As part of an assignment for Northwest Travel Magazine, I went kayaking on Coldwater Lake near Mt St Helens this week. Kayaking on a lake near a volcano is always cool, but this one will be extra special. Northwest Eco Excursions are the first and only folks that can take you on a kayaking trip of that lake since Mt St Helens erupted 32 years ago! Click photo for larger view.
If you live in Portland and haven’t made it to the north side of Mt St Helens yet, shame on you. Take a day out of summer and get up to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. In the latest Portland Family Outdoors column I explore trails in the blast zone; where life has returned at a rate almost nobody thought possible. Read about it here. (Click on photo for larger view).
To the best of my knowledge there’s only one spot in Oregon where you can see the Pacific Ocean, and the Cascade peaks of Rainier, St. Helens, Adams, and Hood. That’s from the top of Saddle Mountain. Add in the expansive meadows of wildflowers that are draped across the mountain right now and you’ve got a big reason to get out of Portland this weekend. Read about it in this week’s Portland Family Outdoors, here.
With Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams thrown in for good measure.
Adam Sawyer 