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Past Activity

Mt. St. Helens — Truman Trail

  • Start date: 05/18/2018

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 05/20/2018

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

This is a visit to the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to hike and explore local sites. We'll be tent camping for two nights at the low-key Eco Lodge Resort and making use of the camp's Backwoods Cafe for meals.

Friday, May 18:
Depart Eugene and drive 2.75 hours to the visitor center at Silver Lake. At Silver Lake we will break for lunch and visit the museum. In the afternoon we drive another half hour to the massive North Fork Toutle River Sediment Retention Structure that blocks almost 10-miles of ash and sediment. In the afternoon we'll pitch our tents at the nearby Eco Lodge Resort and explore some of its 12-miles of paths -or- visit some of the area's trails. If open, we will stop by the Forest Learning Center just a few miles up the road. We'll eat dinner at the Lodge's "Backwoods Cafe." The lodge has a communal fire pit.

Saturday, May 19:
After breakfast we will drive 40 minutes to the Johnston Ridge Observatory making a stop at Coldwater Lake to explore the boardwalk at the lake's edge. At Johnston Ridge (4,300 feet) explore interpretive displays that tell the biological, geological, and human story of Mount St. Helens and watch the museum's short movie. Afterwards we will hike an 8-mile section of the Boudary Trail (#1) & Harry's Ridge. This is an exposed hike through the blast zone. The first two miles of this route offers views of Coldwater Peak to the north and the gaping Mount St. Helens crater to the south. The trail at the sharp-cornered Devil's Elbow offers amazing views of the valley that lies 600-feet below. Beyond is the Truman Trail #201, where we should be treated to amazing crater views. We'll keep left at the Truman Trail junction and follow the Boundary Trail for one more mile, where it connects with Harry’s Ridge Trail #1E. We'll follow Harry’s Ridge to the right and for the next mile enjoy views of Spirit Lake with its raft of blasted logs. In the late afternoon we will return to our tents and a dinner at the Backwoods Cafe. NOTE: If there is significant snow on the trail we'll hike at a lower elevation.

Sunday, May 20:
We will have breakfast and pack up by 10am to drive back to Eugene. In Portland, the leader might stop by a historic firehouse and a glassblowers facility. Participants can join him or continue to Eugene. The plan is to return to Eugene by 4pm.

ECO LODGE:
# Home: http://www.ecoparkresort.com/
# FAQs: http://www.ecoparkresort.com/faq
# The Eco Lodge has outhouses, they are each equipped with solar LED lighting, propane hot water tank & heaters, showers, a pedestal sink, and flushing toilets.
# The Eco Lodge's elevation is 1,400 feet, but it might still be cold in May.

ECO LODGE (Backwoods Cafe):
# Menu: http://www.ecoparkresort.com/menu
# They can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free.

MEALS:
# Friday - Bring lunch and snacks; dinner at the Backwoods Cafe.
# Saturday - Breakfast & Dinner at the Backwoods Cafe; bring your own snacks and lunch.
# Sunday - Breakfast at the Backwoods Cafe; bring your own snacks and lunch.

DEPARTURE INFO:
# We'll be leaving southeast Eugene; address information will emailed to confired participants. Street parking is available.

FEES:
# Mt St Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake $5 per person.
# Johnston Ridge Observatory $8 per person.
# Eco Lodge Food (you will need to bring money for meals).
# The Eco Lodge tent camping reservation for the group has been pre-paid; participants will need to reimburse the trip leader $16.

  • Event Leader: Mark Hougardy

  • Event Leader Phone: 541-206-9532

  • Event Leader Email: hougardy@gmail.com

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trips

  • Area Type:

  • Departure Location: See Trip Description

  • Rating:

  • Roundtrip total drive miles: 444

  • Season: 2018

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: GEAR: # Be prepared for rain and/or sun. # Be prepared for cold weather at night and cold weather during the day. # Bring a flashlight, towel, and any other supplies your need for tent camping. # Bring your day pack, comfortable hiking shoes, shower shoes. # Bring camping chairs for the fire pit. # Drivers, bring your Interagency Annual Pass!

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 12

  • Member Fees: 2

  • Elevation Gain:

  • Non-Member Fees: 10

  • Committee: Trips

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

Our visit to the Mount St. Helens National Monument was timed to the 38th anniversary of the May 18, 1980 eruption. Our group rendezvoused at the Silver Lake Visitor Center off the I-5 where we enjoyed lunch and listened to an interpretive presentation by a ranger. Osprey flew overhead. Afterward, we continued about 20 miles up the road to the sediment retention dam. This massive structure holds back a reservoir of volcanic mud 13-miles long, a half a mile wide, and 200 feet deep. Several Army Corps of Engineer Rangers were inspecting the structure and they graciously talked with us about the dam’s history. Later that afternoon we proceeded a few miles up the highway to the laid-back Eco Lodge Resort where we pitched our tents and then hiked to the reservoir. The surface looked solid, but it quickly sucked unsuspecting walkers down to their ankles. In the ash and mud, there were tracks of raccoons, elk, and footprints of some enormous birds, possibly eagles. That evening we enjoyed dinner and some down-home hospitality at the lodge’s café. Before bed, we sat around a warm campfire. The next morning we ate a hearty breakfast then drove about 25 miles to Coldwater Lake. The lake is an enormous body of water that had not existed prior to the eruption. On that day, a wall of ash and rock several hundred feet deep blocked the creek causing the newly formed basin to fill. At the Johnston Ridge Observatory, we were told the facility was closed due to a power failure. We hit the Boundary Trail and hiked several hours through the apocalypse-like blast zone. In the distance, the massive volcano began to emerge from the clouds. On top of Harry’s Ridge, we walked along the snow line until we looked directly into the crater of Mount St. Helens. Below us was the hauntingly beautiful Spirit Lake. This is the location where long-time resident Harry Truman refused to leave his home. After the blast, he would live forever as a legend. A very sinister cloud suggested it was time for us to go. Our hike had been 8.8 miles and roughly 2,000 feet of elevation gain/loss. At the visitor center, we discovered they were open, but the power went out again after about 5 minutes. In the evening, we enjoyed a tasty home-cooked meal at the café and heard stories from the lodge’s owner, Mark. He had witnessed the eruption when he was 20. We enjoyed another humorous nightfall telling jokes and stories around the campfire. In the early morning, raindrops pecked at our tents. After breakfast, we thanked Mark and his family. As we left for home the rain started to pour. We had been fortunate with the weather, and to enjoy such a great time at the volcano.