It had been a while, so one morning, when the skies seemed like they would be nice the next morning, I took a drive down to Mt St Helens, to see if I could take in a sunrise. 

I left an hour later than I had wanted to because I forgot to set my alarm, but I went down anyway, and was very glad I did.

As I got close enough so I could see The Mountain, I noticed a plume rising into the still cool morning air.

The colors were a bit subdued, but they were still very nice... it was so still and quiet.

When I got closer, the sun was just hitting the slopes of the mountain.  The plume caught just enough of the sunlight to be visible... I sat there for a while, watching the scene unfold.

It was nice.

I headed over to Johnston Ridge, and the Observatory there.

The view from the observatory is pretty amazing... I joined together a series of pictures, to give you a "wide angle" idea of the view... its very spectacular!

The Mountain is very impressive when the view is completely clear... you really get a feel for the amount of devastation!

One thing that struck me is that the green tint, caused by mosses, grasses, small bushes, clover, and other "explorer" plants reached all the way up to the lip of the crater...

Once I got close, I broke out my zoom lenses...

The zoom on my video camera is pretty good...

The one on my Camera isn't much better, actually... he color is better, though.

The plume rose from the top of the new dome...

On the way back to my truck, the colors really struck me... the flowers were out in their glory, and they were AMAZING!

The Hills leading up from the parking lot were ablaze in color...

It was very impressive...

The reds were VERY vivid!

They're a relatively new addition... the purple flowers have been there for quite some time - at least as far back as 2000... but the red flowers have only been there for the last couple of years, and this year, they were pretty spectacular!

Its fun to watch the changes over the years, and see all the plant life move back in to the area, which was rendered completely sterile by the 1980 blast.

I stopped at the trailhead to the Hummocks Trail, and decided to take the hike around the loop, a 2 1/2 mile walk down through the valley the Mountain changed forever in one day.

The "kicker" for me was a sign that said a bridge was under 6-10 inches of water along the trail... I HAD to check that out!

Down in the valley, the flowers weren't as vibrant, but they were still just about everywhere... the smells in the still morning air was very nice.

The trail takes you through the valley, which is riddled with portions of the mountain that fell away during the massive landslide following the earthquake that set everything in motion... its very impressive.

This is one of the best views of The Mountain that I know of... the junction of the Hummocks Trail with the Boundary Trail, that heads up to Johnston Ridge.

 The trail is very well marked, and is a fairly easy walk down through the valley...

The uneven ground traps water in several locations, providing additional habitat for birds and animals.

This pond was nearly mirror-smooth... some ducks caused some ripples, otherwise it would have been perfectly calm.

At the end of that pond, where a stream carried the water on down the valley, was the bridge.  Not underwater, as advertised, but it was pretty muddy around it, so it had only recently been uncovered.

From there, it was a quick jaunt over to the Toutle River itself.

Once an extremely clear river snaking through the valley, lined with trees, the Toutle now is a muddy shadow of its former self.

The Toutle doesn't have a river bed, and changes course nearly every spring, leaving a wide swath of gravelly ground along its shores.  In the spring, when the run off from the snow melt is at its peak, the river extends across the gray area.

Cut by the river, you really get a feel for just how deep the land and mudslide was.

In some areas, the river has cut a canyon of sorts for itself.

Trees are slowly returning, and the valley is repairing itself... but it has a long ways to go to be what it once was.

While I was walking, I felt the ground move, and shortly afterwards, I heard "thud" sounds... when I crested a hill, and could see the mountain, a dust cloud was rising above the crater rim... a small quake had triggered a landslide on the new dome... pretty cool.

Leaving the Toutle, the trail headed back to the parking lot across the hummocks to the edge of the valley floor.

Coming out at the parking lot, I was glad I went on the walk, even though the bridge wasn't under water... it was a fun time, and the scenery was great! 

I got in my truck, drank some water, and drove out of the Volcanic Monument... it had been a fantastic morning.

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