Mt St Helens

I went for a quick day trip to Mt St Helens, as it’s under two hours each way to get there. Learning about the May 18 1980 eruption was fascinating. Photos show it took just a few seconds for half of the mountain volcano to break free and become the largest land slide in recorded history, releasing pressure and a pyroclastic flow that devastated the surrounding area. The mountain (why do I keep calling it that?) looks as though half of it is missing. The crater has slowly filled in with a new lava dome during subsequent 1989-91 and 2004-08 eruptions. The 2004 eruption built the lava dome at the rate of one dump-truck load per second. At that rate, it would take 100 years to build up all that blew away in 1980. AMAZING.

Table Mountain Hike

David and I went for a hike up Table Mountain on the Washington side of the Colombia River. Took us just 45 minutes to drive out there—very accessible from a big city. Took us about six hours to do the 8 mile loop with 3350ft elevation gain. A lot of the elevation was very steep, including a lengthy on-all-fours scramble up a boulder field.

Stunning views from the top—it was a clear day so Mt Hood, Mt St Helens, Mt Adams and Mt Rainier were all easily visible.

Portland, and a pause

I arrived in the Portland area after Boise and met up with David and Rachel again, where Rach is having an internship (we're actually across the river in Vancouver, WA). The first few days were busy with the Fourth and birthdays and an amazing dinner at Ox, an Argentine steak house. I needed a break from the road, and access to regular hot showers, so I booked a room for a month and am taking a break. I’ve actually begun working on my CV/resume and applying for jobs, so break and pause may be disingenuous words. I’m here, for now, at least!

Boise, ID

After Moab and Arches I drove up to Boise for two nights and a day. It came recommended and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a small for a big city (214,000) with a well arranged downtown, mountains around, a river running through the center, a university, and some government. I spent most of my day meandering downtown and then watching the US soccer team lose to Belgium in the World Cup, so by the time I walked down to the main park that has a zoo and a few museums they were unfortunately closed. I had a great meal that evening at Fork where everything is local. Trout on kale with mushrooms.