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Mt. St. Helens
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Back roads by Mt. St. Helens
click on photos to enlarge
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| No glimpse of the 7 1/2 folks, but did meet the 2 old crows. |
Have you ever wondered where bustling downtown Brixberg is?
It's right by the big rock, called Tower Rock, next to the
Cispus River, on the east side of Mt. St. Helens.
Our short weekend trip to Windy Ridge got a late start,
drive south I-5, then east hwy 12, and by the time we
reach Randle, it's late evening.
A left turn on Hwy 23 takes us to Tower Rock campground.
Lots of secluded sites available
right on the Cispus River.
By now it's dark, and the sky is overcast, except for the occasional
distant lightning followed
by rumbling thunder over the mountains.
An eerie hoot of an owl, and the raindrops are hitting the
pop top roof, as we drift off to sleep.
Next morning after breakfast, we tour Brixberg and
Tower Rock, resembling a mini El Capitan. (sort of)
On the way back to Randle, stop at Layser Cave.
The cave is not well-known, but quite interesting to visit.
Discovered in the 1980's, it's a 35 ft. deep dome-shaped
cavern, in which natives lived 6,000 years ago.
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Click on photo to go Windy Ridge, back door to Mt. St. Helens, 4.5 miles from lava dome. |
Back down from Windy Ridge, to Hwy 90,
north on FR 83 takes us across the Lahar meadows,
its lavender lupines in bloom, on the way to Lava Canyon.
Hike along the scenic waterfalls and vistas along the
Lava Canyon trail to the Suspension bridge.
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| Lahar Meadows |
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| Lava canyon and Suspension Bridge |
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| Yawning entrance to Ape Cave |
Spelunking in popular Ape Cave, over 12,000 feet long,
one of the longest lava tubes in the continental U. S.
Ape Cave was formed 2,000 years ago when Mt. St. Helens
erupted a series of fluid lavas producing lava tubes and surface flow.
Named after a local youth group, the St. Helens Apes,
who explored the cave extensively after its discovery in 1946.
To tour Ape Cave, wear a hard hat, sturdy shoes, and
and lantern in hand. Then descend to the cave's yawning
entrance with a sense for adventure.
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