While enjoying all of the fun day trips, with Joyce acting as my tour guide while Larry was at work, Larry was beginning to feel a little left out ... finally though, he managed to get a day off with no other pressing commitments. The previous week he had been kept busy with a "honey do list" involving lots of yard work, errands, and the completion of brake repairs for the family's second car. This week, however, the forecast was calling for an unusually warm day, with beautiful sunshine, and temperatures into the 90's ... and he was rearing to go on a road trip.
After some discussion, and much preparation, it was decided we would drive up to see Mount St. Helens. While in college Larry first completed a degree in Biology, with a major in Chemistry. That was followed by additional schooling to complete an Engineering degree. Through the years Joyce has often regaled me with stories regarding life "being married to an engineer". All I can say is that he puts the Boy Scout motto of "being prepared" to shame. We went boldly into the day, complete with ice chest, snacks, sweaters, caps, sunscreen, maps, and armed with reams of information. We felt we were well prepared for virtually any contingency.
Joyce and Larry's youngest daughter, Emily, decided to accompany us on this trip ... while Joyce and Sarah were left to a day on their own. Mount St. Helens is an approximate two hour drive from Portland. For our reading pleasure Larry brought along a multi-page computer print out written by the geologists stationed at the National Volcanic Observatory located in Vancouver, Washington following the aftermath of the 1980 eruption. As our trip progressed, Larry pointed out sites of interest that corresponded to the observations made from the geologists' report, and we occasionally stopped to observe them up close, or for me to snap a picture or two.
Emily, who to some degree shares her Dad's affinity for science, and other randomly precocious facts, was kind enough to define some of the words with which I was having difficulty while reading from the geology report. I'll mention two of the terms, as they are evident in the photos here and you will then feel more informed, as was I. What appears to be the Toutle River, or riverbed in the photos is actually a "lahar", or the currently dry pathway of what was once the volcanic debris that flowed in rivulets from the crater source. The other term is "hummock", and refers to the "mounds" that are observed in the lahars. They were created by the large chunks of rock propelled by the explosion and then covered over by the flow of mud and ash.
Upon reaching the end of our scenic drive, we arrived at an observatory and tourist center located there. Inside we viewed an informative and educational film on the history of Mount St. Helens, and of the nature of volcanoes in general. Larry explained to me that while National Monuments are deemed such by declaration of the President, National Parks are given their status by a declaration of Congress. While normally a National Park would be maintained by the U.S. Park Service, it was determined that in this case, it would be better maintained and monitored by being the responsibility of the U.S. Forest Service. We spent some time exploring the other exhibits in the observatory, took a couple of photos, and then began our journey home.
Due to the exceptionally warm weather and lack of wind at the summit, we had no need of the sweaters and caps we came prepared with, but were blessed with an ideal day for a trip to view this astounding site. On the drive back Larry arranged for the perfect ending to a perfect day by meeting Joyce at a restaurant named Beaches in Vancouver for a seafood dinner. Beaches is located on the Washington side of the Columbia River, adjacent to a promenade that overlooks the river and the city of Portland. From that viewpoint we enjoyed a couple of margaritas and watched the sail boats sail by, as we watched the sun set.... and agreed it had been another beautiful day!
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