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1. Excellent view of Spirit Lake which
can’t be seen from the west side highway. 2. Thirty minute interpretive talks on the
half-hour in the Windy Ridge outdoor amphitheater. 3. Access to some of the best volcano viewpoint trails. 4. On
the Windy Ridge road (FR 99) drive through the ghost forest (dead standing trees seared by the hot blast of the
eruption). See Bear Meadows, Meta Lake,
and Harmony Falls in the Blast
Zone. Interpretive talks are sometimes
given at each of these viewpoints. Location: end of FR 99 which is reached from FR 25,
the main road along the east side of the Monument (access FS Road 25 from US 12
on the north, or SR 503 and FR 90 on the south). If coming from the north, stop at Cowlitz Valley Ranger Station
one mile east of Randle to fine-tune East Side stops. Distances: north on I-5 from Kelso to US12-28 miles; east to Randle-47 mi.; south on FR 25 to FR 99-19 mi.; west on FR 99 to end of road-15 mi.
Total distance from Kelso to
Windy Ridge-109 mi. (allow 3 hours).
If continuing to south side, turn right when FR 99 meets FR 25. See column two. |
1. From the east side junction of FR 25 and FR 99 drive south about 17 miles
to the Muddy River where a lahar
(mudflow) scoured the valley to bedrock and left mud lines on trees up to
30’ above the present level of the river. 2. Continue south another 3 miles to the Pine
Creek bridge. Cross the bridge and see a 37-ton boulder carried on top of
a second enormous mudflow and deposited on the road 33’ above the creek. (Lahar stories in Section 2.) 3. A mile later FR 25 merges into FR 90. Continue west along Swift Reservoir for
another 10 miles to the FR 83 junction and an optional side trip to the popular
Ape Cave, one of the longest lava
tubes (12,810') in North America which over 100,000 visitors explore each year.
4. Further north off FR 83 is the jumping off
place for climbing MSH (you need a
permit secured in Cougar). MSH is the
second most hiked volcano in the world. 5. At
the end of FR 83 is Lava Canyon and
Lahar Recreation Area. 6. Back
down to FR 90 which has become SR503 and west about 30 miles one comes to Woodland on I-5. |
3g. Copyrights/Sources/Resources
Copyrights. Unless stated otherwise, all materials in
this packet are Copyright © 1999 by Lloyd and Doris Anderson. You may freely copy and quote portions or
the entirety -- together with acknowledgment of source, authorship and this
copyright notice; but please do not reproduce for profit without written
permission from the respective author(s); all other rights reserved.
Source
of Quotations:
VR. Volcano
Review is the Monument's 16-page paper printed each Spring.
WM. Welcome Magazine, Recreation Guide to
SW Washington and NW Oregon, is published each May by the Longview Daily
News. WM editor Tom Paulu provides
outstanding descriptions of the mountain, attractions and trails from his
extensive experience in the recreation areas.
Web
Sites: Excellent & Highly
Recommended, a World of Information:
Cam of the crater (updated each 10 minutes):
www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/volcanocam/
Hoffstadt Bluff Visitor Center Website:
www.mt-st-helens.com
MSH Creation Information Center: www.creationism.org/sthelens/
MSH National Volcanic Monument:
www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/
MSH National Volcanic Monument Volcano Review:
www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/index.html
Welcome Magazine
(Longview Daily News web site--select “Welcome”): www.tdn.com
Phone
Numbers: See
articles for numbers of individual attractions.
Camping reservations for over 60 WA/OR state
parks: 1-800-452-5687
Castle Rock Tourist Information: 360-274-6603
General information on Washington parks (8-5,
M-F) 1-800-233-0321
MSH Climbing Information 24-Hour Recording: 360-247-3961
MSH National Volcanic Monument Headquarters
(Amboy): 360-247-3900
3h.
