Service. At dedication ceremonies on May 18, 1983. It has many trails, viewpoints, information stations, campgrounds, and picnic areas have been established to accommodate the increasing number of visitors each year.

Mount St. Helens is most notorious for its major 1980 eruption, the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States. Fifty-seven people were killed; 250 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles (24 km) of railways, and 185 miles (298 km) of highway were destroyed. A massive debris avalanche triggered by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale caused an eruption that reduced the elevation of the mountain's summit from 9,677 ft (2,950 m) to 8,363 ft (2,549 m), leaving a 1 mile (1.6 km) wide horseshoe-shaped crater. The debris avalanche was up to 0.7 cubic miles (2.9 km3) in volume. The Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument was created to preserve the volcano and allow for the eruption's aftermath to be scientifically studied.  

Explore Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument

·         To get the tremendous views of Mount St. Helens, including the crater, lava dome, and blast zone.

·         Interpretive talks, walks, and theater programs are offered.

·         Emerald-hued Meta Lake.

·         A 13,042-foot-long lava tube, the third longest in North America, on Ape Cave Lantern Walk. 

·         Roosevelt Elk, Columbia Black Tailed Deer, and Mountain Goats and many smaller mammals. Cascade Peaks Viewpoint, windy Ridge.

The following sites require a monument pass:

·         Johnston Ridge Observatory

·         Loowit viewpoint on Johnston Ridge

·         Ape Cave

·         Lava Canyon

·         Lahar Viewpoint 

·         Windy Ridge, Smith Creek,

·         Donneybrook, Cedar Creek,

·         Harmony Falls, Meta Lake, miners car, and Bear Meadows (Hwy 99 sites)

The Johnston Ridge Observatory is located 52 miles (84 km) east of Castle Rock, Washington, at the end of Washington State Route 504, four miles from the mountain. Exhibits focus on the geologic history of the volcano, eyewitness accounts of the explosion, and the science of monitoring volcanic activity. Two movies and ranger-led programs are available every hour. A half-mile paved trail provides views of the lava dome, crater, pumice plain, and landslide deposit, with access to hiking trails in the restricted area.

The observatory is located near the site of volcanologist David A. Johnston's camp on the morning of May 18, 1980, and opened in 1993. It offers grand views of Mount St. Helens and much of the 1980 blast zone.

Windy Ridge is the closest view point accessible to the general public. Beginning in the summer of 1983, visitors have been able to drive to Windy Ridge, on U.S. Forest Service Road 99, only 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of the crater. From this vantage point overlooking Spirit Lake, people see firsthand not only the evidence of a volcano's destruction, but also the remarkable, gradual (but faster than originally predicted) recovery of the land as revegetation proceeds and wildlife returns.

How to Reach : Mount St. Helens is a part of the Cascade Mountain Range which runs from northern California through Washington and Oregon and into British Columbia, Canada. It is about 96 miles (154 km) south of Seattle, Washington and 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Portland, Oregon.

USS Portland LPD 27

USS Portland LPD 27 Navy Ship

 USS Portland (LPD 27) is the second ship to honor Oregon’s largest city and is the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Portland. The first ship was heavy cruiser USS Portland (CA 33), named for the city in Maine, which was commissioned Feb. 23, 1933. Serving throughout World War II, she saw action at a number of important battles, including Guadalcanal, Leyte Gulf, Corregidor and Okinawa. 

The second ship, dock landing ship USS Portland (LSD 37), named for the cities of the same name in Maine and Oregon, was commissioned Oct. 3, 1970. Over the course of nearly 33 years of service, she participated in a number of important operations, including the 1976 evacuation of American citizens from Lebanon, the 1983 multi-national peacekeeping mission to Beirut, Lebanon, and deployment of Marines to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The future Portland is the 11th San Antonio-class ship. These ships are designed to support embarking, transporting, and landing elements of more than 800 Marines with both a flight deck, which accommodates CH-53E Sea Stallion, and MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, and a well deck, which can launch and recover landing craft and amphibious vehicles.

San Antonio-class ships are versatile players in maritime security with the ability to support a variety of amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions, operating independently or as part of amphibious ready groups, expeditionary strike groups, or joint task forces. In addition to performing their primary mission, San Antonio-class ships have conducted anti-piracy operations, provided humanitarian assistance and supported foreign disaster relief operations around the world. 

 USS Portland (LPD 27) Commissioning in Portland Oregon: 

USS Portland (LPD 27) is the 684-foot-long ship is designed to handle both humanitarian and military missions and has a crew of close to 500 on hand for Saturday morning's event. The ship, which cost $1.6 billion, is designed to accommodate upwards of 800 marines along with armored vehicles, tanks and other equipment. The Ship Was Commissioned On The Morning Of Saturday, April 21, 2018, at USACE Terminal 2 in Portland, Oregon.

The 25,000-ton Portland was built by Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The ship is 684 feet in length, has a beam of 105 feet, and a navigational draft of 23 feet. The ship is powered by four sequentially turbocharged marine Colt-Pielstick Diesels and two shafts to speeds up to 22 knots.

It includes the variety of Navy and Marine Corps equipment the 25,000-ton ship can carry, including tanks, armored vehicles, trucks, bulldozers, fork lifts, a large hovercraft and even an Osprey. The vessel also carries extensive medical facilities, including operating rooms, intensive care units and a 24-bed hospital ward that can be used during humanitarian missions. 

On April 21st (04/21/2018) the US Navy will commission USS Portland (LPD-27) in her namesake city, Portland, Oregon. She is the third navy ship to bear the name Portland. Mrs Bonnie Amos, the ship's sponsor, will give the call to man the rails and bring the ship to life. An LPD is a warship that embarks, transports and lands elements of an amphibious Force for expeditionary warfare.

Lincon City Beach Oregon

Lincon City Beach - Road End State Park

Road's End State Recreation Site : 

A fine place for a romantic stroll with tide pools, islands, and the headland with its hidden cove. Sailboarders come from everywhere! When Lincoln City's beaches are crowded or over-windy, this sheltered spot just north of town is surprisingly quiet. A short path descends to the beach at the pebbly mouth of a lazy little creek. 

The north beach is topped by a jumble of quaint old cottages and other homes until the beach narrows to Roads End Point. Fragments of lava form ragged islands where comic, long-necked cormorants dry their black wings atop guano-stained roosts. At low tide it's possible to clamber around Roads End Point to a secret cove and beach.

Lincoln City's Road's End Beaches

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – There are not a lot of secret spots in Lincoln City where you can hide from the crowds that gather in this captivating central Oregon coast town.

The main beach access here is named Road's End State Park, a sort of circular parking lot that comes with restroom facilities and, if the weather doesn't cooperate, it's high enough above it all to provide lovely views from the comfort of your car.