Community Exchange Cycle Touring Club

Ape Cave Bike & Hike
8/11/07

Eleven of us took the trip up the south side of Mt. St. Helens to Ape Cave. Ape Cave is a lava tube formed approximately 2,000 years ago.

Ape Cave is located in Gifford Pinchot National Forest and is the third-longest continuous lava tube in the continental United States. Lava tubes are an unusual formation in this region, as volcanoes of the Cascade Mountain Range tend toward the stratovolcano type and do not typically erupt with pahoehoe (fluid basalt).

Ape Cave is located near the site of Ape Canyon, the location of a reported attack on miners by ape like creatures in the year 1924. Ape canyon now is a popular hiking destination with beautiful views of the Mt. St. Helens Lahar region.

A logger named Lawrence Johnson discovered Ape Cave in 1947 when his truck fell into a sinkhole and in there he came upon the entrance to the cave. A scout troop under the leadership of Harry Reese performed the first exploration in 1950; they named the cave for their sponsor, the St. Helens Apes: a group of local scouts, sometimes called brush apes.

After hiking through Ape Cave we gathered for a feast of epic proportions given the remote nature of our location. The dining highlight was sushi, salad, and wine but no less exciting was the assortment of pizza, fruits, danish pastries, and other various dishes. We worked off the food by taking to our bikes and riding half the distance from Ape Cave to Lava Canyon. Only a shortage of time prevented us from making the final destination.

About Community Exchange Cycle Touring Club

We are a Portland Oregon based non-profit organization (IRS Status Pending). Our mission is to promote global peace through cross-border and cross-cultural exchange bicycle tours.

We host community bike repair/spin/safety clinics, rides, and tours. Our goal is to build a global network of bicycle touring clubs, facilitate the initiation of reciprocated exchange tours between these clubs, and increase friendship-building among diverse cultures.

We encourage every cyclist and potential world traveler to join us in connecting global communities by riding our bicycles and sharing our local scenery, culture, cuisine, language, and hospitality.

We hope to meet, ride, and share with you soon!

Mission Statement

-Promote cycling as an alternative to fossil fuel burning vehicle transportation
-Develop rider self-reliance through bicycle repair, maintenance, safety, exercise, and survival training programs
-Nurture camaraderie, cooperation, and teamwork among community cycling club members
-Organize affordable environmentally responsible long-distance cycling tours
-Replicate supportive community cycle touring clubs globally
-Facilitate cross-border and cross-cultural exchange cycle touring
-Achieve self-sustaining organic growth through non-profit grassroots movement

www.ExchangeCycleTours.org

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