When I arrived in the area around mid-afternoon, I decided to drive to Elk Rock Viewpoint and Castle Lake Viewpoint where you can see the north side of the mountain.
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| Mount St. Helens from Elk Rock Viewpoint |
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| Mount St. Helens and the Devastated Land to the Left |
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| Mount St. Helens and Castle Lake |
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| Mount St. Helens and Devastated Land to the Left |
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| Mount St. Helens from Castle Lake Viewpoint |
This turned out to be a good decision because the next day the majority of the mountain was enveloped by clouds. On this second day, I hiked 8.8 miles on the Hummocks and Boundary Trails from near Coldwater Lake to the Loowit Viewpoint and back.
The trail started in the area largely altered by the mountain's eruption, landslide, and mudflow. The rocks and debris left behind coupled with 45 years of natural forces created hills, ponds, and a regrowth of plants and trees.
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| Trail through Trees |
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| Pond |
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| Hummocks |
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| Large Mounds of Earth |
Along the way, I saw a few animals including many birds, chipmunks, deer, and a couple of coyotes.
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| Deer Looks at Me |
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| Ruffed Grouse Makes Huffing Noise |
Away from the trees, the flowers and their colors contrasted with the grasses and the gray soil.
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| Vivid Yellow |
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| Unique Red Pattern |
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| Blue Lupin |
Eventually, the trail climbed up and along a ridge where I could take in the view of the lowlands and the Toutle River as it continued to cut its way through the path of the eruption's mudflow.
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| Trail Climbs Ridge |
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| View from Vista |
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| Toutle River Cuts Along Mud Flow |
Unfortunately, I could not view Mount St Helens due to the cloud cover.
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| Clouds Cover Mount St. Helens |
I will want to come back and to this hike again because there are so many points along the way that provide spectacular views of the mountain on sunny days. And a short way past where I turned around is a point where you apparently can view right into the crater gap left after the eruption.
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