Mount Saint Helens... Washington State Monument

After living an hour and a half away from an active volcano for fourteen years, I finally committed to go on a day trip to Mount Saint Helens.  Lots of family and friends had visited from the East Coast and even other countries over the years, but I designated my husband as 'solo' tour guide.  

Why?  Because I was just positive I would be bored.  I also associated sight-seeing with things like Disneyland (which I learned to despise because of the lines and the cheesy souvenirs). 

Local road trips meant two things to me - restrictions on coffee and dirty bathrooms - so I was faking my enthusiasm that summer morning when we told our teenage granddaughter she was going to see a wonderland. 

Ironically, she was faking her interest as well, as she likes to come up here and kick back.  We all knew that her parents, however, expected her to do something meaningful while she was here other than learn how to make Swiss Enchiladas (green tomatillo sauce and chicken are her favorites).  So there we were.

I dragged myself to the car bracing for the worst experience ever and suppressed my instinct as I strapped on the seat belt to whine, "Are we there yet?"  

My husband was excited and had charged his camera battery the day before, and carried a back-up just in case.  When we got to the first lookout point and saw the elk herd, I was impressed in spite of myself.  By the time we got to the mountain itself, I was in love with this most fabulous of day trips. 

Going to Mt. Saint Helens is like finding that you just drove to the moon.  It is so different from what you expect and so magnificent that you feel like you are in some kind of sci-fi movie.  People who go there talk about it like it is a spiritual experience, because... it is!

Here is a cool site by the US Forest Service with volcano-cams that show you what this active volcano is doing right now:

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/

If you decide to go, make sure you check the weather and that the roads are open.  If you decide you want to hike the mountain, know that only a restricted number of people are allowed to do this on any given day and during certain times of the year.  I think it is now 'first-come, first-serve' but that could change as the Feds are attempting to take over this monument and turn it into part of the National Park System.  

Anyway, please enjoy my slide show.  It was absolutely and utterly surreal and if you look carefully, you can see a wisp of smoke from the top as the volcano is actually building itself up again.  Candidly I can't wait until the next set of visitors arrives so I can be tour guide.  My husband can come too, if he wants.

Written by Elizabeth Madrigal

 © 2008 Elizabeth Madrigal