Loowit

Long before settlers arrived from the east, Mt. St. Helens was a sacred place to the local Indian tribes. They had been witnesses to its long history of eruptive behavior and ancient legends caused them to give the mountain a wide berth. Some of the names given to the mountain were Lawelatla ("One From Whom Smoke Comes"), Louwala-Clough ("Smoking Mountain"), Tah-one-lat-clah ("Fire Mountain") and the most commonly used name today Loo-wit ("Keeper of the Fire")


I can't get you much closer than this telephoto image from 5 miles away of the lava dome of Mt. St. Helens volcanic crater. It was a spectacular day to visit any of the volcanoes in the Pacific NW today. Bill and I went on a wonderful day trip to see this amazing place now that the National Park Service is up and running again. The park service people were as happy to be there working as we were happy to once again see this fantastic and awe inspiring place. It's been a long time since we were there last and it was nice to see it again, especially today. I told Bill that if the mountains got out of the way, we could probably see Montana.

My Flicker Set is ready for you to look at, although I admit I'm a little tired tonight to add all the information. You will be seeing the mountain from various places and views on our trip up there. You can see the top of Mt. Adams in several of the images. They are only 30 miles apart. You will see the bareness of the landscape close to the crater and you will see how it is slowly regenerating itself in several locations, such as Coldwater Lake, which was formed from the eruption. You will see a darling little Golden-mantled ground squirrel which we were delighted to see. You will see what was once the top of Mt. St. Helens now in large hills in front of the blast zone. You will see Spirit Lake in the far distance, looking like it is on an alien planet. You will see the hillocks of ash at the base of the mountain being carved by the runoff that once was the headwaters of the Toutle River. You will see the remains of huge trees felled by the immense power of the explosion. The area closest to the mountain, a part of the National Park Service, has been left to nature to do her thing. It is a living laboratory. Further back the land belongs to Weyerhaeuser and they have replanted millions of trees after the mountain blew them down. It is a fascinating place and the educational displays are wonderful. It is a totally first rate tourist center and if you are in the neighborhood....I hope you see it.

And on the way up or on the way down, stop at Patty's Place which is a few miles east of the town of Toutle, and try the Elk Burger and then fresh fruit cobbler. Yummmmm. That burger was wonderful. On the menu with the descriptions, it says, " There are a lot of elk, and we eat them." Made me laugh.

I'll catch up with you all...really I will. Thank you for visiting.