July 23 - 27 Randle, Washington (Near Mt St Helens and Mt Rainier)

August 04, 2024  •  Leave a Comment

Cowlitz Falls Recreation Area Campground

The anticipation grew and grew as we got closer to our next bucket list location(s)…..

It took us a while to get there….we’ve not driven in real traffic for many months. We hit the Seattle area and wow – felt like we were back in California again. Yuck!!!

 

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Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens – here we come – yayyyy!!! But not before we drove another white-knuckle mountain road! Man, these mountains are something else…..Mike is a pro though. No problem he says.

The campground was beaaaauuutiful…..beautiful trees and lush ground cover. We had a perfect spot – paved pull through with full hook ups……….sweet! Our first view of Mt. Rainier was just a few miles down the road. Wow!!!!

 

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The day after we arrived, we took off for Mt St Helens. (Notice the state of Washington uses his head on their road signs.) It was a beautiful clear day, so the views were spectacular………..the drive up through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest - part of the Cascade Mountains, to view what blew it’s top in 1980, and is still active today, was jaw dropping!!! We marveled at thick trees, waterfalls, and wildflowers in full bloom.

 

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As we got farther up Windy Ridge, the landscape changed from lush green to partially mountain covered trees and what was left after the massive eruption. Trees strewn into the mountainsides like toothpicks, still very visible today. A 1972 Grand Prix that was driven by the Parker family, is a stark reminder of that day – the “Miners Car”..

 

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On Sunday morning, May 18th,1980, she erupted, shaken by a 5.1 earthquake, the north face of this tall mountain collapsed in a massive rock avalanche. In seconds this slab of rock and ice slammed into Spirit Lake, crossed a 1300-foot-high ridge, and roared 14 miles down the Toutle River. The blast was lateral, not vertical. Looking into the crater you can see twin lava domes, is she getting ready for another blast?

 

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To this day, Spirit Lake is filled with the thousands of trees that were stripped from the mountainsides, floating around from that disastrous day. On a positive note, the Forest Service is helping to regenerate the area with new trees.

 

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Currently one of the main roads into the North entrance is closed indefinitely due to a massive landslide. The South entrance we went in, is only open for 26 miles – closed the rest of the way for the same reason. From one of the overlooks stops, the views? Spectacular….you can see Mt St Helens, Mt Adams (which currently had a small fire burning – you can see smoke in the picture), and Mt Hood which is in Oregon.

 

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Mt. Rainer – being one of the most popular attractions on the west coast and one of the oldest National Parks, requires a timed entry. We were lucky enough to get one of the few tickets released at 7pm each evening. Off we went to explore the active volcano, glaciers, meadows, and forests……………Oh my goodness! Another amazing place!!! We felt like we were back in Glacier National Park. Every turn was a different view. We just couldn’t get enough!! Although it was a bit foggy most of the day, we enjoyed the scenic views we could see. Hoping that the fog would burn off as we were at around 10,000 feet, we stopped wherever we could to enjoy the many sights……

 

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Oh, those waterfalls!!! And the tunnels!!!!

 

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Ever stand on a rock polished by Glacial Ice?

 

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Most of the hikes within Mt Rainier are pretty difficult and way beyond what we wanted to do. However, there was a couple that we managed to do even though it wasn’t the nicest of days….Yayyy!!! We hiked in Mt Rainier – LOL!!

 

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Reflection Lakes area – one of THE most photographed and popular views….and we could see why……lovely!!!

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As the day was drawing to a close and we made our way back down the mountain, look!!!

The fog is clearing!! We can FINALLY get a clear picture of Mt Rainier summit!!! The day was a success………………..

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We’ve been keeping a close eye on fire conditions for the past several days. There are multiple HUGE wildfires burning in the direction that we are heading. Roads are closed and 1000’s of acres are up in flames….ugggg…..

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