Visiting the Mountain
Time Needed for Given Activities. Minimum Time:
you are pressed for time and only have half a day. Go directly to the end of SR504 for the most spectacular view of
the volcano at Johnston Ridge. Plan 1.4
hours drive to the top and 1.2 back to I-5 (105 miles round trip). The speed limit is 55. Three jurisdictions (county, state, federal)
patrol the highway and enforce the speed limit. One Day: Start
early. We recommend reaching the SR 504
exit 49 from Interstate 5 by 9 am. Even
then you can’t read all the displays in one day. Stop at the 7 Wonders Creation Museum (MP9.5), Weyerhaeuser
Forest Learning Center (MP33.5), Johnston Ridge VC & trail and Coldwater
Ridge VC (MP43). Have supper at
Hoffstadt Bluffs (MP27). Day and a Half: Come by the
Creation Center and do all the things at Johnston Ridge, Coldwater Lake and
Coldwater Ridge in the first day. Stay
overnight in the area. Do Weyerhaeuser
and the main visitor center the second day.
If the first day is a half-day, come by the Creation Center, then see
the main VC and camp across the highway in the state park (make reservations,
1-800-452-5687). See the things up the
highway on the second day. Two Full Days: Visit the West
Side one day (SR504) and the East Side on the other. Three Days: Spend a day on each side: West Side, East Side and South Side. Or two days on the West Side and one on East
or South.
Stop at the 7 Wonders
Creation Museum for:
refreshments -
restroom - displays - bookstore - slide presentation - guide service
We
encourage the above services to be scheduled in advance, but those who arrived
unannounced can enjoy them as resources allow.
Of primary interest are the displays and bookstore. However, after several hours of travel the
refreshments and restroom may also be appreciated. The slide presentation was given 104 times in 2000 and over 20
groups received all-day guide services. Our visitor units include individuals
traveling alone, couples, families, groups of families, home school groups,
Christian school groups and church groups.
All services are provided on a grace basis.
Presentation and/or Tour Guide for Groups up to 25
Because our facilities are
small, we can offer such groups the following hospitality:
·
Simple
refreshments or broader selections of morning coffee, fruit, pastries, and
cheese served on our partially covered deck overlooking a seasonally changing
wetland.
·
Slide
presentation on volcanoes, the eruption and the 7 wonders (30-90 minutes of
detail as desired).
·
Displays
and literature. The museum consists of
pictures and text on walls showing the seven wonders and related subjects. The bookstore has 20+ free papers and sells
over 100 creation titles. Chairs allow
visitors to relax as they look at the literature.
·
Guide
service. Have Lloyd ride along with you
and introduce the science and attractions along Spirit Lake Memorial Highway
(State Route 504).
Larger Groups: Bring
your bus or charter one (we can give you information about various bus
services) and we will narrate your trip.
However, we have no place to show bus-sized groups the slides.
Weather/Gear: The best months to see the mountain are
July and August, but on any given day the mountain may hide behind a cloud or
even be obscured by rainfall. Bring
jacket/rain gear & hat, walking shoes, pack, lunch, water, sun screen,
field glasses & money for admission to government visitor centers.
Johnston Ridge Hike:
The schedule
below allows two hours to hike 1.75 miles east along Johnston Ridge and 1.75
miles back. Omitting this hike allows
more time at the visitor centers, another hike, walking several interpretative
trails or returning home sooner. See hikes and trails --3e.
Suggested
West Side One-Day Schedule.
| Leave Portland (Seattle)
Creation Center: Food, Rest Stop, Slides Weyerhaeuser Forest Learning Center Eat Sack Lunch at WFLC or Coldwater Recreation Area Johnston Ridge Observatory (& Hike) Coldwater Ridge Visitor Center Arrive Portland (Seattle) |
8:00 a.m. (7:00 a.m.)
9:30 - 11:00 11:30 - 12:15 12:15 - 1:15 1:30 - 4:30 5:00 - 5:30 7:45 (8:30) |
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