August 20, 2016 Mount St. Helens Day Trip, WA

After a second start (for us) we headed to Mount St. Helens.  You can see Mount St. Helens from this area of the state, but to get up close, you drive to the end of the road, Johnston's Observatory, about 100 miles trip. 

This is our third trip to see Mount St. Helens.  The obvious devastation that was visible in 1983 (our first trip) is gone, covered up by forests.  

The visitors' center, of course, has numerous photos and two wonderful films to watch to explain what happened on May 18, 1980.

 Mount St. Helens; National Vocanic Monument; Johnston Ridge Observatory

This photos shows the difference in before and after the eruption.  Such massive power!

 This is Mt. Adams, just southeast of Mount St. Helens

 Mount St. Helens today.  Not visible here is a plume of smoke drifting out of the dome.

 Spirit Lake east of the dome was filled with logs blown from the surrounding hillsides at the time of eruption.

It is still desolate.

We departed Mount St. Helens National Monument going to visit with my cousin Kelly Andrews, husband Don, and two children...Rachel and Rob who are expecting their first child in three weeks; and Zach and Kelly and their daughter Penolope, age almost-2.  

We had a great visit, although short.  We had last seen them in 2011.  

On the Columbia River at Longview WA is a huge log/pole storage yard.  These poles are loaded onto a barge/ship and shipped to Japan to be made into lumber.

 One part of the storage yard.

 Another part of the storage yard.

This is the entire yard from across the river on the Oregon side.

Gayla and cousin Kelly!  Our fathers were brothers.

 We left Kelly and Don's and drove about five miles to load onto a ferry to cross the Columbia River into Washington, saving several miles and minutes, going to the RV park.

 Crossing the Columbia River.

A paper mill on the shores of the Oregon side of the Columbia River.  I think this plant is where Don works.  The plant makes paper towels and toliet tissue.

(This is the last night at County Park and Rest Area, Cathlamet, WA.)