We began the hike in a 1968 clear cut forest along side the Lahar mudflow. Mt St Helens loomed off to the left and we got glimpses now and again. After a mile and a half we entered old growth forest untouched by the 1980 blast. Soon we had views of Hood, Adams and even Mt Rainier. At the Ape Canyon overlook it was wide-ope to see all around and you felt like you were touching Mt St Helens, and at this point you are standing on the pumice covered flank. Up to this point we had only seen mountain bikers heading to Windy Ridge - and for the most part they were polite and warned us they were coming. The path is narrow so moving out of the way could be dicey.
We hiked on until noon and we stopped at a nice overlook of Ape Canyon on the other side to eat lunch. Looking back at the mountain from that point, the view was carpeted in green because of a spring on the mountain slope. After lunch we decided to walk on for 30 more minutes. That took us all the way through the Plains of Abraham. The lupines were past their prime but it was pretty with other flowers and the simple vastness of the pumice flats and scope of the mountain. We arrived at the junction for Windy Ridge to the right or Loowit trail to the left and we decided to walk a little more. We met a guy hiking back towards us who said if we went up to a notch on the ridge, we could see Spirit Lake. Katrina was up for it so we went. Another half hour...we could see the back edge of the lake covered mostly in logs. That felt like a destination (though if we had time and energy we could have gone 2.5 more miles and been at Loowit Falls!) so we turned back and made it to the car by 4:10p. 14 miles and 2000 ft gain. A great day!
(This would be a fun hike to do early in the season when the snow had not melted so much - however, then creeks may be an issue in the afternoon...they got noticeably bigger as the day progressed!)
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| the trail begins and goes for 4.5 miles through woods |
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| peaks of Mt St Helens and the Lahar mud flow |
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| now the view opens up to the east |
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| Ape Canyon overlook |
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| heading to the Plains of Abraham |
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| Katrina and Mt Adams over the pumice plain |
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| our lunch view and Ape Canyon |
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| trees affected by the blast |
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| heading around the east side of the mountain |
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| pretty grasses |
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| going up to the ridge to see Spirit Lake |
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| we are heading for that notch "v" on the right |
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| Spirit Lake is to the left (tiny - log covered) |
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| Spirit Lake, Mt Rainier |
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| the spring fed area |
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| Ape canyon on the way back |
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| Mt St Helens and the Lahar Mudflow about 4p |
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