Mt St Helens - Washington

Last year on our trip to Alaska we saw Mt St Helens while driving north on Rt 5. We put it on our “to do” list to go back and visit someday…..Well, the day came!
We took a campsite at Seaquest (a state campground) so we could cruise around and do some exploring. We went up to the Johnston Observatory. A beautiful ride with views of the lava flow from the eruption. The museum was informative and had a great movie. Lots of elk…but so far off you needed binoculars. The whole experience was spectacular!

The 1st pic is the lava flow...amazing the amount that came down the mountainside. There is a herd of elk (about 25) grazing the vegetation that is now growing.

Thw 2nd pic is also the lava....

3rd pic is the side that erupted...remember this was only 30 years ago (1980). To see all the regrowth in 30 years ...nature is an amazing thing!

CRATER LAKE, OREGON

After leaving our stint in Grass Valley, California, we had two weeks to bum around….Dick’s choice was Mt. St Helens in Washington. On our way we stopped to see Crater Lake. The beauty and intense blue of the lake is awesome! Five miles wide and ringed with cliffs almost 2,000 feet high, the lake rests on the remnants of a volcano called Mt Mazama which erupted over 7,700 years ago. It is the deepest lake in the US at 1,943 feet and one of the deepest in the world. A must see if you are every in southern Oregon!

Where in the World are We??

I know it’s been awhile since my last entry on our blog…ok, it’s been almost a year….but we have been busy having fun and collecting memories!

To keep you updated since our last post, we left Craig, Colorado at the end on April, 2010 after a VERY, VERY cold winter. The thermometer registered 27 below zero…YIKES! It wasn’t too bad except when you stepped outside…your nose hairs automatically froze! Some mornings the moisture in the air would freeze on the trees….called rhyme….absolutely beautiful! No rain or freezing rain…just snow and cold.



Figure 1Campground in winter

Figure 2Rhyme in trees on a cold morning

Figure 3Sunset at the campground - late winter

Lots more pics to follow...trying to get caught up!