Mt. St. Helens; seen from The Hummocks Trail #220.
There really
weren’t any clouds – the sky was blue as far as the eye could see; but … at
elevations of 2,600 ft. & 3,000 ft. clouds could move in very quickly – and
snow falling was a real possibility despite the clear skies and warm Spring
atmosphere.
Mountains
have a way of creating their own weather environment; and Mt. St. Helens is
very temperamental. When she’s in a good mood, she can be friendly – but when
her temper is up, she can be very bad.
Since her
famous temper tantrum in 1980 (when she literally ‘blew her top’), she’s
always fussing and steaming: we diligently watch her to see which way she will lean
on any given day.
Native
American names for Mt. St. Helens are “Loowit” & “Louwala-Clough”, which
means “smoking mountain.
Today,
thankfully, she was in a good mood 😉
But
before I got there to enjoy her good mood … my day started out in a foul mood. The
outsourced PeaceHealth calimexarabia CA Doctors, Inc. is still claiming
they have not received payment.
So, when
I got off the phone with the outsourced talking head on the other end of the outsourced
airwaves, I drove into town to the P.O. and asked them to track the payment
I mailed off on April 6th: it had been picked up and signed
for on the 10th!
Proof the unrepentant liars have received payment!
When I
got back home, I called the talking head back, and read to her what the receipt
said – and she parroted back that payment has not been received.
I was furious.
What she was saying was unbelievable.
I hung up on her while she was still yapping.
I was
missing the comforting wisdom Bob always had that could flip a bad day situation.
I stopped glaring at the phone.
I stopped
wishing for husbandly wisdom I would never receive again.
I decided
to go for a drive to escape the heat of the moment … and the escalating heat of
the day (it would be in the upper 80’s by noon). I thought I’d drive to
Coldwater Lake – up the Toutle, where the temperature would be cooler because
of the mountainous Mt. St. Helens region.
Normally,
I would balk at trying that drive on my own (it’s long and snaky; and it
crosses several very deep gorges) – but this morning, I was mad enough to
bite the bullet and/or wrestle the hordes of Hell.
I hate being lied to.
I needed to be active.
I was justifiably irritated.
I needed to be a winner in some way.
I needed to stretch my comfort zone.
First, I
watered all my plants; I actually soaked them pretty deep, so they wouldn’t get
plant sunstroke when the temperature drastically rose for this time of year.
Then I
called my BIL, Kerry, to ask him if it was even possible to get to Coldwater
Lake; I remembered that sometimes there is a surprise late-season snowfall in
the higher elevations. Kerry lives in the higher elevation of Toutle, close to the
Mt. St. Helens area – he would know if the road to the Lake was open or not.
He said
it was; he told me there may be some snow in areas, but that the road should
be clear because it’s been pretty busy with trucks hauling boats behind them to
the Coldwater Boat Launch; so, I grabbed purse and keys, and booked 😉
Coldwater Lake from Heron Pointe - 1 hr. 14 mins
It took
me about an hour to get out of Longview: traffic was back-to-back until I turned
off onto Westside Highway.
The drive
to Toutle went well – the road was busy, but traffic flowed.
The air
cooled significantly the higher in elevation the Highlander climbed.
Drove past the Mt. St. Helens Forest Learning Center; I'm committed now.
I haven't driven this area since I was with Bob &
our grandson, Aza, in December 2017.
I drove a little trepidatiously.
I was a lot excited.
Bob had
always driven this stretch of highway – always – for 44 years of our
life together … and several years before that.
I had
only driven as far as the Mt. St. Helens Forest Learning Center; and that
fairly recently. So, this stretch of road way was virgin territory to me.
And I was
a road virgin, again. But this time, the stress level was not as high as last
time I was driving unfamiliar territory.
I did start seeing patches of snow as I passed the learning center.
My first experience driving in snowy mountainous areas.
Determination ... coming upon Bear Creek.
I spoke to Kerry before I left the carport; he boosted my confidence.
Another 'road virgin' experience - calmer, this time.
The road climbed steeply at times.
Coldwater Lake lays at a cool 2,600 ft. elevation.
Coldwater Lake. I walked the picnic area-boat launch area.
This lake was created with the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
I had
thought to walk some of the Coldwater Trail, but right off the bat, it was straight
UP; so, I scrapped that thought. My legs are short, and my long-armed
husband (who used to lend a hand to pull me up) rides the clouds, now.
I walked
back to the car, and gave considerable thought to hiking the Hummock Trail – a little
further up the road.
Hummocks Trail from Coldwater Lake - 6 mins.
Coldwater Lake, Hummocks Trail, & Johnston Ridge Observatory
The
Johnston Ridge Observatory was gated off; but the trail was open. And there
were plenty of cars in the trail parking lot, so I would have company on the
trail at some point.
The Hummocks
Trail is 3,000 ft. in elevation, so the air was thinning out. Evergreen trees
were stunted; and leafy trees, shrubs, and flowers were showering pollen dust
into the breeze, budding out, and starting to blossom.
I had to use
my inhaler, so I could breathe easy.
But, even
using the inhaler … I was wheezing at times because the air was thin, and my
lungs were stressed; not dangerously stressed, but working a little
harder than they are used to – with all the unfamiliar scents, and oxygen discrepancy.
Hummock Trail #220.
Totally new solo lobo adventure.
Exciting enticement.
Lakes were everywhere; they may not last, but they were visible today.
Every little step in important.
Coyote sign - a reminder I am in the wilds. There are eyes in the forest.
A courting pair in a romantic setting.
Another lake.
If my legs hurts tonight, I'll know the reason.
A bench! In the middle of nowhere ...
A reminder of my shortness; but, very welcome.
Mt. St. Helen’s headless gaping throat was everywhere.
The trail was designed to highlight the Queen of the Cascades.
Boundary Trail #1.
Beautiful area; This sight steals your breath when you walk around the corner of the trail. SO worth the drive!
I'll have to come back - at an earlier time of the day, next time.
Pretty high in elevation; no vertigo.
Uprooted twins.
A good Shabbat adventure.
By the
end of the walk, my lungs had adjusted to the higher altitude.
I’m going
to revisit the Hummock Trail, at some point this year 😊
Mt. St.
Helens was always Bob’s mountain; he preferred her over Mt. Rainier, which is
the mountain I prefer.
But I
actually enjoyed Mt. St. Helens this afternoon – I am adjusting to the changes
that have occurred, and are occurring in my unfolding widow life.
Perhaps Yeshua
is moving Mt. Rainier aside; or maybe Mt. St. Helen’s … like so many other
things that were a part of Bob’s life (like the early morning hours, and the
Columbia River) are becoming part of my new life, like they were in Bob’s life.
All I
know is that I am surprisingly comfortable doing things I didn’t do before: I
was always a night-owl & slept late in the mornings – water terrifies me; I
avoided the Columbia River – and even though I always enjoyed Mt. St. Helens
before she blew her top, I avoided visiting her because there wasn’t anything about
her that appealed to me anymore.
ALL that is changing!
I find I
am enjoying the early morning hours, now.
I find I enjoy
the Columbia River, now. Water still unnerves me – but I engage in
things that center around the River, now.
And I
found this afternoon, that there is a draw that will have me going
back to visit Mt. St. Helens again.
And if
there are clouds in the sky on that particular day, I won’t mind.
Bob rides the clouds with Yeshua 😊
I won’t be alone.
My 2 Husbands will be with me.
Just like they were, today.
Showing me beauty all around me.
And sharing the moment with me.
