A loop around Spirit Lake via Johnston Ridge: 7-17-14

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Sean Thomas
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A loop around Spirit Lake via Johnston Ridge: 7-17-14

Post by Sean Thomas » July 22nd, 2014, 10:14 pm

Last Thursday work was canceled so I scrambled up my things last minute and headed up to the monument for a loop around the great Spirit Lake. Flowers, mountain views and lots of blue sky spelled out the day as I ran around the lake in a clockwise loop that is probably one of my favorite routes of all time. I started the day at Johnston Ridge and hopped onto the Boundary Trail for the first couple of miles over to the Truman junction:


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A few more miles later and I was enjoying that awesome stretch from Coldwater Peak over to Mt Margaret and beyond. The views of St Helens Lake and Spirit Lake were outstanding as usual as I looked out toward the mountain:


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Another quick look back at St Helens Lake and the recovering landscape that was so incredibly altered just a little over 34 years ago:


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Views to the north were amazing as well, here is Mt Ranier peeking over the ridge with the Coldwater Basin far below. There were about a dozen elk enjoying some breakfast in the basin:


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There were some fun snow drifts to skirt across near Big Marge and old Mt Tomroy:


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Pretty soon I was hiking through Norway Pass and cruising above Spirit Lake on the Independence Pass Trail. I believe the trail is still closed but there were no signs indicating so until the other end of the trail, so I continued on to stay closer to the lake. There are 3 or 4 sections where the trail has completely crumbled away and you have to be comfortable traversing the unstable slope until the trail picks back up again. A fall into the lake could cause serious injury and or that other consequence know one wants to talk about. Back to the fun stuff though and Spirit Lake was looking absolutely gorgeous in the sunshine. This Rock Pillar stands tall above the lake:


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Looking down to the northern most point of the lake where the old Portland YMCA Lodge(?) used to be with the old Sweden Mine nearby pre eruption. Coldwater Peak and Large Marge in the background:


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I am always fascinated with the monuments youngest lakes(coldwater and castle lake) as its just amazing to think of bodies of water that large having been around for less than 35 years. Spirit Lake was once the same, just a set of drainages that were blocked some 3,000 - 5,000 thousand years ago by lahars and flows from the mountain. Before the eruption in 1980 the lake was about 80 feet deeper but covered just a little more than half of the surface area of the Spirit Lake we see today:


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Pano from another angle:


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After the stretch on 99 and passing by Windy Ridge I took the old road down to the Truman Trail and stopped at a nice stream to enjoy being at lake level for the first time all day :)


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Flowers and views of the lake were beautiful on the plains back over toward the Boundary Trail as I shuffled onward. The heat was starting to takes its toll as the afternoon wore on but the amazing views near Langes Crest far outwieghed the hot sun ;)


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A couple more before finishing off the loop segment with one last look at the star of the day, Spirit Lake:


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I finished off the loop in about 6 1/2 - 7 hours only recording some of the well known sections of the boundary trail near JRO in the morning. GPS read about 25 miles with a 3.75 mph overall pace putting the loop and the stretch to JRO in the 28 mile range overall. I felt good about that with the heat and the rough sections on Indy Pass which had me pause a bit. In the end, it was just a great day to go hiking and running in the mountains. From drinking ice cold water streaming out of a snowfield and spying on a herd of Elk thousands of feet below, to the remarkable regeneration of an area some likened to a moonscape just a few decades ago, the monument is just a gem and one to watch as it continues its lively surge to resemble a time better known for old growth and tree covered slopes as opposed to the rough reality of a landscape blanketed with pumice and ash:


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Finishing up at JRO I talked to an old volunteer about our respective favorite parts of the monument etc when he told me he used to hike up to Coldwater peak with his brother before the eruption. He said he remembered his first time up there as a kid and recounted how you couldnt see St Helens Lake through all the trees from the trail but only from up high or when right next to the lake itself. Being from the youngen generation :D it was really cool to get some insight into a time I will never know. After our chat I drove down to Coldwater Lake and hid my tomato red skin under the shade of a few alders and willows while I drank some water and had some snacks. It was an epic way to end another unforgettable day in the Mt St Helens Monument:


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GPS Track link and map:


http://gpsfly.org/a/3483


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Roy
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Re: A loop around Spirit Lake via Johnston Ridge: 7-17-14

Post by Roy » July 23rd, 2014, 3:15 pm

Nice report Sean.That Independence pass trail is a great way to get personal with Spirit lake. It seems like it would take minimal effort to repair the bad sections
The downhill of the mind is harder than the uphill of the body. - Yuichiro Miura

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kepPNW
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Location: Salmon Creek

Re: A loop around Spirit Lake via Johnston Ridge: 7-17-14

Post by kepPNW » July 23rd, 2014, 3:19 pm

Another outstanding achievement, Sean! I just gotta do this. I wonder, does anyone know if overnight parking is allowed anywhere over on the Windy side? I could see spending a night up there, before getting a really early start on the day.
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

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Peder
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Re: A loop around Spirit Lake via Johnston Ridge: 7-17-14

Post by Peder » July 23rd, 2014, 8:01 pm

Sean - Awesome report! I am sending lots of jealousy your way.

Karl - You can certainly park overnight at the Norway Pass TH.
Some people are really fit at eighty; thankfully I still have many years to get into shape…

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kmcdade
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Re: A loop around Spirit Lake via Johnston Ridge: 7-17-14

Post by kmcdade » July 23rd, 2014, 9:17 pm

This is really cool. I've always been curious about the Girl Scout camp that used to be on Spirit Lake. I never got to go there, but everyone older than me raved about it! It looks like a great place to visit now anyway. Gotta add it to my list.
--Kathleen. Or K-Mac. As in KMC, because that's what people have taken to calling me here. :-)

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kepPNW
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Re: A loop around Spirit Lake via Johnston Ridge: 7-17-14

Post by kepPNW » July 24th, 2014, 5:03 am

Peder wrote:Karl - You can certainly park overnight at the Norway Pass TH.
Good to know, thanks Peder!
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

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-Q-
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Re: A loop around Spirit Lake via Johnston Ridge: 7-17-14

Post by -Q- » July 24th, 2014, 4:48 pm

kepPNW wrote:
Peder wrote:Karl - You can certainly park overnight at the Norway Pass TH.
Good to know, thanks Peder!
I have also parked overnight at the Windy Ridge TH.
No issue.
Might repeat it this weekend actually.

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kepPNW
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Re: A loop around Spirit Lake via Johnston Ridge: 7-17-14

Post by kepPNW » July 24th, 2014, 5:29 pm

-Q- wrote:
kepPNW wrote:
Peder wrote:Karl - You can certainly park overnight at the Norway Pass TH.
Good to know, thanks Peder!
I have also parked overnight at the Windy Ridge TH.
No issue.
Might repeat it this weekend actually.
Niiiice! :)
Karl
Back on the trail, again...

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-Q-
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Re: A loop around Spirit Lake via Johnston Ridge: 7-17-14

Post by -Q- » July 25th, 2014, 8:44 am

I have also parked overnight at the Windy Ridge TH.
No issue.
Might repeat it this weekend actually.[/quote]
Niiiice! :)[/quote]

now that i think about it, i am pretty sure you can park overnight at every TH in the monument except johnston ridge. thats the only place that does not allow overnight parking.

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