Mount Saint Helens or Bust

After cruising along the Columbia River Gorge and heading into Washington state on our way to my aunt and uncle's house, a mysterious mountain loomed ahead.

Actually, we had to exit and drive a ways first, but then we saw it ... Mount Saint Helens, the stuff from geology class made of legends from the 80s.

It's been over 30 years, and the treeline is still barely starting to recover from the famous volcanic blast.

Here you can see the once snow-capped mountain that blew its top in a nine hour stew of gases and ash. Well, the build up to it lasted much longer, as you can imagine.

Eight foot diameter trees were snapped off their roots and the sound barrier was smothered for 30 miles around. My uncle remembers his apple farm getting covered in ash over 100 miles away, and a visitor from Ohio told me that ash snowed into her pool from that fateful day.

That's one mountain I think I'll skip climbing.

Red Tide at Dawn

 

I went to the coast earlier this week and finally saw the thing I've heard so many talk about. Do you ever think you know something because you hear it so much until you actually see it for yourself and realize you had no idea what you were talking about?

 For me, that was a red tide. This algae bloom was the first I'd seen, and you can see for yourself how it gets its name.

And fishing just a week before showed no trace of it. Even a mass as infinite as the ocean can change quickly.

 The algae blooms are part of the season and provide food for lots of species- just harmful to us if we eat shellfish from the water during a red tide.

 

During my hike with Chuck on a glorious sunny day, we looked out at seal rock to see whales feeding and seals barking their heads off. Here's a little video I shot so you'd get a picture of just how loud those cute little flippery fur-balls really are.

Yosemite- Day 4

Last day in Yosemite! I made the decision to exit via the south so we could see the other side of the park and delay our departure by a few miles.

But first, one last look before leaving the valley.

When we reached Wawona and the Pioneer Yosemite History Center.

Just think, this used to be the fancy way to get to the park.

My heart stopped at "stagecoach rides." And at covered bridges and historic structures. Then I just pretended I was Laura Ingalls Wilder.

From inside the old artists' cabin, where we met one of the artists-in-residence.

Little house in ... Yosemite?

The smithy.

Buying tickets for a coach ride at the original stagecoach office. Those windows! The ticket lady! My heart.

The stagecoach ride was bumpy. And dusty!

Our driver- a single, employed man looking for a wife who can cook, sew and has all her teeth. He drinks a little, but he's a catch!

Making friends.

In jail.

I found my room. It looks move-in ready, don't you think?

We hopped on the shuttle to see the redwoods in Mariposa Grove, which I'm a little concerned about. How many more fire scars can these babies withstand?

This guy is known as the Grizzly Giant.

The Bachelor and Three Graces.

One last look before we leave?

Yosemite Range of Light

Here's an absolutely gorgeous video I found showcasing the splendor of Yosemite through time-lapse photography from Shawn Reeder. It's hard to believe it's real.




Thanks, Shawn and Climbing Magazine! I'm already planning my next trip.

Here's the link.

Supermoon 2012

A lovely view enjoyed on the night of the Supermoon from a ridge in Forestville. Even from the perspective of a low-end point-and-shoot camera, the wonder of the moon's luminescence can not be denied. 

Where did you go to see the lunar phenomenon? Did anyone get a view from a telescope?